HB327 Alabama 2025 Session

Updated Feb 22, 2026

High Interest

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Ginny ShaverRepresentative
Republican
Session: 2025 Regular Session
Title: State employees; paid parental leave authorized, parameters for eligibility established
Summary: HB327 creates a paid parental leave program for eligible state employees and local education agency employees in Alabama after birth, stillbirth, miscarriage, or adoption of a child under age three.
What This Bill Does
It would establish the Alabama K-12 Public School and State Employee Paid Parental Leave Act and provide paid parental leave for eligible employees. Leave amounts vary by event and sex: eight weeks for female employees for birth, stillbirth, or miscarriage; two weeks for male employees for the same events; eight weeks for adoption of a child age three or younger (joint adoption may be eight weeks for one parent and two weeks for the other). Eligible employees must have at least 12 consecutive months of service. The act requires implementing rules, annual reporting to the Governor and Legislature, continuation of health benefits during leave, and job restoration protections; leave can be taken intermittently or on a reduced schedule with limits and runs concurrently with FMLA and other leave. Unused leave has no cash value, does not roll over, and may not be used to affect retirement benefits.

Who It Affects
State employees who have at least 12 consecutive months of service and would be eligible for paid parental leave for birth, miscarriage, stillbirth, or adoption of a child age three or younger.
Employees of local education agencies (including public charter schools as applicable) who have at least 12 consecutive months of service and would be eligible for the same parental leave.

Key Provisions
Creates Chapter 6A in Title 36 to provide paid parental leave for eligible state and local education agency employees.
Defines eligibility: 12 consecutive months of employment with the applicable employing agency for both state and LEA employees; covers birth, stillbirth, miscarriage, and adoption of a child age three or younger.
Leave amounts: eight weeks for female employees for birth/stillbirth/miscarriage; two weeks for male employees for birth/stillbirth/miscarriage; eight weeks for adoption (child ≤3) with joint adoption allowing one parent eight weeks and the other two weeks.
Administrative rules: SPD and State Board of Education must adopt rules to implement and administer the leave; includes forms and procedures and notices at hiring.
Operational rules: leave may be used intermittently or on a reduced schedule with conditions; leave runs concurrently with FMLA and other leave; health benefits continue; no cash value; no impact on retirement benefits; return-to-work protections to restore employee to same or equivalent position.
Scheduling and limits: leave must be used within 365 days of the qualifying event; only one qualifying event per 365-day period; employees may take leave intermittently with agency approval; return-to-work agreement required; failure to comply may lead to repayment of pay.
Annual reporting: SPD and DOE must annually report data on implementation and use of parental leave to the Governor and Legislature, with public reporting starting by 2026.
Charter/public school applicability: rules apply to public charter schools as specified; LEA employees included.
Leave donation provision: existing law allows donation of accrued unused leave to other state employees for catastrophic or family leave, with limits (up to 480 hours per recipient; up to two weeks for adoption-specific donations) and approvals from appropriate authorities.
Effective date: July 1, 2025.

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