Alabama state employees and public school educators will soon be guaranteed paid parental leave, following the passage of SB199 — the Alabama Public Employee Paid Parental Leave Act of 2025.

The legislation, sponsored by State Sen. Vivian Figures (D-Mobile) and State Rep. Ginny Shaver (R-Leesburg), received final approval in the House on March 20 by a vote of 94-2.  Gov. Kay Ivey is expected to sign the bill into law.

Beginning July 1, 2025, eligible full-time female state employees and educators will receive up to eight weeks of paid leave following the birth, stillbirth or miscarriage of a child. Male employees will be entitled to two weeks of paid leave for the same qualifying events. The legislation also includes paid leave for the adoption of a child aged three or younger — eight weeks for one parent and two weeks for the other, when both are eligible.

The new policy applies to employees of the state government, local education agencies and institutions within the Alabama Community College System, provided they have worked for at least 12 consecutive months prior to a qualifying event.

Employees must submit a written plan for their leave and agree not to separate from employment for at least eight weeks after returning. Exceptions may be granted in cases of serious health conditions.

Under the law, paid parental leave will be fully compensated at 100% of an employee’s base salary and will not require the use of accrued sick or vacation time. The leave must be used within one year of the qualifying event and cannot be rolled over or cashed out.

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“We say we’re pro-life, and people say we don’t care about them after they’re born, and this is showing that we do,” Shaver said on the House floor. 

According to the Women’s Foundation of Alabama, which advocated for the bill, nearly 60% of state employees and 80% of teachers in the state are women — making the legislation both an economic and family-focused investment.

The act also mandates that the State Personnel Department, the State Department of Education and the Alabama Community College System adopt rules for implementation and report annually on usage through 2030.

The passage follows Gov. Ivey’s call for paid parental leave in her 2025 State of the State address and reflects a growing bipartisan consensus on the need to support working families in Alabama.

“Paid leave is a crucial workforce and economic development tool that simultaneously enables our education and state employees who are having and adopting children, the time they need to heal, bond and care for themselves and their loved ones,” said LaShundra Pinkard, interim president and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Alabama. 

The bill is expected to be a model for future efforts to expand paid leave across the broader workforce.

“This significant piece of legislation is an example of how we value children and families in our state,” said Shaver. “The Parental Leave Act will provide state and education employees with the opportunity to properly bond with their children without the added stress of worrying about their jobs. It is a valuable recruitment and retention tool to attract and keep quality employees and help us remain competitive with peer states who have already enacted these important pro-family policies.”

Grace Heim is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You can follow her on X @graceeheim or email her at [email protected].