The "Advancing Rights for Caregiving, Health, and Extended Recovery (Maternity Leave Protection for Teachers) Act," also known as the ARCHER Act, aims to enhance maternity leave provisions for teachers in Oklahoma. The bill amends existing laws regarding sick leave and paid maternity leave, allowing full-time employees of public school districts who have been employed for at least one year to access six weeks of paid maternity leave following the birth of a child. Additionally, the bill permits these employees to utilize accrued sick leave to extend their maternity leave beyond the initial six weeks, with specific conditions regarding notification and medical certification for any additional leave.

Key amendments include the specification that sick leave can be used for recovery from childbirth, bonding with a newborn, or caring for a newborn, without requiring additional approval from the school board, provided the employee has sufficient sick leave. The bill also mandates that the Legislature appropriates adequate funding for the Public School Paid Maternity Leave Revolving Fund to support these provisions. The effective date for the act is set for November 1, 2025.