Labor and Employment - Paid Leave - Attendance at School Functions

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1524*

HOUSE BILL 1524
K3, P4, L6 6lr2341

By: Delegate J. Long
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Labor and Employment – Paid Leave – Attendance at School Functions 2

FOR the purpose of requiring certain employers to provide certain employees who are 3
parents a certain amount of paid leave each year to attend school functions at the 4
school of the employee’s child; and generally relating to paid leave for employees to 5
attend school functions. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 7
Article – Labor and Employment 8
Section 3–103(a) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2025 Replacement Volume) 11

BY adding to 12
Article – Labor and Employment 13
Section 3–804 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2025 Replacement Volume) 16

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18

Article – Labor and Employment 19

3–103. 20

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the Commissioner may conduct 21
an investigation to determine whether a provision of this title has been violated on the 22
Commissioner’s own initiative or may require a written complaint. 23

2 HOUSE BILL 1524

3–804. 1

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 2
INDICATED. 3

(2) “CHILD” MEANS AN ADOPTED, BIOLOGICAL, OR FOSTER CHILD OR 4
A STEPCHILD OR LEGAL WARD. 5

(3) “EMPLOYEE” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS EMPLOYED BY AN 6
EMPLOYER TO WORK FULL–TIME OR PART–TIME. 7

(4) “EMPLOYER” MEANS: 8

(I) A PERSON THAT: 9

1. EMPLOYS 15 OR MORE INDIVIDUALS; AND 10

2. IS ENGAGED IN A BUSI NESS, AN INDUSTRY, A 11
PROFESSION, A TRADE, OR ANY OTHER ENTERPRISE IN THE STATE; OR 12

(II) A GOVERNMENTAL UNIT. 13

(5) “PARENT” MEANS AN ADOPTIVE , BIOLOGICAL, OR FOSTER 14
PARENT, A STEPPARENT , A LEGAL GUARDIAN , OR A PERSON STANDING IN LOCO 15
PARENTIS. 16

(B) (1) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPHS (2) AND (3) OF THIS SUBSECTION, AN 17
EMPLOYER SHALL PROVIDE EACH EMPLOYEE WHO IS A PARENT WITH AT LEAST 20 18
HOURS EACH YEAR OF LEAVE WITH PAY TO USE TO ATTEND A SCHOOL FUNCTION AT 19
THE PUBLIC OR NONPUBLIC ELEMENTARY OR SECONDARY SCHOOL AT WHICH THE 20
EMPLOYEE’S CHILD IS ENROLLED. 21

(2) (I) AN EMPLOYEE MAY USE NOT MORE THAN 2 HOURS OF LEAVE 22
UNDER THIS SECTION EACH MONTH. 23

(II) TO QUALIFY AS A VALID USE OF THE LEAVE UNDER THIS 24
SECTION, AN EMPLOYEE SHALL SUBMIT PROOF OF THE SCHOOL FUNCTION TO THE 25
EMPLOYER WITHIN 48 HOURS AFTER THE DATE ON WHICH THE SCHOOL FUNCTION 26
OCCURS. 27

(3) AN EMPLOYER SHALL PAY AN EMPLOYEE WHO TAKE S LEAVE 28
UNDER THIS SECTION A T THE SAME RATE OF P AY AS THE EMPLOYEE N ORMALLY 29
EARNS. 30
HOUSE BILL 1524 3

(C) AN EMPLOYER MAY NOT R EQUIRE A N EMPLOYEE –PARENT TO USE 1
COMPENSATORY, SICK, OR VACATION LEAVE WH EN TAKING LEAVE UNDER THIS 2
SECTION. 3

(D) (1) AN EMPLOYEE WHO USES LEAVE UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL 4
COMPLY WITH THE TERM S OF A COLLECTIVE BA RGAINING AGREEMENT O R 5
EMPLOYMENT POLICY. 6

(2) IF THE TERMS OF A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT WITH 7
AN EMPLOYER OR AN EM PLOYMENT POLICY OF AN EMPLOYER PROVI DE A LEAVE 8
BENEFIT THAT IS EQUA L TO OR GREATER THAN THE BENEFIT PROVIDED UNDER 9
THIS SECTION , THE COLLECTIVE BARGA INING AGREEMENT OR E MPLOYMENT 10
POLICY PREVAILS. 11

(E) IF THE COMMISSIONER DETERMIN ES THAT AN EMPLOYER HAS 12
VIOLATED T HIS SECTION , THE COMMISSIONER SHALL IS SUE AN ORDER 13
COMPELLING COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SECTION. 14

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 15
October 1, 2026. 16