Maryland Passes AARP-Backed Paid Family Leave Bill

Access to paid family leave is about to expand in Maryland. State lawmakers on Saturday overrode Gov. Larry Hogan’s initial veto of SB 275 — a bill for which we’ve long fought. The legislation, also known as the Time to Care Act, will allow workers to take up to 12 weeks of partially paid time off after the birth of a child or when caring for a loved one. Workers will be able to access the new paid leave program starting in 2025.

The bill sets up an insurance program into which most employers and workers will pay. The program’s funds will be used to pay up to 90 percent of a workers’ salary when they take time off, with higher percentages going to lower-income residents. For months, we’ve urged lawmakers to pass the bill, encouraging residents to contact their local elected officials to voice their support. The Time to Care Act stands to benefit Maryland’s 771,000 family caregivers.

“No worker should have to choose between taking his mother to the doctor or tending to a sick child and losing a paycheck,” Tammy Bresnahan, AARP Maryland’s associate state director for advocacy, said in a statement.

We’ve previously urged federal lawmakers to offer more national access to paid family leave. Similar paid family leave programs are active in seven states and the District of Columbia. Oregon and Colorado have also passed paid leave legislation, but the programs are not yet up and running.

Read more about the bill’s passage, and learn about how we’re fighting for all family caregivers.