New regulations sent out, comments should be submitted by July 24

The Maryland Department of Labor, responsible for administering the new Family and Medical Leave Insurance program, has circulated a revised set of draft regulations for interested parties to comment by July 24.

The pending family leave program, which includes a state benefits fund funded through a payroll assessment of family and medical insurance, is scheduled to begin collecting contributions on July 1, 2025, with eligibility for benefits set to begin on July 1, 2026.

See earlier Conduit Street reports on the latest legislative changes from the 2024 session: postponing the obligation to take family leave, explaining fees, failure to comply with the act

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

The latest version of the bill essentially keeps intact the previous provisions for employers (presumably including county governments) that want to offer their own administered plan rather than participate in a state insurance program.

MACo has joined forces with the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) and the Maryland Municipal League (MML) to develop a joint venture that will 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 you are interested, contact Michael Sanderson at MACo for more information.

Comments on the draft regulations should be sent to [email protected] by July 24.

This draft is intended for discussion purposes only and is not an officially adopted or proposed regulation. 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.