State Personnel - Family and Medical Leave - Limits and Use

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1579*

HOUSE BILL 1579
P4 6lr0313

By: Chair, Government, Labor, and Elections Committee (By Request –
Departmental – Budget and Management)
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

State Personnel – Family and Medical Leave – Limits and Use 2

FOR the purpose of providing that an employee in the State Personnel and Management 3
System may, without certain certification, take up to a certain amount of paid family 4
and medical leave to care for a child of the employee immediately following the birth 5
of the employee’s child or the placement of the child with the employee for adoption; 6
providing that family and medical leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave 7
Act may not be limited to less than a certain number of weeks for certain employees 8
in the Executive Branch ; and generally relating to family and medical leave for 9
Executive Branch employees. 10

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 12
Section 2–309 and 9–505 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 16
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 17
Section 9–501(a) 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 21
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 22
Section 9–1006 23
Annotated Code of Maryland 24
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 25
(As enacted by Chapter 606 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025) 26

2 HOUSE BILL 1579

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2

Article – State Personnel and Pensions 3

2–309. 4

(a) This section applies to all units in the Executive Branch of State government, 5
including units with independent personnel systems. 6

(b) A unit subject to this section may not limit, to less than 60 days, the aggregate 7
number of days of accrued sick leave that two employees who are responsible for the care 8
and nurturing of a child may use, without certification of illness or disability, to care for 9
the child during the period immediately following: 10

(1) the birth of the employees’ child; or 11

(2) the placement of the child with the employees for adoption. 12

(c) In implementing the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, a unit 13
subject to this section may not limit, to less than 24 weeks, the aggregate number of weeks 14
of family and medical leave that two employees [who are married to one another] may use 15
during a 12–month period for: 16

(1) the birth of the employees’ child; 17

(2) the placement of a child with the employees for adoption or foster care; 18

(3) the serious health condition of the employees’ child, if the child is a 19
minor; or 20

(4) the care of the employees’ adult child, if the adult child is incapable of 21
self–care. 22

9–501. 23

(a) Each employee in the State Personnel Management System , except a 24
temporary employee, is entitled to sick leave with pay as provided in this subtitle. 25

9–505. 26

(a) An employee who is responsible for the care and nurturing of a child may use, 27
without certification of illness or disability, up to 30 days of acc rued sick leave OR PAID 28
FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE UNDER SUBTITLE 10 OF THIS TITLE to care for the child 29
during the period immediately following: 30

(1) the birth of the employee’s child; or 31
HOUSE BILL 1579 3

(2) the placement of the child with the employee for adoption. 1

(b) If two employees TOGETHER are responsible for the care and nurturing of a 2
child, each employee may use, without certification of illness or disability, up to 30 days of 3
accrued sick leave OR PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE UNDER SUBTITLE 10 OF THIS 4
TITLE to care for the child during the period immediately following: 5

(1) the birth of the employees’ child; or 6

(2) the placement of the child with the employees for adoption. 7

(c) (1) An employee who uses accrued sick leave following the birth of the 8
employee’s child may not receive payment under this subtitle unless the employee gives the 9
employee’s immediate supervisor information required by guidelines issued by the 10
Secretary about the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq. 11

(2) An employee who uses accrued sick leave for adoption purposes may 12
not receive payment under this subtitle unless the employee gives the employee’s 13
immediate supervisor the certificate required by guidelines issued by the Secretary about 14
the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq. 15

(D) NOTHING IN THIS SECTION MAY BE CONSTRUED TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT 16
OF LEAVE AN EMPLOYEE IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEI VE UNDER SUBTITLE 10 OF THIS 17
TITLE. 18

9–1006. 19

(a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, the Secretary shall adopt regulations, 20
guidelines, or policies implementing the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. 21

(b) The regulations adopted by the Secretary: 22

(1) may require an eligible employee to use other available [accrued] leave 23
concurrently with family and medical leave; and 24

(2) may not limit, to less than 24 weeks, the aggregate number of weeks of 25
family and medical leave that two employees who are [married to one another ] 26
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CARE AND NURTURING O F A CHILD may use during a 27
12–month period for: 28

(i) the birth of the employees’ child; 29

(ii) the placement of a child with the employees for adoption or foster 30
care; 31

4 HOUSE BILL 1579

(iii) the serious health condition of the employees’ child, if the child 1
is a minor; or 2

(iv) the care of the employees’ adult child, if the adult child is 3
incapable of self–care. 4

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 5
1, 2026, the effective date of Chapter 606 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2 025. If 6
the effective date of Chapter 606 is amended, this Act shall take effect on the taking effect 7
of Chapter 606. 8