SB31 Alabama 2022 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Andrew JonesSenator
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2022
Title: Adoption, family leave, to require certain employers to provide certain amounts of family leave to employees who adopt children, and to require employers who provide maternity benefits to female employees to offer equivalent benefits to adoptive parents, Secs. 16-25-11.12, 36-26-35.2, 36-26-36.2 am'd.
Summary: SB31 would require employers to provide family leave for birth or adoption and ensure adoptive parents get equivalent maternity benefits, while adding leave donation and retirement-credit options for leave time.
What This Bill Does
The bill establishes 12 weeks of unpaid family leave for the birth and care of a child or for the care of an adopted child within one year of placement, to run alongside federal family leave. It requires employers who offer maternity benefits to also provide equivalent benefits for adoptive parents, with paid leave options limited to the lesser of equivalent paid leave or two weeks for adoption in the first year after placement. It allows state employees and Teachers' Retirement System members to purchase service credit for time spent on family leave, and it creates programs to donate accrued and unused leave between state employees for adoption-related reasons, with caps and cross-branch coordination. It also sets rules on how leave can be used (no penalties for taking it, and non-intermittent usage unless both sides agree) and defines family leave for this purpose.

Who It Affects
Employees eligible for birth or adoption leave and adoptive parents, who would gain both unpaid and potential paid leave options and the ability to donate or receive donated leave.
State employers, state government employees, and Teachers' Retirement System members, who must implement the leave requirements, allow credit purchases for leave time, and coordinate donation programs across branches.

Key Provisions
Provides 12 weeks of unpaid family leave for birth and care of a child or care of an adopted child within one year of placement, running concurrently with federal leave; requires 30 days' notice for foreseeable adoptions.
If an employer offers paid maternity benefits, the employer must also provide equivalent paid leave or two weeks of paid leave for the care of a child placed for adoption in the first year after placement; only one of two eligible employees may receive these paid benefits if both would use them.
Allows state employees and Teachers' Retirement System members to purchase up to one year of service credit for maternity/family leave time without pay, with actuarial cost determined and rules set by the system; must follow specified eligibility and timing rules.
Authorizes donation of accrued and unused leave between state employees for catastrophic sick leave or maternity family leave, with up to 480 hours total donated per recipient career limit and up to two weeks donated per adoption; cross-branch coordination and approval requirements apply.
Requires cross-branch coordination of leave donation and adoption-related rules across Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches; defines 'family leave' for this program as maternity or adoption leave.
Effective date set as the first day of the third month after passage/approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Adoption