The bill, H.B. No. 4704, establishes a paid parental leave policy for public school employees in Texas, allowing full-time employees of school districts or open-enrollment charter schools to receive paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child. The policy mandates eight consecutive weeks of paid leave for primary caregivers and four weeks for spouses of primary caregivers. It also sets eligibility criteria, requiring employees to have been employed full-time for at least 12 months prior to taking leave, and stipulates that the leave must be taken concurrently with any federal Family and Medical Leave Act leave. Additionally, the bill requires a report to the legislature every two years on the usage and costs of the paid parental leave policy.

Furthermore, the bill amends the eligibility criteria for free prekindergarten programs, adding that children of public school teachers are now eligible. It also introduces a new annual allotment for school districts, equal to the compensation of employees who took paid parental leave, to help cover the costs associated with this policy. The provisions of the bill will take effect starting with the 2025-2026 school year, with specific sections having a delayed effective date of September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 29.153 (Education Code 29)