{"data":{"id":"us-ar/ark.-code-ann.-6-17-122","jurisdiction":"us-ar","citation":"Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-122","heading":"Paid maternity leave - Definitions","body":"(a) Education personnel employed by a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school that elect to participate under this section shall be eligible for up to twelve (12) weeks of paid maternity leave. (b) As used in this section: (1) \"Cost-sharing\" means joint, equal responsibility for the cost shared between the State of Arkansas and a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school that employs an individual considered education personnel under this section; (2) \"Education personnel\" means an individual employed full-time by a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in Arkansas for more than one (1) year; and (3) \"Maternity leave\" means partially or fully compensated time away from work within the first twelve (12) weeks following the: (A) Birth of a biological child to an individual considered education personnel under this section; or (B) Placement of an adoptive child in the home of an individual considered education personnel under this section. (c) (1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall create and sign a standard cost-sharing agreement for paid maternity leave expenses between the division and a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school that elects to participate under this section. (2) At a minimum, the cost-sharing agreement required under subdivision (c)(1) of this section shall obligate the state and the public school district or open-enrollment public charter school to each pay fifty percent (50%) of incurred costs for approved paid maternity leave. (3) The division shall promulgate rules outlining: (A) Management of a cost-sharing agreement required under subdivision (c)(1) of this section; (B) Reimbursement processes; and (C) Other related procedures required to implement this section. Added by Act 2023, No. 237,§ 21, eff. 3/8/2023.\n\n(a) Education personnel employed by a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school that elect to participate under this section shall be eligible for up to twelve (12) weeks of paid maternity leave.\n\n(b) As used in this section: (1) \"Cost-sharing\" means joint, equal responsibility for the cost shared between the State of Arkansas and a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school that employs an individual considered education personnel under this section; (2) \"Education personnel\" means an individual employed full-time by a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in Arkansas for more than one (1) year; and (3) \"Maternity leave\" means partially or fully compensated time away from work within the first twelve (12) weeks following the: (A) Birth of a biological child to an individual considered education personnel under this section; or (B) Placement of an adoptive child in the home of an individual considered education personnel under this section.\n\n(1) \"Cost-sharing\" means joint, equal responsibility for the cost shared between the State of Arkansas and a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school that employs an individual considered education personnel under this section;\n\n(2) \"Education personnel\" means an individual employed full-time by a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in Arkansas for more than one (1) year; and\n\n(3) \"Maternity leave\" means partially or fully compensated time away from work within the first twelve (12) weeks following the: (A) Birth of a biological child to an individual considered education personnel under this section; or (B) Placement of an adoptive child in the home of an individual considered education personnel under this section.\n\n(A) Birth of a biological child to an individual considered education personnel under this section; or\n\n(B) Placement of an adoptive child in the home of an individual considered education personnel under this section.\nindividual considered education personnel under this section; or (B) Placement of an adoptive child in the home of an individual considered education personnel under this section.\n\n(A) Birth of a biological child to an individual considered education personnel under this section; or\n\n(B) Placement of an adoptive child in the home of an individual considered education personnel under this section.\n\n(c) (1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall create and sign a standard cost-sharing agreement for paid maternity leave expenses between the division and a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school that elects to participate under this section. (2) At a minimum, the cost-sharing agreement required under subdivision (c)(1) of this section shall obligate the state and the public school district or open-enrollment public charter school to each pay fifty percent (50%) of incurred costs for approved paid maternity leave. (3) The division shall promulgate rules outlining: (A) Management of a cost-sharing agreement required under subdivision (c)(1) of this section; (B) Reimbursement processes; and (C) Other related procedures required to implement this section.\n\n(1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall create and sign a standard cost-sharing agreement for paid maternity leave expenses between the division and a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school that elects to participate under this section.\n\n(2) At a minimum, the cost-sharing agreement required under subdivision (c)(1) of this section shall obligate the state and the public school district or open-enrollment public charter school to each pay fifty percent (50%) of incurred costs for approved paid maternity leave.\n\n(3) The division shall promulgate rules outlining: (A) Management of a cost-sharing agreement required under subdivision (c)(1) of this section; (B) Reimbursement processes; and (C) Other related procedures required to implement this section.\n\n(A) Management of a cost-sharing agreement required under subdivision (c)(1) of this section;\n\n(B) Reimbursement processes; and\n\n(C) Other related procedures required to implement this section.","path":["AR Code","Title 6","Chapter 17","Subchapter 1"],"source_url":"https://oss-data-us.vaquill.ai/v2026.08/us_ar_statutes.parquet","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:41Z","sha256":"2052837f79972b1b1bc44b02669f5f02593c8f235c536a3f38b8644cd9792945","source_id":"us-ar","stale":false,"prev":"us-ar/ark.-code-ann.-6-17-121","next":"us-ar/ark.-code-ann.-6-17-123"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}