1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to employment; extending the length of 
  1.3             employee leave in certain circumstances; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1998, sections 181.941, 
  1.5             subdivisions 1 and 2; 181.9412, subdivision 2; and 
  1.6             181.943. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 181.941, 
  1.9   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [SIX-WEEK 12-WEEK LEAVE; BIRTH OR 
  1.11  ADOPTION.] An employer must grant an unpaid leave of absence to 
  1.12  an employee who is a natural or adoptive parent in conjunction 
  1.13  with the birth or adoption of a child.  The length of the leave 
  1.14  shall be determined by the employee, but may not exceed six 12 
  1.15  weeks, unless agreed to by the employer. 
  1.16     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 181.941, 
  1.17  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.18     Subd. 2.  [START OF LEAVE.] The leave shall begin at a time 
  1.19  requested by the employee.  The employer may adopt reasonable 
  1.20  policies governing the timing of requests for unpaid leave.  The 
  1.21  leave may begin not more than six 12 weeks after the birth or 
  1.22  adoption; except that, in the case where the child must remain 
  1.23  in the hospital longer than the mother, the leave may not begin 
  1.24  more than six weeks after the child leaves the hospital.  
  1.25     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 181.9412, 
  1.26  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.1      Subd. 2.  [LEAVE OF 16 32 HOURS.] An employer must grant an 
  2.2   employee leave of up to a total of 16 32 hours during any 
  2.3   12-month period to attend school conferences or school-related 
  2.4   activities related to the employee's child, provided the 
  2.5   conferences or school-related activities cannot be scheduled 
  2.6   during nonwork hours.  If the employee's child receives child 
  2.7   care services as defined in section 119B.01, subdivision 3, or 
  2.8   attends a prekindergarten regular or special education program, 
  2.9   the employee may use the leave time provided in this section to 
  2.10  attend a conference or activity related to the employee's child, 
  2.11  or to observe and monitor the services or program, provided the 
  2.12  conference, activity, or observation cannot be scheduled during 
  2.13  nonwork hours.  When the leave cannot be scheduled during 
  2.14  nonwork hours and the need for the leave is foreseeable, the 
  2.15  employee must provide reasonable prior notice of the leave and 
  2.16  make a reasonable effort to schedule the leave so as not to 
  2.17  disrupt unduly the operations of the employer. 
  2.18     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 181.943, is 
  2.19  amended to read: 
  2.20     181.943 [RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LEAVE.] 
  2.21     (a) The length of parental leave provided under section 
  2.22  181.941 may be reduced by any period of paid parental or 
  2.23  disability leave, but not accrued sick leave, provided by the 
  2.24  employer, so that the total leave does not exceed six 12 weeks, 
  2.25  unless agreed to by the employer. 
  2.26     (b) Nothing in sections 181.940 to 181.943 prevents any 
  2.27  employer from providing leave benefits in addition to those 
  2.28  provided in sections 181.940 to 181.944 or otherwise affects an 
  2.29  employee's rights with respect to any other employment benefit.