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A249, R266, S11
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Jackson and Davis
Document Path: SMIN-0032MW25.docx
Introduced in the Senate on January 14, 2025
Introduced in the House on April 3, 2025
Last Amended on June 25, 2026
Currently residing in the Senate
Governor's Action: June 30, 2026, Signed
Summary: Paid Family Leave Eligible State Employee
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
| Date | Body | Action Description with journal page number |
|---|---|---|
| 12/11/2024 | Senate | Prefiled |
| 12/11/2024 | Senate | Referred to Committee on Finance |
| 1/14/2025 | Senate | Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 29) |
| 1/14/2025 | Senate | Referred to Committee on Finance (Senate Journal-page 29) |
| 3/26/2025 | Senate | Committee report: Favorable with amendment Finance (Senate Journal-page 13) |
| 4/1/2025 | Senate | Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 17) |
| 4/1/2025 | Senate | Read second time (Senate Journal-page 17) |
| 4/1/2025 | Senate | Roll call Ayes-45 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 17) |
| 4/2/2025 | Senate | Read third time and sent to House (Senate Journal-page 9) |
| 4/3/2025 | House | Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 22) |
| 4/3/2025 | House | Referred to Committee on Ways and Means (House Journal-page 22) |
| 4/28/2026 | House | Committee report: Favorable with amendment Ways and Means (House Journal-page 4) |
| 4/29/2026 | House | Debate adjourned |
| 4/30/2026 | House | Requests for debate-Rep(s). Hayes, Magnuson, Edgerton, Frank, Moss, Huff, Beach, Hixon, White, Kilmartin, Gilreath, Terribile, Duncan, Morgan (House Journal-page 22) |
| 5/7/2026 | House | Debate adjourned (House Journal-page 44) |
| 5/13/2026 | House | Amended (House Journal-page 186) |
| 5/13/2026 | House | Read second time (House Journal-page 186) |
| 5/13/2026 | House | Roll call Yeas-110 Nays-0 (House Journal-page 197) |
| 5/14/2026 | House | Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments (House Journal-page 52) |
| 5/14/2026 | Senate | Non-concurrence in House amendment (Senate Journal-page 53) |
| 5/14/2026 | House | House insists upon amendment and conference committee appointed Reps. Ballentine, Collins, Cobb-Hunter (House Journal-page 74) |
| 5/14/2026 | Senate | Conference committee appointed Davis, Gambrell, Matthews (Senate Journal-page 54) |
| 6/25/2026 | House | Conference report received and adopted |
| 6/25/2026 | House | Roll call Yeas-104 Nays-0 |
| 6/25/2026 | Senate | Conference report received and adopted (Senate Journal-page 80) |
| 6/25/2026 | Senate | Roll call Ayes-38 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 80) |
| 6/25/2026 | Senate | Ordered enrolled for ratification (Senate Journal-page 85) |
| 6/29/2026 | Ratified R 266 | |
| 6/30/2026 | Signed By Governor | |
| 7/1/2026 | Effective date 10/01/26 | |
| 7/1/2026 | Act No. 249 |
View the latest legislative information at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/11/2024
03/26/2025
04/01/2025
04/28/2026
05/13/2026
06/25/2026
NOTE: THIS IS A TEMPORARY VERSION. THIS DOCUMENT WILL REMAIN IN THIS VERSION UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
(A249, R266, S11)
AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTIONS 8-11-150 AND 8-11-155, BOTH RELATING TO PAID PARENTAL LEAVE, SO AS TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "ELIGIBLE STATE EMPLOYEE" AND TO INCREASE CERTAIN PAID PARENTAL LEAVE.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Paid parental leave
SECTION 1. Section 8-11-150 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
Section 8-11-150. (A) For the purposes of this section:
(1) "Child" means a newborn biological child or foster of a child in state custody and under the age of eighteen. No child can have more than two parents eligible for paid parental leave.
(2) "Eligible state employee" means any person employed by any department, institution, commission, board, or any other unit of government of this State who occupies a position eligible to earn annual leave. This includes any person employed by a four-year or postgraduate institution of higher education under the control of the State or a technical college supported by and under the control of the State who occupies a full-time equivalent, temporary grant, or time-limited position.
(3) "Paid parental leave" means six weeks of paid leave at one hundred percent of the eligible state employee's base pay or four weeks of paid leave at one hundred percent of the eligible state employee's base pay. Leave for part-time eligible state employees must be on a prorated basis corresponding to the percentage of hours they are normally scheduled to work.
(4) "Qualifying event" means the birth of a newborn biological child to an eligible state employee or after a co-parent's birth of a newborn child or fostering a child in state custody.
(5) "Stillbirth" has the same meaning as defined in Section 44-63-55.
(B) Eligible state employees who are employed by this State, its departments, agencies, or institutions and who give birth or stillbirth are entitled to receive six weeks of paid parental leave. Other eligible state employees who do not give birth are entitled to receive four weeks of paid parental leave. An employee's paid parental leave is based on an employee's average workday.
