Texas Senate passes paid parental leave for state employees

Palestine Herald-Press
Ali Linan CNHI Texas statehouse reporter
March 22, 2023

AUSTIN — The Texas Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to give some state employees paid parental leave.

Senate Bill 222, authored by Jacksonville Republican state Sen. Robert Nichols, offers eligible state employees up to six weeks of paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child, or the welcome of a child via surrogate.

It also includes two weeks paid leave for the birth of a child by an employee’s spouse.

Under current law, state employees are granted no paid leave following the birth of the child and must exhaust any and all available sick or vacation time or use unpaid leave available under the federal Family Medical Leave Act, Nichols said.

Nichols said the available leave will help the state attract and retain talent or combat the workforce shortage, as research indicates that women who are offered paid parental leave are much more likely to return to the workforce after having a child.

“This will have a net positive effect on the economics of returning employees to our state agencies,” Nichols said. “The data is clear that a paid parental leave policy for state employees makes sense.”

The bill now moves to the House for consideration.