HB 4146 expands paid maternity leave eligibility to full-time school employees in Oklahoma who have worked at least 1,250 hours over the past year. This includes employees in public school districts, technology center districts, rehabilitation services, correctional facilities, and juvenile affairs. Eligible employees receive six weeks of paid leave immediately after childbirth, which supplements but does not replace existing sick leave for pregnancy-related needs. The bill requires state funding through a revolving fund or allocated education budget to cover the leave costs, effective July 1, 2026.
HB 3823 requires private employers in Oklahoma to provide employees with up to 90 days of unpaid leave for organ or bone marrow donation, upon written request. It directly affects private employers (excluding government entities, schools, and public agencies) and their employees who are organ or bone marrow donors. The bill also allows employers who pay employees during this leave to claim a 25% credit against their Oklahoma income tax liability, limited to the first 90 days. This law does not apply to employees already covered by federal Family Medical Leave Act protections and takes effect November 1, 2026.
HB 3043 creates a new category of "seasonal employees" for Oklahoma's Department of Veterans Affairs, defined as unclassified staff working under 1,699 hours annually. These employees will not receive benefits like paid leave, health insurance, retirement, or paid holidays. The bill requires the Department to report annual usage of these positions, including worker counts and total wages, in its budget requests. The law takes effect November 1, 2026.
HB 3965 requires Oklahoma state agencies to provide full-time employees with two or more years of service with six weeks of paid maternity leave following the birth or adoption of a child. This leave is in addition to existing pregnancy-related sick leave and must be paid at the employee’s full annual salary without interrupting seniority, pay progression, or performance awards. The bill applies to all state employees meeting the tenure requirement and becomes effective January 1, 2027. It does not replace current sick leave policies but adds this specific paid leave benefit.
SB 1337 adds 90 days of unpaid paternity leave for full-time education employees (like teachers and school staff) in Oklahoma during their child's first year. It allows these employees to take leave without pay for childcare while still receiving full credit toward salary increases and retirement service time. The bill also updates existing leave-sharing programs to include paternity leave eligibility and modifies related revolving funds. This directly affects education employees seeking parental leave, with specific provisions for both maternity and paternity leave under updated statutes. The policy change takes effect immediately due to an emergency declaration.
SB 314 expands paid parental leave to include full-time employees at Oklahoma's public colleges and universities. It provides six weeks of paid leave after a birth or adoption, with the employee's full salary maintained during the leave period. The law modifies previous "maternity leave" language to "parental leave" to cover all parents, ensures the leave does not affect seniority or benefits, and is in addition to existing pregnancy-related sick leave. This change directly affects state employees at institutions within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education.
SB 87 creates paid parental leave for eligible Oklahoma state employees, expanding existing leave benefits beyond maternity leave to include parental leave. It requires state agencies to continue paying employees their regular wages during approved parental leave and provides job protections during this period. The bill amends Oklahoma Statutes Section 840-2.20 to integrate these parental leave provisions into the state’s existing leave framework, affecting all state employees who qualify under the updated rules. The policy change takes effect July 1, 2023, as specified in the bill.
HB 1601, the "ARCHER Act," extends maternity leave protections for eligible public school teachers in Oklahoma. It amends existing sick leave rules (70 O.S. § 6-104.8) to require school districts to provide extended leave for teachers who have worked at least 1,250 hours in the past year, specifically covering pregnancy-related needs beyond standard sick leave. The bill creates a dedicated exception to current sick leave policies, ensuring teachers can take leave for maternity without losing pay, aligning with federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) standards. This directly affects full-time classroom teachers in public school districts who meet the employment threshold. The law became effective after Governor approval on May 6, 2025.
SB 1203 adds adoption leave to Oklahoma's existing paid leave policies for education employees, including teachers and school district staff. The bill allows eligible employees to take up to 90 days of paid leave for adoption, with continued credit toward salary and retirement benefits. It also establishes a leave sharing program where colleagues can donate sick leave to support adoption-related absences. The law updates multiple statutes to replace "maternity leave" with "maternity or adoption leave" and modifies revolving fund names and purposes to reflect this change. This applies directly to full-time education employees in Oklahoma public schools.
SB 1204 requires Oklahoma school districts to provide teachers and school support personnel with three days of paid bereavement leave following the death of their spouse or child, including leave for miscarriage. This leave must be granted in addition to existing sick leave benefits and cannot be reduced by local negotiated leave policies. The bill amends Oklahoma law to mandate this policy for all affected employees, effective immediately under an emergency provision. It directly affects school employees covered under Section 6-104 of Oklahoma Statutes.
