1.    During the first six months following birth or placement, an employer shall grant an employee’s request to use up to six weeks of sick leave under section 54-06-14 to care for the employee’s newborn child or to care for a child placed with the employee, by a child-placing agency licensed under chapter 50-12, for adoption or placed with the employee as a precondition to adoption under section 14-15-12, but not both. The employer shall compensate the employee for leave used by the employee under this subsection on the same basis as the employee would be compensated if the leave had been taken due to the employee’s illness, medical needs, or health needs. This subsection does not prevent an employee from using sick leave for the employee’s illness, medical needs, or health needs following the birth of a child or from using leave under section 54-52.4-03.

2.    If an employee requests to use annual leave under section 54-06-14 for any of the reasons identified under subsection 1 of section 54-52.4-02, the employer shall give priority to the request.