SUMMARY:  36 4525/A   LC 36 4797S

The bill provides for 120 hours of paid parental leave over a 12 month period due to the birth of a child, adoption of a child, or receiving a foster child -- referred to in the bill as a qualifying life event.  The leave is available only once per eligible employee per year.  The leave may be taken as needed and in increments less than eight hours. Unused leave is forfeited after the 12 month period.

Eligible employees are full-time employees of state government and local boards of education after six months of continuous months of employment.  Hourly workers are eligible if he or she has worked at least 700 hours over the six month period immediately preceding the requested leave date.

The employing entity shall promulgate rules for the administration of this leave.  At a minimum, the rules shall address whether this paid parental leave shall run concurrently with any leave provided under federal law and the documentation, if any, that will be required to establish the existence of a qualifying life event.

No employer shall interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of or the attempt to exercise these provisions by any eligible employee unless the use of the leave is likely to unduly disrupt operations.  The employer may not discriminate against or retaliate against an employee taking this leave but may take adverse action against an eligible employee who submits a false document or otherwise provides false information in an attempt to obtain the leave. 

EFFECTIVE DATE:

July 1, 2021