Bill
S 3920
Requires State Police to provide at least 8 weeks full-paid recovery leave after childbirth, not counted as sick leave, with published policy and FAQs.
Status & key dates
- Introduced: December 5, 2024.
- Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee (12/05/24). Sent to Attorney General for opinion and referred to Judiciary (1/30/25). Attorney General’s opinion referred to Judiciary (2/05/25).
- Reported favorably with committee amendments by the Senate Law & Public Safety Committee (June 19, 2025). Current status shown as “Opinion referred to Judiciary.”
- Companion / identical measure: Assembly Bill A5076.
Purpose
- Require the Superintendent of State Police to adopt a formal recovery-leave policy for State Police troopers who present proof of pregnancy, to ensure paid postpartum recovery leave and related administrative transparency.
Primary provisions
- Recovery leave entitlement: Establish at least eight (8) weeks of continuous recovery leave after giving birth, with full pay and benefits.
- Leave accounting: The recovery leave must not be treated as sick leave and may not be deducted from a trooper’s sick leave balances.
- Administrative exemptions while on leave: Troopers on recovery leave shall not be subject to residency restrictions or integrity checks that may apply to other forms of medical or sick leave.
- Notice and information: The Superintendent must publish information about the recovery leave policy on the Division of State Police intranet, including applicable policies and forms (pre- and post-leave), FAQs, and contact information for inquiries.
- Terminology change: Committee amended the bill to use “recovery leave” in place of “maternity leave.”
- Effective date: The act takes effect immediately upon enactment.
Who is affected
- Directly: State Police troopers who present proof of pregnancy and give birth.
- Indirectly: Division of State Police human resources, payroll and scheduling/staffing operations (must implement policy, maintain intranet resources, and accommodate paid absence). Potential short-term staffing impacts where troopers are absent for minimum 8 weeks.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Fiscal: The requirement to provide 8 weeks of full paid leave may increase personnel costs for the Division of State Police; the bill does not specify funding or offsets.
- Operational: Agencies will need to update policies, forms, record-keeping, and adjust staffing/scheduling to cover troopers on leave.
- Scope limits: The entitlement as drafted applies to birth recovery for pregnant troopers; it does not address adoption, parental leave for non-birthing parents, or other caregiver leave.
Sponsors and related measures
- Sponsors (per committee report): Senators Bob Smith and Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr.; co-sponsors include Senators Amato, Singleton, McKnight and Moriarty. Listed companion: A5076.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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