Welcome to Part 2 of the 2021 Year-End Edition of the State Law Round-Up, covering states in the second half of the alphabet. Part 1, covering the first part of the alphabet, can be found here.

Maine: Maine’s “ban-the-box” law, HP 845, went into effect October 18, 2021. The law prohibits private employers from requesting criminal history record information on an initial application form or stating on an initial application form or advertisement that a person with a criminal history may not apply or will not be considered for a position. Violators may be subject to a daily penalty per violation of up to $500 per day. Employers are exempt from these requirements if federal or state law, regulation or rule provides that (i) a criminal conviction disqualifies an applicant, (ii) imposes an obligation on an employer not to hire anyone convicted of a certain offense, or (iii) requires employers to conduct a criminal history record check.

Maryland:

• Flexible Leave Act Amendments. Effective October 1, 2021, Maryland’s Flexible Leave Act, as amended by HB 56, will require employers with 15 or more employees to permit their employees to use any existing accrued paid leave for bereavement purposes in the event of a death of an immediate family member (spouse, parent, or child, broadly defined).
• Employment Discrimination. Effective October 1, 2021, Maryland’s Fair Employment Practices Act (FEPA), as amended by HB 290, extends the time period for filing a charge alleging unlawful...

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