Montgomery, AL – Governor Kay Ivey signed SB199, the Alabama Public Employee Paid Parental Leave Act of 2025, into law on Wednesday, fulfilling a commitment she made in her state of the state address. The legislation provides paid parental leave for eligible public employees, including teachers and state workers.
Sponsored by state Sen. Vivian Figures (D-Mobile) and Rep. Ginny Shaver (R-Leesburg), the law grants female employees eight weeks of paid parental leave following the birth, stillbirth, or miscarriage of a child. Male employees receive two weeks of leave under the same circumstances. Additionally, adoptive parents of children aged three or younger are eligible for parental leave, with one parent receiving eight weeks and the other two weeks, if both are eligible employees.
The law includes a return-to-work provision requiring employees to return for at least eight weeks after taking leave, with exceptions in cases of serious health conditions.
Governor Ivey highlighted the law as a step toward supporting families and the public workforce in Alabama. She emphasized that no parent should have to choose between financial stability and time with a new child.
Sen. Figures described paid leave as essential for workforce and economic growth, allowing education and state employees to care for their newborn or newly adopted child without financial hardship. Rep. Shaver echoed these sentiments, stating that the law reinforces Alabama’s commitment to families and public servants.
The legislation passed with strong support from the Alabama Legislature and was recommended in the Governor’s Study Group on Efficiency in State Government as a means to improve recruitment and retention of public employees.
SB199 will take effect on July 1, 2025.
