An act TO CREATE THE BABIES AT SCHOOL ACT, the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas          A Bill
2 95th General Assembly

3 Regular Session, 2025                                            HOUSE BILL 1747

4

5 By: Representative Vaught

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7

8                            For An Act To Be Entitled

9   AN ACT TO CREATE THE BABIES AT SCHOOL ACT; TO ALLOW

10  SCHOOLS TO PERMIT EMPLOYEES WHO ARE PARENTS TO BRING

11  THEIR INFANTS SIX MONTHS OR YOUNGER TO WORK; AND FOR

12  OTHER PURPOSES.

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14

15                           Subtitle

16                       TO CREATE THE BABIES AT SCHOOL ACT; AND

17                       TO ALLOW SCHOOLS TO PERMIT EMPLOYEES WHO

18                       ARE PARENTS TO BRING THEIR INFANTS SIX

19                       MONTHS OR YOUNGER TO WORK.

20

21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

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23  SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Title.

24  This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Babies at School Act".

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26  SECTION 2. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative findings and intent.

27  (a) The General Assembly finds that:

28  (1) A parent or guardian who is a school employee has a

29 responsibility to both his or her job and his or her family; and

30  (2) The first six (6) months of a child's life poses heightened

31 demands of a parent.

32  (b) This act is intended to increase school employee retention by

33 allowing schools to permit a parent or legal guardian who is a school

34 employee to bring his or her infant to work.

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    *TNL277*                                            03/11/2025 4:47:08 PM TNL277
                                                                      HB1747

1   SECTION 3. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 17, Subchapter 1, is amended

2 to add an additional section to read as follows:

3   6-17-125. Infants at school -- Definitions.

4   (a) As used in this section:

5            (1) "Infant" means a:

6            (A) Biological child, adopted child, or stepchild under

7 six (6) months of age of a school employee; or

8            (B) Foster child under six (6) months of age who has been

9 placed in the home of a school employee; and

10           (2) "School" means:

11           (A) A public school district;

12           (B) An open-enrollment public charter school; or

13           (C) A private school.

14  (b) A school may allow a school employee to bring his or her infant to

15 work during a school day.

16  (c) A school that permits a school employee to bring his or her infant

17 to work during a school day under this section may:

18           (1) Establish a school policy that includes without limitation:

19           (A) The identification of an appropriate work environment;

20           (B) The acceptable work performance standard of the school

21 employee while his or her infant is at his or her workplace during a school

22 day; and

23           (C) Safety guidelines for an infant who is brought to the

24 workplace during a school day under this section; and

25           (2) Allow the school employee to bring his or her infant to work

26 during a school day upon the return of the school employee to the school

27 following maternity leave offered by the school or otherwise taken by the

28 school employee, as applicable.

29  (d) The provisions of this section do not prohibit a school from

30 allowing a school employee to bring to the school employee's workplace during

31 a school day his or her:

32           (1) Biological child, adopted child, or stepchild who is six (6)

33 months of age or older; or

34           (2) Foster child six (6) months of age or older who has been

35 placed in the home of the school employee.

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