Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workforce Benefits Parental Leave topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee gives favorable report to bill proposing eight weeks paid leave for state and local education employees
Summary
House Bill 327 would create an eight‑week paid parental leave benefit for state employees and local board of education employees, with specific provisions for miscarriage, stillbirth and adoption; committee gave the bill a favorable report after discussion about fiscal impacts and inclusions.
House Bill 327, sponsored by Representative Shaver, would provide paid parental leave for state employees and employees of local boards of education. The bill as described in committee would grant eight weeks of paid leave in certain cases of childbirth and adoption, provide leave for miscarriage after 12 weeks and for stillbirth after 20 weeks, and cover adoption of a child age 3 or younger.
Representative Shaver said the measure combines prior proposals for state and education employees and that language may be added to explicitly include other entities such as community colleges. "This is the combined bill to provide eight weeks paid leave for state employees and employees of local boards of education," Shaver said.
Committee members asked detailed questions about eligibility, parity between parents and costs. Representative Wood clarified how the bill treats parents who both are employees: "Well, if they're both eligible employees and in case of birth, then the female would get the eight weeks, and then, the co‑parent would get two weeks," Wood said. Representative Wood and others also discussed inclusion of agencies such as DYS and AIDB and said they would investigate whether those should be explicitly named.
Members pressed on fiscal implications. Representative Kiel asked whether the committee tracks how many employees have dependents added each year; the sponsor said RSA provided numbers showing an average of about 2,000 dependents added annually over six years, with 1,641 in 2024 and 2,302 in 2023. Several members said they support the policy concept but wanted a fiscal note before advancing a final floor posture.
After discussion, a motion to give the bill a favorable report passed by voice vote. The sponsor and members said they expect additional drafting changes and that the committee or floor may consider amendments to ensure inclusion of certain employee groups and to address fiscal concerns.
