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HB 1601OKLAHOMASession 2026State BillSigned into law

Enacted

Oklahoma HB 1601 allows public school employees to use accrued sick leave to extend paid maternity leave

Original title: Schools; creating the Advancing Rights for Caregiving, Health, and Extended Recovery (Maternity Leave Protection for Teachers) Act; effective date.

Last action · May 7, 2025: Approved by Governor 05/06/2025Sponsors: Daniel Pae and 4 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

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What This Bill Does

Oklahoma public school and state facility employees eligible for paid maternity leave may now use up to an additional six weeks of to extend their leave for childbirth recovery or newborn bonding. The law requires notification and concurrent use with the Family and Medical Leave Act, and becomes effective November 1, 2025.

Why it matters

Teachers, correctional instructors, and state facility educators gain the statutory right to combine paid maternity leave with accumulated sick days, altering leave options and staffing continuity for public school districts and state agencies.

Background

Oklahoma previously enacted paid maternity leave provisions for certain public school and state facility educators under Chapter 291 of the 2023 Oklahoma Session Laws. context

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Public school district employees

Full-time school personnel meeting hourly and service requirements gain the statutory right to use accrued sick leave to extend paid maternity leave up to six additional weeks or more with medical certification.

Directly affected

Public school districts and state agencies

School districts and state agencies employing covered teachers and support personnel must accommodate extended sick leave usage and concurrent FMLA tracking for maternity purposes.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for the six weeks of paid maternity leave under this act?

Full-time public school district employees, full-time classroom instructional staff at technology center school districts, teachers at the State Department of Rehabilitation Services, correctional teachers and vocational instructors at the Department of Corrections, and teachers at the Office of Juvenile Affairs who have been employed for at least one year and worked at least 1,250 hours in the preceding 12 months are eligible.

Can an employee extend their paid maternity leave using sick leave?

Yes. Eligible employees can use to extend their maternity leave by up to an additional six weeks without school board approval, or longer if a licensed medical professional certifies a medical necessity to reach a combined 12 weeks of FMLA leave.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

28 actions

May 7, 2025HouseEnrolled
Approved by Governor 05/06/2025
May 1, 2025House
Sent to Governor
May 1, 2025Senate
Enrolled measure signed, returned to House
May 1, 2025House
Enrolled, signed, to Senate
Apr 30, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred for enrollment
Apr 30, 2025Senate
Engrossed measure signed, returned to House

Show 22 earlier actions

Apr 30, 2025SenateFloor
Measure passed: Ayes: 39 Nays: 5
Apr 30, 2025Senate
General Order, Considered
Apr 24, 2025Senate
Placed on General Order
Apr 22, 2025SenateFloor
Reported Do Pass Education committee; CR filed
Apr 7, 2025Senate
Coauthored by Senator Stanley
Apr 2, 2025Senate
Coauthored by Senator Frix
Apr 2, 2025Senate
Remove as author Senator Frix; authored by Senator Mann
Apr 1, 2025SenateCommittee
Second Reading referred to Education
Mar 18, 2025SenateIntroduced
First Reading
Mar 18, 2025House
Engrossed, signed, to Senate
Mar 17, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred for engrossment
Mar 17, 2025HouseFloor
Third Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 58 Nays: 27
Mar 17, 2025House
Coauthored by Representative(s) Ranson, Waldron
Mar 17, 2025House
General Order
Mar 6, 2025House
Authored by Senator Frix (principal Senate author)
Mar 6, 2025House
Coauthored by Representative(s) Pae
Mar 6, 2025HouseFloor
CR; Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Appropriations and Budget Committee
Feb 17, 2025HouseFloor
Recommendation to the full committee; Do Pass Appropriations and Budget Education Subcommittee
Feb 4, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to Appropriations and Budget Education Subcommittee
Feb 4, 2025HouseCommittee
Second Reading referred to Appropriations and Budget
Feb 3, 2025House
Authored by Representative Gise
Feb 3, 2025HouseIntroduced
First Reading

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Expansion of Public Employee Leave Benefits

The legislation connects general public school teacher sick leave statutes with specialized state facility instructor leave programs under the ARCHER Act framework.

State Board of Education Public School Paid Maternity Leave Revolving Fund

Connected Entities

Department of Corrections, State Department of Rehabilitation Services, Public School Paid Maternity Leave Revolving Fund and 3 more

OrganizationDepartment of Corrections“Employs correctional teachers and vocational instructors covered under the mater”Map →

OrganizationState Department of Rehabilitation Services“Employs teachers covered under the maternity leave provisions.”Map →

OrganizationPublic School Paid Maternity Leave Revolving Fund“Fund receiving legislative appropriations to provide paid maternity leave to eli”Map →

OrganizationOffice of Juvenile Affairs“Employs teachers covered under the maternity leave provisions.”Map →

OrganizationState Board of Education“Allocates funds for paid maternity leave if specific appropriations are lacking ”Map →

OrganizationState Board of Career and Technology Education“Supervises technology center school district instructional employees covered by ”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.oklegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz25
Current news / social attention level

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