Senate committee advances bill for state to absorb teachers' paid maternity leave costs

Senate Education Committee members voted to advance House Bill 1017 on a voice vote after sponsors said the state can absorb the cost of paid maternity leave for public school teachers and thereby increase district participation.

The bill would have the state pick up the portion of paid maternity leave previously expected to be cost-shared with local school districts; sponsors said the change aims to encourage more districts to offer up to 12 weeks of paid leave for teachers who meet district eligibility rules.

Sponsor Sen. Brianne Davis, State Senate District 25, said the LEARNS-era policy initially allowed districts and the state to split paid leave 50-50, but many districts did not opt in. "We want teachers to stay in the classroom, especially teachers who've been teaching a while, but they also wanna grow their family and spend time with their new babies," Davis said, arguing state absorption of the cost should increase district buy-in.

Grama Rogers, Department of Education, said the department modeled a worst-case cost of about $3,300,000 but that actual payouts this year have been far lower. "Our analysis, $3,300,000 was done on worst case scenario. This year, we've only paid out, like, a hundred and 6,870,000 total for paternity leave," Rogers said, adding the department expects existing budget authority will be sufficient and that it will return to the fiscal session if additional appropriations are needed.

Committee members pressed for more data on specific groups affected. Senator Bender Flowers asked whether foster placements had been counted as qualifying events and whether the state had data on how many teachers foster or adopt infants; Davis said the department did not have that breakdown and that worst-case budgeting was intended to cover such eventualities. "We did try to do and count for that with the worst case scenario, and that's why we went to that 3.4," Davis said.

Members also clarified the practical costs districts incur when a teacher takes leave: districts generally continue a teacher's salary but must pay for a substitute, Davis and Rogers noted. Committee members described a range of local policies—some districts offer as little as two weeks plus FMLA; others have longer paid leaves—and discussed how the bill removes the local 50/50 cost share expectation so the state footprint covers up to 12 weeks in participating cases.

After discussion the committee approved a motion that the bill "do pass" by voice vote; members recorded no roll-call tally during the meeting.

If additional funding is required beyond the current budget authority, Rogers said the department would return with updated data during the fiscal session to request further appropriation.

Questions raised during the hearing included how many districts opted into the original 50/50 arrangement (Davis said 22 in the first year and 27 in the following year), and whether the change would reduce district incentives to retain budget control over leave policies. Proponents said the state assumption of cost is intended to reduce barriers that discouraged districts from offering the full benefit.

The committee moved the bill forward for further consideration.