H.B. No. 3822 introduces new provisions to the Texas Education Code regarding parental leave policies for public school classroom teachers. It mandates that each school district or open-enrollment charter school adopt a paid parental leave policy for teachers who have been employed for at least 12 months and have worked a minimum of 1,250 hours in the preceding year. Under this policy, teachers are entitled to 40 days of paid leave for the birth of their child and 20 days for the birth of a child by their spouse or for adoption. Additionally, teachers are not required to exhaust their paid vacation and sick leave before taking this paid parental leave.

The bill also establishes a separate parental leave policy for teachers who have been employed for less than 12 months or have worked fewer than 1,250 hours, allowing them to take up to 12 weeks of leave, which must first be covered by their available paid leave, with any remaining time being unpaid. Furthermore, the bill includes a provision for a "Teacher Families Allotment," which entitles school districts to an annual allotment equal to the compensation of employees who received paid parental leave. The new policies are required to be adopted by September 1, 2025, and the act will take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds vote from both houses; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: ()