A proposed bill would create an eight-week paid maternity leave for state employees and teachers as well as two paid weeks paternity leave for the father of a child who is a state employee or teacher. 

Gov. Kay Ivey announced the bill this week as the Alabama K-12 Public School and State Employee Paid Parental Leave Act of 2025. Ivey said in her January State of the State address she wanted a bill to support Alabama families and to recruit and retain highly talented public school teachers and state employees.

“First, if a teacher wants to start a family, she should have the proper maternity leave. That is why I am proud to have Senator Vivian Figures and Representative Ginny Shaver joining forces this year to pass a good, responsible parental leave bill to support both our state workers and teachers,” Ivey said during her state of the state address.

The bi-partisan bill is sponsored by Figures, D-Mobile, and Shaver, R-Leesburg. 

According to the bill synopsis, “Existing law does not provide for paid parental leave for state employees or employees of local education agencies. “ 

The bill, if passed, would allow female, qualifying state employees and teachers eight-weeks of maternity leave for the birth, stillbirth or miscarriage of a child. Also, a qualifying state employee or teacher who is the father of a child is entitled to two weeks of paid paternal leave in connection to the birth, stillbirth or miscarriage of a child. 

The bill also provides allowances for the adoption of a child under the age of three. A return-to-work stipulation is set forth in the bill that requires employees who took leave to return to work for at least eight weeks. 

If enacted into law, the bill would take effect July 1, 2025.