(a) Effective July 1, 2025, an eligible employee shall receive upon written request to the employing public school district or open-enrollment public charter school up to twelve (12) weeks of paid maternity leave as defined in Arkansas Code § 6-17-122 and this part.

1. (1) The twelve-week period shall begin on the day an event described in 6 CAR § 193-102(8) occurs and end on the eighty-third calendar day following the first day of the period; and

2. (2) The period shall be extended by one (1) day for each day described below which occurs within the eighty-four-day period:

   1. (A) A designated school holiday within the academic school year, not to include summer;
   2. (B) A day on which school was scheduled to be held under the school’s calendar but on which school was cancelled.

(b)

1. (1) To receive reimbursement pursuant to this part, a school shall compensate an eligible employee for each day in which the eligible employee would have been compensated if that eligible employee had reported for their normal duties within the period of time that an eligible employee is on maternity leave.
2. (2) An employee shall not receive more than the amount specified in their employment contract as a result of being eligible for paid maternity leave.
3. (3) Nothing in this part shall prohibit a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school from providing additional benefits to an employee eligible for maternity leave.