Gov. Haslam signs bill extending Maternity and Paternity leave for State Employees

TSEA May 4, 2018 Comments Off on Gov. Haslam signs bill extending Maternity and Paternity leave for State Employees
Gov. Haslam signs bill extending Maternity and Paternity leave for State Employees

Yesterday (5-3-18) Governor Haslam signed into law legislation which allows state and higher education employees to use their sick leave and annual leave for maternity or paternity leave for a period not to exceed the state employee’s accumulated sick leave and annual leave balance, or twelve (12) weeks, whichever is less.

Special leave under this legislation is also allowed for a period of twelve (12) weeks to adoptive parents. Employees may use sick leave and annual leave for all or a portion of that twelve (12) weeks, not to exceed the employee’s leave balance if the child is one (1) year old or less.

Prior to this legislation, state employees were limited to use of only sick leave for maternity or paternity leave, and leave use for this purpose was capped at 30 days.

This legislation took effect immediately upon the governor signing it into law.

HB2590/SB2379 was sponsored by Sen. Jeff Yarbro and Rep. Jason Powell and was part of TSEA’s legislative agenda.