The House Economic Matters Committee voted down SB 304, Maryland Healthy Working Families Act – Enforcement – Delayed Implementation, which would have delayed implementation of the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act until July 1. The vote was 12-11.
The Senate approved the legislation last week, after Senate Finance Chairman and chief sponsor of the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act, Senator Thomas “Mac” Middleton introduced the bill to delay enforcement of the new law. MACo testified in support of the bill.
The General Assembly passed HB 1 last year with veto-proof majorities in both the House and Senate. Governor Hogan vetoed the bill, but the General Assembly overrode the veto in the early days of the 2018 legislative session. The law, which requires employers with 15 or more full-time employees to provide workers with at least five days of sick and safe leave per year, took effect on February 11, 2018— 30 days after the legislature overrode the veto.
The Maryland Healthy Working Families Act requires county governments to provide sick leave to all employees. While county governments generally provide generous benefits, at a much higher rate than the legislation would require, MACo opposed the legislation, raising concerns about the bill’s potential effects on provision of emergency and essential services and with the bill’s broad requirements for providing leave to part-time, seasonal, and contractual employees in the same manner as full-time employees.
MACo has received several requests from county governments regarding the law’s provisions. At the same time, county governments are receiving questions about the law from members of the business community.
By law, the Commissioner of Labor and Industry will carry out this provision. The Governor’s Executive Order of January 15 created the Office of Small Business Regulatory Assistance, which will assist with implementation of the Act.
In the meantime, for general information about the law’s provisions, see this HB 1 – Summary.
For more information, contact Kevin Kinnally at MACo.
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