---
title: HB 1422. State employees; add stillbirth as a qualifying event for parental leave
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1422
cite_as: HB 1422, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1422
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1422.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1422/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73476
date: 2026-02-25
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1422.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1422
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-20
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Eric Gisler
- Jasmine Clark
- Michelle Au
- Debra Bazemore
- Lisa Campbell
- Doreen Carter
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1422/2025
upstream_id: 2121442
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- parental leave
- state employees
- stillbirth
- personnel policy
- teacher benefits
---
# HB 1422. State employees; add stillbirth as a qualifying event for parental leave
## Text
House Bill 1422
By: Representatives Gisler of the 121st, Clark of the 108th, Au of the 50th, Bazemore of the
69th, Campbell of the 35th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 20 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to general provisions regarding personnel administration, so as to add stillbirth as a
qualifying event for parental leave for eligible state employees; to provide for related maters;
to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 1 of Chapter 20 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions regarding personnel administration, is amended by revising subsection (a)
of Code Section 45-20-17, relating to parental leave and requirements for implementations,
as follows:
"(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Eligible employee' means:
(A) Any individual identified in subparagraph (A), (E), (F), (G), or (L) of paragraph (2)
of Code Section 45-18-1 who is classified as full-time by the applicable state employing
entity; or
(B) Any individual identified in paragraph (4) of Code Section 20-2-880 or
paragraph (3) of Code Section 20-2-910 who is classified as full-time by the applicable
local education agency.
(2) 'Employing entity' means:
(A) The executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state government; or
(B) A local education agency.
(3) 'Local education agency' shall have the same meaning as provided in Code
Section 20-2-167.1.
(4) 'Qualifying life event' means:
(A) The birth of a child of an eligible employee;
(B) The placement of a minor child for adoption with an eligible employee; or
(C) The placement of a minor child for foster care with an eligible employee; or
(D) The stillbirth, as defined in paragraph (17) of Code Section 31-10-1, of a child of
an eligible employee."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
House Bill 1422 would add stillbirth to the list of qualifying events for paid parental leave for eligible Georgia state employees, alongside birth, adoption, and foster placement.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 45-20-17) already grants parental leave to eligible state employees, including certain executive, legislative, judicial, and local education agency workers, when they have a child through birth, adoption, or foster placement. Currently, stillbirth is not listed as a qualifying event, meaning an employee who experiences a stillbirth may not be entitled to the same parental leave benefit.
This bill amends that Code section to add stillbirth as a fourth qualifying life event. It ties the definition of stillbirth to the meaning already used in Georgia's vital records law (O.C.G.A. § 31-10-1). The bill does not change who counts as an eligible employee or how much leave is granted; it only expands the list of events that trigger eligibility for the leave. The bill repeals any conflicting laws and does not state a separate effective date beyond the general session rules.
### What it does
- Adds stillbirth, defined by reference to O.C.G.A. § 31-10-1, as a qualifying life event for parental leave under O.C.G.A. § 45-20-17.
- Leaves unchanged the existing qualifying events of birth, adoption, and foster care placement.
- Leaves unchanged the definitions of 'eligible employee' and 'employing entity' that determine who can use the leave.
- Repeals any state laws that conflict with the new provision.
### Who it affects
Full-time state employees in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, along with certain full-time local education agency employees such as teachers, who are already eligible for parental leave under current Georgia law, and who experience a stillbirth.
### Why it matters
Employees who suffer a stillbirth would gain access to the same parental leave benefit currently available for birth, adoption, or foster placement, potentially giving them paid time off during a difficult event that current law does not explicitly cover.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 revises subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 45-20-17 to add a new qualifying event, subparagraph (D), covering stillbirth.
- The new provision defines stillbirth by cross-reference to paragraph (17) of Code Section 31-10-1, Georgia's vital records law.
- The existing qualifying events, birth of a child, adoption placement, and foster care placement, remain in place unchanged.
- Section 2 repeals any laws in conflict with the Act, a standard closing provision.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-20)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-25)
- Sponsors: Eric Gisler, Jasmine Clark, Michelle Au, Debra Bazemore, Lisa Campbell, Doreen Carter
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73476
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1422.md?full=1