Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 1118: Public officers and employees; 120 hours of maternal birth leave; provide
Last action July 1, 2026 · Effective Date
House Bill 1118 would give eligible Georgia state and public school employees 120 hours of paid maternal birth leave after giving birth, separate from any existing federal or parental leave.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Currently, Georgia law does not guarantee a specific paid leave benefit tied to childbirth recovery for state and public school employees. This bill adds a new section to Georgia's personnel law (O.C.G.A. § 45-20-23) creating 120 hours of paid maternal birth leave for eligible full-time state government and local education agency employees, as well as hourly employees who have worked at least 700 hours in the prior six months. The leave must be used within three weeks after childbirth, before any paid parental leave, and does not carry cash value if unused when an employee leaves the job. Employing entities must write administration rules, and the State Accounting Office must update its payroll and benefits software by October 1, 2026 to add this leave category. The bill also bars retaliation against employees using the leave, while allowing discipline for fraudulent claims, and requires notice of the benefit at hiring and annually.
What the bill does
- Creates a new paid maternal birth leave benefit of 120 hours for eligible full-time state and public school employees after six continuous months of employment.
- Extends eligibility to hourly employees who worked at least 700 hours in the six months before requesting leave.
- Requires the leave to be taken within three weeks after childbirth and used before any paid parental leave under existing law (O.C.G.A. § 45-20-17).
- Prohibits employing entities from interfering with, denying, or retaliating against employees who use this leave, while allowing discipline for fraudulent leave claims.
- Requires the State Accounting Office to update payroll and benefits software to add this leave category by October 1, 2026.
- Requires employers to notify eligible employees of the benefit when hired and every year afterward.
Who it affects
Full-time employees of Georgia's executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and employees of local education agencies (public school districts), including certain hourly workers who meet a minimum hours requirement. The State Accounting Office and State Personnel Board also have new administrative duties under the bill.
Why it matters
Employees who give birth would gain a guaranteed 120 hours of paid time specifically for physical recovery, on top of any separate parental leave, which could ease financial pressure during recovery. State agencies and school systems would need to update payroll systems and leave policies to comply.
Key provisions
- Section 1 adds new Code Section 45-20-23 defining 'eligible employee,' 'employing entity,' 'maternal birth leave,' and 'qualifying life event' (giving birth).
- Subsection (b) grants 120 hours of paid maternal birth leave after six continuous months of employment, regardless of federal leave eligibility.
- Subsection (c) requires the leave to be used within three weeks of birth and to precede any paid parental leave under O.C.G.A. § 45-20-17.
- Subsection (d) states unused leave has no cash value upon separation from employment.
- Subsection (e) requires employing entities, or the State Personnel Board for state departments and agencies, to create administrative rules covering documentation and interaction with federal leave.
- Subsection (f) requires the State Accounting Office to update software systems to add this leave category by October 1, 2026.
- Subsection (g) extends eligibility to hourly employees who worked at least 700 hours in the prior six months.
- Subsection (h) bars retaliation against employees using the leave but permits discipline for fraudulent claims; subsection (j) requires annual notice of the benefit.
From the bill
“All eligible employees of an employing entity shall be eligible for 120 hours of paid maternal birth leave for qualifying life events after six continuous months of employment with the employing entity regardless of whether the employee is eligible for paid or unpaid leave under federal law.”
“Unused paid maternal birth leave shall have no cash value at the time of the eligible employee's separation from employment with the employing entity.”
“No employing entity shall discharge or in any other manner discriminate or retaliate against any eligible employee for lawfully exercising the provisions of this Code section.”
Discussed in meetings (15)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Public and Community Health Committee, February 10, 2026
From 0:56:17 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a substitute for HB 1118 that would increase paid leave available to eligible state employees who give birth from six to nine weeks. The sponsor said the new maternal birth leave would cover the first three weeks immediately after childbirth for recovery, with employees required to have worked for six months before using it. The sponsor said there would be no direct state cost because employees’ annual salaries were already funded. One committee member supported the additional recovery time, drawing on family experience with complications after childbirth. Another member credited the speaker pro tempore’s work on expanding leave. Speaking in support, the speaker pro tempore said leave helps employee retention and gives birth mothers additional time. The chair emphasized support for breastfeeding and bonding with babies. The committee approved the substitute by voice vote.
