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LD1400 • 2025

An Act to Exempt Certain Public School Districts and Their Employees from the Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program

An Act to Exempt Certain Public School Districts and Their Employees from the Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program

Education Healthcare Labor
Active

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Sponsor
Representative Nathan Carlow
Last action
2025-06-05
Official status
Reports Read On motion by Senator TIPPING of Penobscot the Majority Ought Not to Pass Report ACCEPTED in concurrence. Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act to Exempt Certain Public School Districts and Their Employees from the Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program

An Act to Exempt Certain Public School Districts and Their Employees from the Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program Sponsor: Representative Nathan Carlow Reference committee: Labor Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Exempt Certain Public School Districts and Their Employees from the Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program Sponsor: Representative Nathan Carlow Reference committee: Labor Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Filed

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR2088(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

  • Page 1 - 132LR2088(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
  • 1400 2 Date: (Filing No.
  • H- ) 3LABOR 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Clerk of the House.
  • 5STATE OF MAINE 6HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8FIRST SPECIAL SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to H.P.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-05 House

    Reports READ . On motion of Representative ROEDER of Bangor, the Majority Ought Not to Pass Report was ACCEPTED . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  2. 2025-06-05 Senate

    Reports Read On motion by Senator TIPPING of Penobscot the Majority Ought Not to Pass Report ACCEPTED in concurrence. Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)

  3. 2025-06-04 Committee

    Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

  4. 2025-05-07 Committee

    Work Session Held

  5. 2025-05-07 Committee

    Voted; Divided Report

  6. 2025-04-01 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Labor.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Exempt Certain Public School Districts and Their Employees from the Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program
Sponsor:
Representative Nathan Carlow
Reference committee:
Labor
Latest committee action:
Reported Out; ONTP/OTP-AM

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Printed on recycled paper
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1400
H.P. 922 House of Representatives, April 1, 2025
An Act to Exempt Certain Public School Districts and Their
Employees from the Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits
Program
Reference to the Committee on Labor suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative CARLOW of Buxton.
Cosponsored by Representatives: HAGGAN of Hampden, MORRIS of Turner.

Page 1 - 132LR2088(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §850-F, sub-§8-A is enacted to read:
38-A. School districts exemption. A school district that meets the requirements of
4 section 850-S is not required to remit premiums to the fund under this section.
5Sec. 2. 26 MRSA §850-S is enacted to read:
6§850-S. Substitution of benefits provided by school districts
7 An employer that is a school district meets its obligations under this subchapter if:
81. Substantially equivalent benefits. The school district provided family leave and
9 medical leave benefits substantially equivalent to those provided under this subchapter
10 pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement in effect on January 1, 2025; and
112. Continually maintains benefits. The school district continually maintains paid
12 family leave and medical leave benefits for employees substantially equivalent to those
13 provided under this subchapter pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement or other
14 contractual agreement, including benefits for sick leave and family sick leave, that accrue
15 annually to at least 12 weeks of leave.
16Sec. 3. Department of Labor to refund contributions made by school
17districts. The Department of Labor shall refund contributions made to the department
18 pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, section 850-F made by a school district
19 that meets the requirements of Title 26, section 850-S. A school district employer that
20 deducted a portion of the premium to the employee as part of the employee's wage shall
21 remit that portion of the premium to the employee as part of the employee's wage.
22Sec. 4. Retroactivity. This Act applies retroactively to October 25, 2023.
23SUMMARY
24 This bill provides that a school district is exempt from the paid family and medical
25 leave benefits program if the school district:
26 1. Provided family leave and medical leave benefits substantially equivalent to those
27 provided in the paid family and medical leave benefits program pursuant to a collective
28 bargaining agreement in effect on January 1, 2025; and
29 2. Continually maintains substantially equivalent paid family leave and medical leave
30 benefits for employees pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement or other contractual
31 agreement, including benefits for sick leave and family sick leave, that accrue annually to
32 at least 12 weeks of leave.
33 It also requires the Department of Labor to refund contributions made to the department
34 by a school district before the school district was exempt from the paid family and medical
35 leave benefits program. It requires a school district employer that deducted a portion of the
36 premium to the employee as part of the employee's wage to remit that portion of the
37 premium to the employee as part of the employee's wage.
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