Legislation to give paid parental leave to state employees and educators had two significant votes on Wednesday, though questions about how much it will cost the state remain.
The bill was expanded and approved 28-3 in the Alabama Senate Wednesday afternoon. A House committee also advanced that chamber’s version of the bill earlier in the day, but not before members said they need more information about the financial impact.
“The concern I have … we don’t have a good fiscal note,” House education budget committee chairman Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, said. The bill is a priority of Gov. Kay Ivey and Garrett said he’s asked her office for additional information about the cost. He said he hopes to have it before the bill receives a vote in the House.
Supporters have said it’s time for Alabama teachers and employees to have paid parental leave and not having it hurts recruitment and retention.
🚨BREAKING!🚨 Big wins for paid parental leave in Alabama today!
✅ SB199 by Sen. Vivian Figures PASSED the Senate 28-3 today!
✅ HB327 by Rep. Ginny Shaver passed out of the House Ways & Means Education Committee and moves to the House floor!
We thank Sen. Figures & Rep.… pic.twitter.com/vDOPKJMFNQ
— Alabama Education Association (@myAEA) March 5, 2025
Figures on the Senate floor credited her son, Congressman Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, for bringing to her attention the state’s lack of leave last year while campaigning.
House Bill 327 by Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, and Senate Bill 199, by Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, would give female employees eight weeks of paid leave for childbirth, miscarriage or stillbirth. Male employees could get up to two weeks. Employees adopting a child three years old or younger would also get eight weeks.
The bill as originally written covered state employees and K-12 educators. An amendment on the Senate floor expanded it to the community college system and Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind employees.
In the House committee meeting, Shaver had said there could be other additions, including some Alabama Department of Youth Services employees who teach. Some committee members asked about specific education groups in their areas and Shaver said she would consider additions.
According to data from the Retirement Systems of Alabama, which administers the state educators’ health plan, there were 2,166 births to K-12 employees and dependents in 2023. There were 117 births to educators outside of K-12. Those numbers were about the same in 2022 and 2021 and lower in 2020.
A fiscal note attached to the bill did not provide a total estimated cost but outlined the potential financial impact for employers. State agencies would see decreases in savings on employees who now take unpaid time off for the birth of a child. Those decreases include $8,600 per employee who uses eight weeks of paid leave and $2,100 for an employee who uses two weeks.
Local school boards could see costs of $4,800 per employee for eight weeks of leave and $1,200 for two weeks of leave.
The potential cost and lack of a solid number are why Sens. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, and Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, were two of those no votes.
“We don’t have a fiscal note,” Elliott told Alabama Daily News Wednesday night. “We’re pushing this through and I don’t know how much it’s going to cost.
“There were just too many unanswered questions.”
Roberts said the estimated costs he’d heard were more than he could support.
“I am all for Alabama families but the cost of this is more than I am comfortable with,” he told ADN.
The other no vote was Sen. Steve Livingston, R-Scottsboro.
Rep. Debbie Wood, R-Valley, sponsored a teachers maternity leave bill last year.
“I do know that it costs the state money, but I think it’s incredibly important that we offer maternity leave for our educators and it’s a recruitment tool,” Wood said in the House committee on Wednesday.
Update: This story was updated to correct the attribution of a quote to Rep. Debbie Wood.