• Starting no later than January 3, 2028, the FAMLI program will provide most Maryland employees with up to twelve weeks of paid leave for certain family and medical reasons, with a possible additional twelve weeks of leave for parental bonding, per application year.
• The program is funded through employer and employee payroll contributions, which will commence on January 1, 2027, and be administered by the MDOL’s FAMLI Division.
• The final regulations address, among other things, the claims process and paid leave benefits.

Background on the Law and Final Regulations

As discussed in further detail in Part I of this series, Maryland enacted the FAMLI program in 2022, to provide most employees with up to twelve weeks of paid family and medical leave (plus up to twelve additional weeks for parental leave) within a twelve-month period. After several legislatively mandated delays, employer and employee contributions are set to begin on January 1, 2027, with benefits commencing no later than January 3, 2028.

The MDOL’s final regulations, effective March 30, 2026, are organized into five chapters—General Provisions, Contributions, Equivalent Private Insurance Plans (EPIPs), Claims, and Dispute Resolution—and largely preserve the proposed regulatory framework with certain refinements. The final regulations can be found in Title 9, Subtitle 42 of the Code of Maryland Regulations, COMAR 09.42.01-.05.

Key provisions of the regulations related to the claims process and paid leave...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxPME9SMlcxd0cxdnpSR3ZpNEVr...