Bill > S0011

This bill amends existing South Carolina law to expand paid parental leave for eligible state employees, defining an "eligible state employee" as any person employed by the state who earns annual leave, including those in full-time equivalent, temporary grant, or time-limited positions at state institutions of higher education and technical colleges. The key change is an increase in paid parental leave from six weeks to four weeks for employees who do not give birth or foster a child, while those who give birth or experience a stillbirth will still receive six weeks of paid leave at their full base pay. This leave applies to qualifying events such as the birth or stillbirth of a child, or the fostering or adoption of a child under eighteen, and must be used within twelve months of the event, with no accumulation or donation of unused leave. The bill also clarifies that this paid leave runs concurrently with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) but does not deduct from an employee's accrued annual or sick leave, and employees do not need to exhaust other leave types first, though employers may require the use of paid parental leave before annual leave for FMLA-related absences. The changes are set to take effect on October 1, 2026.