SB 247: Sick, Personal, and Maternity Leave for Teachers; the number of accumulated sick leave days teachers may take for personal or professional reasons; increase

Under current Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-851), teachers and other school personnel can use up to three days of their accumulated sick leave each school year for personal or professional reasons, as long as their local school superintendent or a representative approves the absence in advance. This bill raises that limit to five days per school year. The bill keeps the existing rules intact: the absence still cannot conflict with a local school board policy about days when the employee's presence is essential, and approval cannot be conditioned on the employee revealing the specific reason for the absence. Employees can still be asked to say only whether the absence is 'personal' or 'professional.' The bill does not change any other part of teacher sick leave law and includes a standard repeal of conflicting laws.

• Raises from three to five the number of accumulated sick leave days teachers and other school personnel may use each school year for personal or professional reasons.
• Keeps the requirement that the local school superintendent or an authorized representative must approve the absence in advance.
• Preserves the rule that approval cannot be withheld because an employee refuses to disclose the specific reason for the absence.
• Keeps the existing limit that the absence cannot conflict with local school board policy on days when the employee's presence is essential for school operations.

Public school teachers and other school personnel across Georgia who use accumulated sick leave, along with local school superintendents and school boards, who oversee approval of these personal or professional absences under existing policy.

Teachers and school staff would gain two extra paid days a year they can use for personal matters like family obligations or professional activities without having to explain the specific reason, giving them more flexibility while still requiring supervisor approval.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-851 to change the maximum number of personal or professional sick leave days from three to five per school year.
• Section 1 retains the requirement of prior approval from the local school superintendent or his or her authorized representative.
• Section 1 keeps the restriction that the absence cannot conflict with local board of education policy on essential school days.
• Section 1 preserves the protection that approval cannot be denied for refusing to state the specific purpose of the absence, though employees may be asked whether it is 'personal' or 'professional.'
• Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws in conflict with the Act.

1. 2025-02-26Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-02-24Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)Primary sponsor
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• John Kennedy (R, SD-018)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)

• teacher sick leave
• school personnel benefits
• education law
• personal leave policy