On May 13, 2022, Governor Henry McMaster signed into law S. 11, which adds Section 8-11-150 (A) and amends Section 8-11-155 of the South Carolina Code of Laws to provide six weeks or two weeks of paid parental leave (PPL) to employees who occupy all or part of a full-time equivalent position (FTE).

PPL is six weeks of paid leave at 100% of the eligible state employee’s base pay or two weeks of paid leave at 100% of the eligible state employee’s base pay. Leave for part-time eligible state employees must be on a prorated basis corresponding to the percentage of hours they are normally scheduled to work.

Eligibility Requirements:

• An employee occupying any percentage of a FTE position. (Employees in temporary, time-limited, and research grant positions are not eligible for PPL.)
• An employee experiencing the birth of a newborn biological child to an eligible employee or after a co-parent’s birth of a newborn child or fostering a child in state custody or the initial legal placement of a child by adoption.
• The adoption, birth, or foster care placement must occur on or after October 1, 2022.
• No service requirement.

Amount of Paid Parental Leave:

• For a birth or adoption, the parent who is primarily responsible for the child receives six weeks and the other parent receives two weeks to be taken consecutively.
• For foster placement,  leave may be taken consecutively or upon request and approval in two, one-week increments. 

Required Documentation for Paid Parental Leave:

• For an adoption, the employee needs documentation reflecting the date of the initial legal placement of the child.
• For a birth, the employee needs a birth certificate or proof of birth, certified DNA results and custody order.
• For foster care, the employee needs a foster care placement agreement and a custody order.

Other Stipulations:

• An eligible employee does not receive more than one occurrence of six or two weeks of PPL for any twelve-month period, even if more than one qualifying event occurs. The entitlement to PPL expires at the end of the twelve-month period beginning on the date of the qualifying event.
• If the leave is not used by the eligible employee before the end of the twelve-month period after the qualifying event, the leave cannot be carried forward for subsequent use.
•  Any leave remaining at the end of the twelve-month period or at separation of employment is forfeited, and the employee is not paid out for the leave.
• PPL may not be donated.
• Employees do not have to exhaust all other forms of leave (sick or annual) before being eligible to take PPL.

For more information on PPL, contact the Benefits Office at 777-6650.