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Subcommittee advances bill to extend six weeks paid leave to family caregiving for state employees
Summary
House Bill 915 would expand Tennessee's existing six‑week paid leave for state employees to cover caring for a family member with a serious health condition; legal counsel confirmed it is additional paid time that does not reduce accrued leave and runs with FMLA.
House Bill 915, carried by Representative Sparks, cleared the Public Service Subcommittee on a 6‑0 voice vote after lawmakers questioned the bill's fiscal and operational implications and sought legal clarification. The bill amends Tennessee’s six‑week paid leave for state employees to include family caregiving — allowing leave to care for a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, spouse or sibling facing a serious illness or disability.
Representative Sparks said the amendment aligns the benefit to the General Assembly staff who frequently work more than 40 hours during sessions and that the bill "simply amends Tennessee's existing 6 week paid policy leave to add family caregiving as a qualifying reason for the leave." The sponsor noted the amendment drafted with the Department of Human Resources pushes the effective date to Jan. 1, 2026 to allow implementation time.
Legal counsel told the subcommittee that the six weeks of paid leave is a stand‑alone paid benefit and does not count against an employee's accrued sick, annual or compensatory leave. Attorney Matt Mundy explained the relationship with federal law: "The FMLA gives 12 unpaid weeks of leave. Any leave used under this counts against those 12 weeks. In Tennessee, we give an additional benefit of 6 weeks of paid leave that has to be taken off the FMLA leave." He and other legal staff confirmed that an employee who exhausted annual and sick leave would still be entitled to the six weeks of paid leave under the statute if the bill becomes law.
Committee members asked whether the expansion carried a fiscal note. Representative Sparks and members present said no physical fiscal note appeared on the bill; counsel explained the number of employees who will use the expanded benefit is unknown and the fiscal effect will vary. The sponsor also shared personal remarks about caregiving to underscore the bill's intent.
Outcome and next steps
The subcommittee voted to advance House Bill 915 to the full committee, 6‑0. The amendment adopted in committee delays the effective date to Jan. 1, 2026 and defines family members consistent with FMLA guidance. The Department of Human Resources was identified as the lead agency for implementation guidance should the bill move forward.
