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State employees will be able to receive up to six weeks of paid parental leave under legislation signed by Gov. Brian Kemp.

House Bill 1010, which the General Assembly passed overwhelmingly last month, will double paid parental leave for state workers following the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child in their home, providing a total leave of up to 240 hours. The legislature passed a bill in 2021 authorizing 120 hours of paid parental leave for state employees.

Nonprofit advocates for paid parental leave praised passage of the bill Wednesday but called for extending the benefit beyond just state workers. About 78% of Georgia’s workforce remains without access to paid family leave, according to the group 9to5 Georgia.

“We will continue organizing and advocating toward our larger goal of every worker in this state having access to paid medical, family, and parental leave, no matter where one works or the size of their employer,” said Jasmine Bowles, 9to5 Georgia’s executive director.

“We hope that lawmakers will continue to be responsive to the overwhelming majority of voters who support comprehensive paid leave and want our state to enact more paid leave policies.”

House Bill 1010 was introduced by House Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones, R-Milton, and carried in the state Senate by Judiciary Committee Chairman Brian Strickland, R-McDonough.