Maryland has amended its parental leave law, to exempt employers covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) from the Maryland Parental Leave Act (MPLA), as clarified by Senate Bill 785.​ 

Effective Date: ​ 

• Starting October 1, 2025, Maryland employers covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) are exempt from the state’s unpaid parental leave law.​ 

Senate Bill 785: ​ 

• This bill changes the definition of “employer” under Maryland’s Parental Leave Act (PLA) to exclude those already covered by FMLA, even if they have between 15 and 49 employees.​ 

Coverage Criteria: ​ 

• Both FMLA and PLA determine coverage based on employee counts over a 20-week period in the current or previous year. Employers may qualify for FMLA even if they currently have fewer than 50 employees.​ 

Simplified Compliance: ​ 

• The change aims to reduce overlap with federal law and ease compliance burdens for certain employers.​ 

Example Scenario: ​ 

• A company with 48 employees in the current year but 50 or more employees in the previous year would be covered by FMLA and thus exempt from Maryland’s PLA.​ 

Resources: ​ 

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