This week there was a public hearing on Bill 10-22, Personnel and Human Resources – Paid Parental Leave, which was introduced on June 14th. The purpose of Bill 10-22 is to provide paid parental leave to County employees and to supplement the State's Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program for County employees.
Maryland's FAMLI Program was established in April of this year through SB275, the Time to Care Act of 2022. The bill started taking effect on June 1st, with the establishment of the FAMLI Program, while other provisions of the bill will take effect in 2023 and 2025, respectively. The Time to Care Act provides up to 12 weeks of leave due to specified personal and family circumstances. The leave is based on the employee's average weekly wage, which is subject to a cap.
Bill 10-22 would require Montgomery County to provide paid parental leave to County employees before the effective date of Maryland's FAMLI program. It would also require the County to pay an employee's salary minus benefits under the State Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program. This bill would create a new paid parental leave category that would take effect before the FAMILI's program effect date for Montgomery County employees consisting of 240 paid hours of parental leave. County employees could use this leave in addition to other accumulated leave and federal FMLA, which entitles eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. However, Bill 10-22's leave would not be counted against the employee's sick, annual, or personal leave. County employees could use the leave provided by Bill 10-22 to care for a newborn, newly adopted child, or newly placed foster child.
Under Bill 10-22, a new category of paid parental leave would be created for County employees. The 240 hours of leave would be paid in part by the FAMLI program once Maryland's FAMLI program becomes fully operational on January 1st, 2025. Below is a chart created by the Montgomery County Council highlighting the differences between the current laws, Bill-22 before the FAMLI program takes effect, and Bill-10-22 after the FAMLI program takes effect.
It should be noted that Council member Navarro has stated her intent to introduce an amendment to this bill that includes parents of stillborn children. If there are any questions about this bill, CLKPA suggests that you contact the office of Bill-10-22's primary sponsor. Councilmember Friedson at 240-777-7828 or via email at Councilmember.Friedson@montgomerycountymd.gov.