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House passes bill allowing teachers to use accrued sick leave to extend maternity leave
Summary
The Oklahoma House passed House Bill 16-01 to let teachers use accrued sick leave to extend their paid maternity leave beyond the six weeks the state funds, potentially allowing up to 12 weeks if FMLA applies; debate focused on local control, costs to districts and due-process protections.
The Oklahoma House on March 17 passed House Bill 16-01, a bill that allows public school teachers to use accrued sick leave to extend maternity leave beyond the six weeks of state-paid leave and up to the 12-week period covered by federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Representative Geiss (author) told the House the measure lets teachers “utilize their accrued sick leave to extend their maternity leave beyond the 6 weeks of paid that the state provides.” Lawmakers debated whether the change shifts costs to local school districts, how the proposal would interact with FMLA, and whether the bill protected teachers' due process.
Leader Munson and several other members asked whether the change would require school districts to pay additional amounts; Geiss said the approach uses leave teachers have already accrued and that expanding the state-paid period beyond six weeks would increase state costs. Geiss acknowledged variations among districts and said some districts currently decline requests to extend leave.
Members also discussed the policy's potential effect on teacher retention and the teacher pipeline. Supporters said increasing options for teachers to bond with newborns may make the profession more attractive; opponents and questioners pressed for clarity about local-control implications and whether districts could still deny use of sick leave in certain cases.
The bill was moved for final passage and passed on third reading. The roll-call vote as announced on the floor showed the bill passed; the House recorded a majority vote in favor during final passage.
