SB340 Alabama 2021 Session

Existing law provides a mother offering a consent or relinquishment of parental rights for purposes of offering a child for adoption with up to five days to withdraw the consent or relinquishment in all cases, and up to 14 days to withdraw the consent or relinquishment in cases where a court finds the withdrawal to be reasonable under the circumstances and consistent with the best interest of the child

This bill would limit the time period allowable for a mother offering a consent or relinquishment of parental rights for purposes of offering a child for adoption to five days in all cases

This bill would, concurrently with federal law, require employers to offer 12 weeks of family leave to eligible employees for the birth and care of a child during the first year after the birth of the child and for an adopted child within one year of placement

This bill also would require employers that provide certain additional maternity benefits to female employees to offer equivalent benefits to adoptive parents

This bill would allow state employees and members of the Teachers' Retirement System to purchase service credit for a period of time up to one year for time spent on family leave

This bill would revise existing law applying to the donation of accrued and unused annual, sick, or compensatory leave to an employee qualifying for maternity leave to extend that option to an employee qualifying for leave for adoptive parents

Relating to family leave and adoption; to amend Sections 16-25-11.12, 26-10A-13, 36-26-35.2, and 36-26-36.2, Code of Alabama 1975, to limit the time period allowable for a mother offering a consent or relinquishment of parental rights for purposes of offering a child for adoption; to require employers to offer certain family leave to eligible employees for the birth and care of a child and for an adopted child; to require employers that provide certain additional maternity benefits to female employees to offer equivalent benefits to adoptive parents; to allow state employees and members of the Teachers' Retirement System to purchase service credit for time spent on family leave; and to update existing law applying to the donation of accrued and unused leave to an employee qualifying for maternity leave in order to extend that option to an employee qualifying for leave for adoptive parents.