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Senate passes paid parental leave bill for state employees after floor amendments
Summary
The Senate approved legislation to provide paid parental leave to eligible state employees, extending the benefit to K–12 and community-college employees by amendment and adding procedural safeguards; lawmakers debated costs and scope before adopting a reverse repealer and passing the measure by roll call.
The Mississippi Senate passed legislation establishing a paid parental-leave benefit for eligible state employees, authorizing up to six weeks of paid leave for a primary caregiver following the birth or adoption of a child. The measure advanced after floor amendments expanded eligibility to employees of K–12 school districts and community colleges (by amendment) and clarified how secondary caregivers would be treated.
Sponsor Senator Wiggins told colleagues the measure is intended to help state government compete for and retain talent and to support family formation. “We talk about families — this is about the employees of the state being able to take time to raise their children,” Wiggins said on the floor. The bill defines an eligible employee as a full-time, permanent state worker with at least 12 months of…
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