Time To Care Coalition Opposes Proposed Two-Year Delay To State’s Paid Family Leave Program

ANNAPOLIS – The Time to Care Coalition today opposed SB 355, a measure proposed by Sen. Stephen H. Hersey, Jr. (District 36 – Kent, Queen Anne’s, Cecil, and Caroline counties) to delay implementation of the state’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program by moving the start of contribution collection to July 1, 2027, and the start of benefit claims to July 1, 2028.

Passing the Time to Care Act in 2022 was a historic victory for Maryland’s working families. Delaying implementation of the FAMLI program will harm hundreds of thousands of families, caretakers, service members, and Marylanders going through a medical crisis. Since the Time to Care Act was passed in 2022, the implementation timeline has already been delayed twice in the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions.

According to the latest actuarial study commissioned by the Maryland Department of Labor, the FAMLI program is anticipated to receive over 165,000 claims in its first year, nearly 14,000 claims per month. This proposed delay means that Marylanders will have to continue to make impossible choices between caring for themselves and their loved ones, or maintaining their income and paying their bills.

“I am grateful that my union has been a part of the Time to Care Act coalition and chose to voluntarily implement paid family leave while the state waits on implementation,” said Christopher C. Cano, Director of Political & Legislative Affairs at SEIU Local 500 and a new father. “Without it, the burden on my family with a newborn would have been insurmountable.I shudder to think about the hard choices Marylanders will face should the leaders in this room choose to further delay implementation of the Time to Care Act. Many may even delay their choice to start a family. Delay will only hurt Maryland’s families and economy.”

Delaying implementation of FAMLI is counterproductive to the state’s goal to end childhood poverty. The Urban Institute found that Maryland’s FAMLI program has the potential to reduce the poverty rate by 22% among families receiving benefits. And because these families will not need to access other state-funded programs, the state is expected to spend $28 million less on safety-net programs when the FAMLI program is fully implemented.

“Every day the implementation of FAMLI is delayed, Maryland families needlessly fall into poverty without access to paid leave,” said Lisa Klingenmaier, Deputy Director of Public Policy, Maryland Family Network and manager of the Time to Care Coalition. “When families have nowhere else to turn for support, Maryland will pay through spending in our state’s safety-net programs.”

Extending the time Marylanders must wait to access paid leave hurts our state’s economy and small businesses. The Urban Institute study noted that FAMLI will provide a $98 million tax benefit to small businesses, leveling the playing field for small businesses to compete with large corporations and making the state an enticing place to start a business.

“Delaying the implementation of the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program under SB 355 would be a disservice to Maryland’s workers and families,” said Liana Cassar, Executive Director of Family Values @ Work. “Hardworking Marylanders and their families deserve the security of knowing that they can take paid time off in times of need without sacrificing their livelihoods. Family Values @ Work urges Maryland lawmakers to prioritize the well-being of families and the stability of Maryland’s workforce by keeping the program on track without unnecessary delays. Let’s reject SB 355 and instead focus on building an economy that values caregiving and ensures no worker has to choose between their job and their health,” said Cassar.

Moreover, lack of access to paid family and medical leave is a leading reason women leave the
workforce; as Maryland already struggles with declining labor participation rates for women, further delays to FAMLI implementation further hinders Maryland’s economic growth.

While Maryland was lauded as a national leader in paid leave policy when legislators passed the Time to Care Act in 2022, each year the programmatic implementation gets further delayed, other states, including Delaware, Minnesota, and Maine, begin delivering on this vital benefit while Marylanders are left behind.