(C) Paid parental leave usage includes the following:
(1) The entitlement to leave pursuant to subsection (B) expires at the end of the twelve-month period beginning on the date of such birth or initial legal placement. An eligible state employee shall receive no more than one occurrence of six or four weeks of paid parental leave for any twelve-month period, even if more than one qualifying event occurs. However, nothing in this item prohibits a foster parent from requesting and receiving approval for parental leave in nonconsecutive one-week time periods.
(2) If the leave is not used by the eligible state employee before the end of the twelve-month period after the qualifying event, such leave does not accumulate for subsequent use. Paid parental leave may not be donated. Any leave remaining at the end of the twelve-month period or at separation of employment is forfeited.
(3) Days of paid parental leave taken under this section must be taken consecutively, except that foster parents may request and receive approval for parental leave in nonconsecutive one-week time periods.
(4) If both parents are eligible state employees, paid parental leave may be taken concurrently, consecutively, or a different time as the other eligible state employee.
(5) Legal holidays listed in Section 53-5-10 must not be counted against paid parental leave.
(6) Paid parental leave must run concurrently with leave taken pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act and any other unpaid leave to which the eligible state employee may be entitled as a result of the qualifying event. However, leave granted under this section is with pay and is not annual leave or sick leave and therefore does not deduct from the eligible state employee's accrued leave balance. An eligible state employee does not have to exhaust all other forms of leave before being eligible to take leave granted under this section. However, an employer may require that an employee use paid parental leave before using annual leave if the employee's leave is taken pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act. Eligible state employees shall accrue annual and sick leave at the normal rate while on this leave, if applicable.
(D) The Division of Human Resources of the Department of Administration shall promulgate regulations, guidance, and procedures to implement this section.
Paid parental leave
SECTION 2. Section 8-11-155 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
Section 8-11-155. (A) For the purposes of this section:
(1) "Child" means a child initially legally placed for adoption and under the age of eighteen. No child can have more than two parents eligible for paid parental leave.
(2) "Eligible state employee" means any person employed by any department, institution, commission, board, or any other unit of government of this State who occupies a position eligible to earn annual leave. This includes any person employed by a four-year or postgraduate institution of higher education under the control of the State or a technical college supported by and under the control of the State who occupies a position eligible to earn annual leave.
(3) "Paid parental leave" means six weeks of paid leave at one hundred percent of the eligible state employee's pay or four weeks of paid leave at one hundred percent of the eligible state employee's pay. Leave for part-time eligible state employees must be on a prorated basis corresponding to the percentage of hours they are normally scheduled to work.
(4) "Qualifying event" means the initial legal placement of a child by adoption.
(B) Eligible state employees, who are employed by this State, its departments, agencies, or institutions and are primarily responsible for furnishing the care and nurture of the child, are entitled to six weeks of paid parental leave upon the occurrence of a qualifying event. Eligible state employees, who are employed by this State, its departments, agencies, or institutions who are not primarily responsible for furnishing the care and nurture of the child, are entitled to four weeks of paid parental leave upon the occurrence of a qualifying event. An employee's paid parental leave is based on an employee's average workday.
(C) Paid parental leave usage includes the following:
(1) The entitlement to leave pursuant to subsection (B) expires at the end of the twelve-month period beginning on the date of initial legal placement. An eligible state employee shall receive no more than one occurrence of six or four weeks of paid parental leave for any twelve-month period, even if more than one qualifying event occurs.
(2) If the leave is not used by the eligible state employee before the end of the twelve-month period after the qualifying event, such leave does not accumulate for subsequent use. Paid parental leave may not be donated. Any leave remaining at the end of the twelve-month period or at separation of employment is forfeited.
(3) Days of paid parental leave taken under this section must be taken consecutively.
(4) If both parents are eligible state employees, paid parental leave may be taken concurrently, consecutively, or a different time as the other eligible state employee.
(5) Legal holidays listed in Section 53-5-10 must not be counted against paid parental leave.
(6) Paid parental leave must run concurrently with leave taken pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act and any other unpaid leave to which the eligible state employee may be entitled as a result of the qualifying event. However, leave granted under this section is with pay and is not annual leave or sick leave and therefore does not deduct from the eligible state employee's accrued leave balance. An eligible state employee does not have to exhaust all other forms of leave before being eligible to take leave granted under this section. However, an employer may require that an employee use paid parental leave before using annual leave if the employee's leave is taken pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act. Eligible state employees shall accrue annual and sick leave at the normal rate while on this leave, if applicable.
(D) The Division of Human Resources of the Department of Administration shall promulgate regulations, guidance, and procedures to implement this section.
Time effective
SECTION 3. This act takes effect October 1, 2026, and applies to qualifying events thereon or thereafter.
Ratified the 29th day of June, 2026.
Approved the 30th day of June, 2026.
This web page was last updated on July 1, 2026 at 3:41 PM