Delaware has become the 11th state to offer a paid family and medical leave program to new parents, caregivers, and those with serious illnesses.

Flanked by lawmakers and activists, Gov. John Carney on Tuesday signed Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 1 into law after a year-plus long campaign to gather support from stakeholders in government, labor and business.

Employer and employee contributions to the program will begin in 2025. Benefits will be available beginning in 2026.

“We can’t stop all loss or prevent every challenge, but we can make life a little bit easier for people when hard times hit,” said Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington, the bill’s primary sponsor. “That’s exactly what paid leave will do.”

McBride said the bill, which provides 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents, will help uphold the “most Delaware of values: that in a state of neighbors we share a duty to care, to look out for one another when we need it most.”

The bill also guarantees six weeks every two years for workers with serious health conditions, to provide care for a family member who is sick, or to adjust to a family member’s military deployment.

Workers will not be able to take more than 12 weeks of total paid leave in a given year.

Benefits are capped at 80% of an employee’s salary or $900 per week, whichever is less.

Companies with 25 employees or more are required to participate in the program, which will be funded through a 0.8% payroll contribution split between the employer and the...

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