House approves statewide minimum paid parental and postpartum leave for LEA employees

The Utah House passed third substitute HB 192, a package that sets minimum parental and postpartum leave standards for local education agency (LEA) employees, bars retaliation, and authorizes a leave-bank mechanism that LEAs may opt into. Representative Ballard, sponsor of the bill, described uneven leave policies across districts and noted the bill’s three main elements: minimum leave periods (three weeks parental leave; an additional three weeks postpartum for birth parents), anti-retaliation protections, and an optional leave-bank to let employees share paid time off.

Representative Karen Peterson moved a third substitute to make the leave-bank optional to accommodate small LEAs and charter schools; supporters said the change addressed liability concerns for smaller employers. Several lawmakers, including Representative Watkins and Representative Lesser, spoke in support citing teacher retention and postpartum care. The House voted to pass the third substitute HB 192 with 69 yes votes and 0 no votes; the bill will be sent to the Senate.