This bill amends existing legislation regarding paid maternity leave for full-time employees in public school districts and related educational institutions in Oklahoma. It establishes that eligible employees, who have been employed for at least one year and have worked a minimum of 1,250 hours in the preceding year, are entitled to six weeks of paid maternity leave following the birth of their child. The bill also allows these employees to utilize accrued sick leave to extend their maternity leave beyond the initial six weeks, specifying that such leave can be used for recovery from childbirth, bonding with a newborn, or caring for a newborn. Employees must notify their employer in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the sick leave will run concurrently with any FMLA leave taken.

Additionally, the bill mandates that the Legislature must appropriate adequate funding to the Public School Paid Maternity Leave Revolving Fund to support this paid maternity leave. If sufficient funding is not appropriated, the State Board of Education is required to allocate funds from its budget to ensure that paid maternity leave is fully funded. The bill also allows various state educational boards to create rules for implementing these provisions. The effective date for this act is set for November 1, 2025.