Bill Text: TX SB966 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to paid leave by certain state employees for the birth or adoption of a child.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-03 - Referred to Business & Commerce [SB966 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-SB966-Introduced.html

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88R6533 RDS-D
By: Johnson S.B. No. 966

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to paid leave by certain state employees for the birth or
adoption of a child.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 661.912, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 661.912. FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT. (a) Except as
provided by Section 661.9125, to [To] the extent required by
federal law, a state employee who has a total of at least 12 months
of state service and who has worked at least 1,250 hours during the
12-month period preceding the beginning of leave under this section
is entitled to leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act
of 1993 (29 U.S.C. Section 2601 et seq.).
(b) The employee must first use all available and applicable
paid vacation and sick leave while taking leave under this section,
except that an employee who is receiving temporary disability
benefits or workers' compensation benefits or is taking paid leave
under Section 661.9125 is not required to first use applicable paid
vacation or sick leave while receiving those benefits or taking
paid leave under Section 661.9125.
SECTION 2. Subchapter Z, Chapter 661, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 661.9125 to read as follows:
Sec. 661.9125. PAID PARENTAL LEAVE FOR CERTAIN EMPLOYEES.
(a) This section applies only to a state employee who:
(1) is a member of the Employees Retirement System of
Texas; and
(2) takes leave under Section 661.912 for the:
(A) birth of a child;
(B) birth of a child by the employee's spouse;
(C) birth of a child by a gestational surrogate;
or
(D) adoption of a child.
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a state employee
is entitled to:
(1) eight consecutive weeks of paid parental leave if
the employee is the primary caregiver of a child described by
Subsection (a); or
(2) four consecutive weeks of paid parental leave if
the employee is the spouse of the primary caregiver of a child
described by Subsection (a).
(c) A state employee's entitlement to paid parental leave
under Subsection (b) expires on the six-month anniversary of the
date of the child's birth or placement with the employee.
(d) This section does not entitle an employee to any leave
in addition to leave taken under Section 661.912.
(e) A state employee is not required to use all available
paid vacation and sick leave before the employee is entitled to take
paid leave under this section.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.