The Alabama State Board of Education voted unanimously on Aug. 14 to adopt Alabama Administrative Code rule 290-3-1-.05, making paid parental leave a permanent rule for eligible employees of the Alabama State Department of Education and related entities.

Supporters told the board the change could produce major health and economic benefits for employees and children. In public comment, Dev Wakeley of Alabama RISE called the regulation “a great regulation,” urged the board to approve it and offered minor wording suggestions for future refinement.

The vote followed brief remarks from board leadership and the state education superintendent endorsing the change. The board chair called for the motion, and members voted in favor by raised hands; the chair announced a unanimous result.

Wakeley, the meeting’s lone public speaker on the item, said the regulation would improve quality of life for education employees and predicted broader health benefits, saying, “This is a great regulation. Not just a good 1, but a great 1. It's going to provide a drastic increase in quality of life for the people who do the work of helping to helping to raise and educate our children.” He also offered two minor suggestions, including clarifying coverage for employees who travel to other domestic jurisdictions and tightening some verbiage.

Superintendent Mackey thanked the board and the governor and described the adoption as one of the most consequential actions for state employees in his tenure. Mackey said department staff have already begun processing the first leave requests under the new rule and that the change will have long-term benefits for employees and students.

Formal action: the board moved and seconded a motion to adopt rule 290-3-1-.05 and a voice/raised-hand count was taken; the chair announced a unanimous vote. The board did not record individual roll-call votes in the transcript. The motion and adoption were recorded during the meeting’s rule-adoption agenda item.

The board’s action makes the paid parental leave rule permanent in the Alabama Administrative Code. The transcript and meeting agenda indicate the board intends to monitor implementation and that minor clarifications could be addressed administratively or through future regulatory or legislative changes.

The next scheduled meeting of the Alabama State Board of Education is Sept. 11, 2025, at 10 a.m. in the Gordon Persons Building Auditorium.