OklahomaEligible Oklahoma education employees receive paid leave after birth or adoption
Oklahoma education employees who meet work requirements receive six weeks of paid maternity leave immediately after birth or adoption of a child under four.
What it does
Eligible education employees receive six weeks of paid maternity leave immediately after birth or adoption of a child under four. They need one year of employment and 1,250 hours worked in the preceding 12 months.
Covered employees with enough saved sick leave can extend maternity leave without extra employer approval. Using more than six weeks of sick leave requires written medical support.
Argument forSix weeks of paid leave could help eligible employees care for a newly adopted child under four without losing pay.
Argument againstRequiring paid leave immediately after birth or adoption could limit eligible parents’ ability to save that time for later care needs.
More detail
Eligible education employees receive six weeks of paid maternity leave following birth or adoption. Coverage includes full-time public school employees, full-time technology center classroom instructors, Rehabilitation Services teachers, full-time Corrections teachers or vocational instructors, and full-time Juvenile Affairs teachers. Employees must have worked for the covered employer for at least one year and at least 1,250 hours during the preceding 12 months. The child must be under four years old. Paid maternity leave is separate from sick leave for pregnancy, and employees keep other pay and benefits they are otherwise entitled to receive. The Legislature must fund paid maternity leave for public school district employees each year. The State Board of Education must cover any shortfall with money set aside for public school activities. The six weeks of paid leave must be used immediately following the child’s birth or adoption.
Covered employees may use saved sick leave to extend maternity leave without additional employer or school board approval. Employees covered by the paid maternity leave rules may use sick leave for childbirth recovery or for bonding with or caring for a newborn or infant. Employees must have enough saved sick leave to cover the extension. More than six weeks of sick leave requires a licensed medical professional’s written recommendation based on medical needs related to childbirth recovery or newborn care. Employees must notify their employer under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the federal law governing this family and medical leave. The paid sick leave extension runs at the same time as federal family and medical leave; the text describes a combined 12 weeks of that leave.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 12Approved by Governor Kevin Stitt 05/12/2026Became Law
- May 6Sent to GovernorTo Governor
- Vote recorded Fourth Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- May 6Enrolled measure signed, returned to House
- May 6Enrolled, signed, to Senate
- May 6Referred for enrollment
- May 6Fourth Reading, Measure and Emergency Passed: Ayes: 88 Nays: 1Major
- May 6SA's read, adoptedMajor
- Apr 29SA's received
- Vote recorded Third Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 29Engrossed to HouseMajor
- Apr 29Referred for engrossment
- Apr 29Measure and Emergency passed: Ayes: 36 Nays: 10Major
- Apr 29Title restored
- Apr 29Emergency added
- Apr 29General Order, Amended
- Apr 20Placed on General Order
- Apr 20Withdrawn from Appropriations committee
- Apr 7Referred to AppropriationsMinor
- Vote recorded Education. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 7Title stricken
- Apr 7Reported Do Pass as amended Education committee; CR filedMinor
- Apr 1Second Reading referred to Education Committee then to Appropriations CommitteeMinor
- Mar 11Coauthored by Representative Deck
- Mar 10Coauthored by Representative Waldron
- Mar 10Coauthored by Representative Pogemiller
- Mar 10Coauthored by Representative Archer
- Mar 10First ReadingMinor
- Mar 10Engrossed, signed, to SenatePassed Senate
- Mar 9Referred for engrossment
- Vote recorded Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 9Third Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 90 Nays: 0Passed House
- Mar 9Coauthored by Representative(s) Gise
- Mar 9General Order
- Mar 3Coauthored by Senator(s) Mann
- Mar 3Authored by Senator Pugh (principal Senate author)
- Mar 3CR; Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Education Oversight CommitteeMinor
- Mar 2
- Vote recorded Education Oversight Committee: Do Pass As Amended By Cs. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 5Policy recommendation to the Education Oversight committee; Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Common EducationMinor
- Feb 4
- Vote recorded Common Education Committee: Do Pass As Amended By Cs. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 3Referred to Common EducationMinor
- Feb 3Second Reading referred to Education OversightMinor
- Feb 2Authored by Representative Boles
- Feb 2First ReadingIntroduced
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