State Paid Leave Legislative Updates
State Paid Leave Legislative Updates:
MARYLAND (SB485/HB571) – Bill Approved by Governor April 25, 2024
On April 25, 2024, Governor Moore signed SB485/HB571, which implements a 6-month delay to the Maryland Paid Family Leave (PFML) program. These acts take effect October 1, 2024.
The revised dates are:
Contributions Begin: July 1, 2025 (previously 10/1/24)
Benefits Begin: July 1, 2026 (previously 1/1/26)
Aside from the administrative timeline changes, most of the PFML law remains unchanged. However, there were a couple of noteworthy changes which include:
Definitions:
Wages -The law amends the definition of “wages” to now match the definition of “wages” in the Unemployment Insurance law.
Average Weekly Wage – The law amends the average weekly wage calculation. It is the highest of the previous four completed quarters divided by 13.
NEW YORK STATE BUDGET
Recently, the New York State budget was finalized. Among the items addressed in the budget were:
Prenatal Care.
Beginning January 1, 2025, employers must provide pregnant New York employees 20 hours of paid parental leave in a 52-week period to attend prenatal medical appointments and procedures. The 20 hours of paid leave may be taken in hourly increments and employees are to be paid at their regular rate of pay or the applicable minimum wage, whichever is greater. This paid prenatal personal is in addition to paid sick leave and safe leave and paid family leave. Please see “PART M” in this link for the language of the law:
COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Law Repealed.
This law will be repealed as of July 31, 2025. Until then, financial compensation will continue to be payable should an employee or their minor child be subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine or isolation issued by a government entity authorized to issue such an order. The financial compensation is provided through a combination of benefits, including sick leave, paid family leave, and disability benefits. Details are available at:
Under consideration with the New York State budget was an increase to the Disability Benefit Law (DBL) benefit. This was not included in the final budget bill and the DBL benefit remains 50% of the employee’s average weekly wages capped at $170 per week.
For additional information concerning the New York State budget, please visit New York State Division of the Budget Home (ny.gov).
KENTUCKY (HB179) – Voluntary Paid Family Leave Law enacted April 5, 2024
On April 5, 2024, Governor Beschear signed HB179 into law. The bill amends the insurance code to allow insurers to include paid family leave in a group disability income policy or offer as a stand-alone group paid family leave insurance policy. Employers are not required to offer paid family leave benefits. Other states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia, include similar provisions in their insurance code.
VIRGINIA (SB337)– Bill to Mandate Paid Family and Medical Leave Vetoed by Governor April 5, 2024 On April 5, 2024, Governor Youngkin vetoed SB373. The bill would have mandated employers provide paid family and medical leave coverage for Virgina workers with benefits to begin in 2027. Virginia's insurance code currently allows insurers to provide paid family leave coverage through a stand-alone policy or to include with a group disability income policy. Employers are not required to offer paid family leave benefits to their Virginia workers. Governor Youngkin’s veto statement is included here.