UtahUtah law provides paid leave for eligible state and school employees
Eligible state and school employees may use paid leave for childbirth, adoption, or foster care; women may breastfeed or use a breast pump in public places.
What it does
Eligible state employees may use up to six paid weeks to recover after childbirth or adopt a child under six, and four weeks for foster placement. Other parental leave is up to three weeks.
Local education agencies must allow eligible employees up to three paid weeks for adoption of a child under six, plus up to three weeks of parental leave for adoption. Foster leave is up to four weeks.
A woman may breastfeed or use a breast pump in any place of public accommodation.
Argument forPaid recovery and caregiving leave could give eligible workers time to heal or care for a child, while breast pump access may help women feed children in public.
Argument againstWhen two eligible employees adopt or foster the same child, sharing one leave period could mean each has less time away from work than separate leave periods would allow.
More detail
State employers provide eligible workers paid leave for childbirth, adoption, and foster care. Eligible state employees may use up to three work weeks of parental leave, six work weeks of recovery leave after childbirth at 20 weeks or greater gestation, six work weeks of adoption leave for a child under six, or four work weeks of foster leave. Covered employees must meet the job, retirement-benefit, and paid-leave eligibility rules. When two eligible employees adopt the same young child or foster the same child, they share one leave period and may divide it between them. An employee may not use foster leave together with parental leave for the same child or adoption leave for the same young child. The law took effect July 1, 2026. Adoption and foster leave must be used within six months of the adoption or placement. Foster leave cannot be used after the child leaves the employee's foster care.
Local education agencies must adopt policies allowing eligible employees to use paid leave. Eligible local education agency employees may use up to three work weeks each of parental, childbirth recovery, and adoption leave, and up to four work weeks of foster leave. Adoption leave is for a child under six. Employees must accrue paid leave under the agency's policies and meet the relevant eligibility rules. When two eligible employees adopt the same young child or foster the same child, they share one leave period and may divide it between them. An employee may not use foster leave together with parental leave for the same child, or adoption leave for the same young child. The law took effect July 1, 2026. Adoption and foster leave must be used within six months of adoption or foster placement; foster leave ends if the child leaves the employee's foster care.
A woman may breastfeed or use a breast pump in any public place of accommodation. The permission applies in any place of public accommodation. The law took effect July 1, 2026.
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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
- Mar 24Governor Spencer Cox SignedBecame Law
- Mar 16House/ to GovernorTo Governor
- Mar 16House/ received enrolled bill from PrintingMinor
- Mar 11House/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 11Enrolled Bill Returned to House or SenateMinor
- Mar 6Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
- Mar 6Bill Received from House for EnrollingMinor
- Mar 6House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrollingMajor
- Mar 6House/ received from SenateMinor
- Mar 5Senate/ to House
- Vote recorded Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 5Senate/ signed by President/ returned to HouseMajor
- Mar 5Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspensionPassed Senate
- Mar 5Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspensionMinor
- Mar 5Senate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 5Senate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules [Senate Rules Committee]Minor
- Mar 5Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 5Senate/ committee report favorable [Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee]Minor
- Mar 4Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation [Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee]Minor
- Feb 24Senate/ to standing committee [Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee]Minor
- Feb 17Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)Minor
- Vote recorded House/ passed 3rd reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 17LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0329S03
- Feb 17LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0329S03
- Feb 17LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0329S02
- Feb 17LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0329S02
- Feb 17Senate/ received from HouseMinor
- Feb 17House/ to Senate
- Feb 17House/ passed 3rd readingPassed House
- Feb 17House/ substitute adoption failedMajor
- Feb 17House/ substituted
- Feb 17House/ 3rd readingMinor
- Feb 16LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0329S03
- Feb 16LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0329S03
- Feb 13LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0329S02
- Feb 13LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0329S02
- Feb 12LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0329S01
- Feb 11LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0329S01
- Feb 10LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0329S01
- Feb 10LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0329S01
- Feb 5House/ 2nd readingMinor
- Feb 5House/ committee report favorable [House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]Minor
- Feb 4House Comm - Favorable Recommendation [House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]Minor
- Jan 29House/ to standing committee [House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee]Minor
- Jan 27House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal AnalystMinor
- Jan 27LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0329
- Jan 27LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0329
- Jan 23House/ 1st reading (Introduced)Minor
- Jan 23House/ received bill from Legislative ResearchMinor
- Jan 22LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0329
- Jan 22LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0329
- Jan 22Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 22Bill Numbered but not DistributedIntroduced
HealthcareEducationReproductive Rights