State employees; paid parental leave authorized, parameters for eligibility established

SB 199 establishes paid parental leave for Alabama state employees and K-12 school employees. Eligible employees (after 12 months of service) receive eight weeks of paid leave following a birth, stillbirth, or miscarriage (for women) or adoption (for any gender), with men receiving two weeks for birth-related events. The bill requires employees to submit a written leave plan and agree to return to work within eight weeks after leave, with exceptions for serious health conditions. It mandates the State Personnel Department and Education Department to create implementation rules and submit annual reports on leave usage to the Governor and Legislature. This bill directly affects over 100,000 state and education agency workers by adding a new benefit to their employment terms.