Bill to codify state parental leave amended, advanced

Lawmakers gave second-round approval April 8 to a bill that would codify current practice for state employee maternity leave in state law, effectively expanding coverage to certain contract employees. The bill also would extend the leave policy to certain adoptions.

Under LB878, as introduced by Omaha Sen. Dunixi Guereca, eligible permanent state employees would be entitled to six weeks of paid maternity leave. The leave could commence no earlier than the date of birth or adoption and could not be used more than six months after such birth or adoption.

The bill would extend benefits currently available to state union employees to three groups of contract employees: members of the State Patrol, the Fraternal Order of Police and educators who work in institutions within the state Department of Correctional Services and the state Department of Health and Human Services.

The measure as introduced would have applied to adoptive parents, but was amended on general file to limit its application to women as defined in state law by passage of last session’s LB89, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth.

During select file debate April 7, Kauth offered an amendment to attach her LB730 — with slight modifications — which would require state agencies, public schools and public postsecondary educational institutions to designate restrooms and locker rooms based on sex as defined in the proposal and prohibit use by the opposite sex.

Guereca successfully challenged the germaneness of the amendment to the underlying bill and it was not considered.

Lawmakers then agreed to pass over LB878 to work on an amendment that would reinstate adoptive parents while narrowing other provisions to alleviate concerns from the state Department of Administrative Services regarding the bill’s potential cost.

When debate resumed April 8, Guereca offered an amendment to specify the leave as “parental” rather than “maternal” in order to apply to qualified adoptive parents. It also would limit the leave to only permanent state employees who have worked at least 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months and to adoptive parents of a child who is 12 months of age or younger.

Lawmakers adopted the amendment 43-0 and advanced the bill to final reading by voice vote.