Family Leave – New Regulations Circulated, Comments Due July 24

The Maryland Department of Labor, charged with administering the forthcoming Family and Medical Leave Insurance program, has distributed a revised set of draft regulations for stakeholder comment by July 24.

The pending Family Leave program, including a state-run benefits pool funded through a Family and Medical Leave Insurance assessment on payroll, is scheduled to begin collecting contributions on July 1, 2025, and to begin benefit eligibility on July 1, 2026.

See earlier Conduit Street coverage on the latest legislative changes from the 2024 session: Family Leave Mandate Pushed Back, Fees Clarified, Under Passed Bill

The latest draft regulations are available on the Department of Labor website.

The latest version continues, effectively intact, previous provisions for employers (likely including county governments) who seek to offer their own administered plan, rather than participate in the State-run insurance program.

MACo has joined with the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) and the Maryland Municipal League (MML) to develop a collaborative joint venture to offer a streamlined offering of qualified benefits on behalf of interested member jurisdictions – nearly all Maryland counties have expressed preliminary interest in this pending effort. If interested, contact Michael Sanderson at MACo for more information.

Please submit comments on the draft regulations to FAMLI.policy@maryland.gov by July 24.

This draft is for discussion purposes only and are not officially adopted or proposed regulations. The FAMLI Division will announce when it intends to submit regulations to the Maryland Register. At that point, the formal review process will begin, including a public comment period.

Don’t miss MACo’s Summer Conference session, “When Medical and Disability Leaves Collide,” where presenters will discuss FMLA, ADA, WC, FAMLI, and Sick and Safe Leave.

MACo’s Summer Conference, “Turning the Tide,” is August 14-17, 2024, at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland.

Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference: 

Michael Sanderson

Executive Director Maryland Association of Counties