House Rules Committee, February 17, 2026
From 0:27:35 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would give certain state employees and teachers who give birth an additional three weeks of leave immediately after birth. No questions or decision followed.
House Rules Committee, March 4, 2026
From 1:54:14 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee placed HB 1118 on the day's floor calendar under modified rules without opposition. Its provisions were not discussed.
House floor session, March 4, 2026 (legislative day 27, AM)
From 1:40:25 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 1797
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1118 would increase paid leave for eligible birth mothers from six weeks to nine weeks by adding maternal birth leave for recovery during the first three weeks after childbirth. The sponsor said employees must have worked for six months and argued there would be no direct state cost because their salaries were already funded. Asked whether the policy covered all Georgia workers, the sponsor said it applied to teachers and certain state employees, not employees generally. The member asking the question expressed support. The House adopted the committee substitute and passed the bill, 170 to 0.
Senate Children and Families Committee, March 17, 2026
From 0:21:30 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented HB 1118 as adding three weeks of maternal birth leave for birth mothers employed as state employees or teachers for at least six months. The sponsor said the leave must be taken first and used as one period, and argued that salaries were already budgeted, so there would be no additional salary cost. Asked about the total benefit, the sponsor clarified that the additional leave would bring eligible birth mothers to nine weeks. A witness for the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students supported the bill, citing benefits for infant health, maternal health, early relationships and employee retention. A Professional Association of Georgia Educators witness said Georgia had more than 5,300 teaching vacancies and argued that additional leave could help retain teachers. That witness also requested more substitute-teacher funding, saying the state allowance was $150 annually for eight days and had not changed since 1985. The committee approved the bill by voice vote, with no opposition heard.
Senate Rules Committee, March 20, 2026
From 0:16:33 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would provide state employees and teachers with three weeks of maternal birth leave immediately after a child’s birth. The sponsor said the leave must be taken all at once and unused leave could not be converted to money. No questions or calendar decision followed.
Senate Rules Committee, March 23, 2026
From 0:17:47 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1118 would extend maternal leave for a birth mother immediately after childbirth. The sponsor said there would be no additional cost because the salary was already accounted for and the leave could not be used later. No questions or vote followed.
Senate Rules Committee, March 25, 2026
From 0:46:54 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: A committee member selected HB 1118 for the calendar. No provisions were discussed. The committee unanimously approved the calendar package containing the bill.
Senate floor session, March 27, 2026 (legislative day 38)
From 4:19:35 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 1118 would give state employees, including teachers, three additional weeks of maternal birth leave to recover from childbirth, alongside six weeks of existing parental leave, for nine weeks total. The sponsor described childbirth recovery and breastfeeding demands as reasons for distinct leave for birth mothers. The clerk's caption referred to 80 hours, while the sponsor described three weeks. No substantive questions or opposition followed. The Senate passed the bill 50-0.
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 3, 2026 (legislative day 11), 0:19:28
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 4, 2026 (legislative day 12), 0:25:48
- Read aloud: House floor session, February 11, 2026 (legislative day 17), 0:42:00
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 6, 2026 (legislative day 28, part 1), 0:39:03
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 18, 2026 (legislative day 33), 0:29:39
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 19, 2026 (legislative day 34), 0:46:12
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 413
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
Show full history (15 actions)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Sandy Donatucci (R, HD-105)
- Jan Jones (R, HD-47)
- Sharon Cooper (R, HD-45)
- Mike Cheokas (R, HD-151)
- Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
- Matt Reeves (R, HD-99)
- Brian Strickland (R, SD-42)
Votes
- House voteMarch 4, 2026
170 yea, 0 nay (6 not voting, 1 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 27, 2026
50 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 3 excused)
Topics
- maternal leave
- state employees
- public school employees
- paid leave
- personnel law