The Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee voted to hold CB 78-2025 after discussion of proposed amendments and public testimony. The bill would create a category of paid sick leave for county employees to prepare for or participate in immigration proceedings involving the employee or a family member.

Committee staff described the proposal as providing mandated paid sick leave for county employees or the employee’s family member for immigration proceedings, with definitions, verification requirements and suggested caps on hours. The Office of Human Resources Management submitted recommended amendments, including leave-hour caps, a definition for “family member” and a requirement for official legal documentation to support leave requests.

Budget and policy analysts said the fiscal impact would likely be limited and primarily related to lost productive time; overtime costs could increase in some departments but were likely to be absorbed by existing personnel budgets. “It’s more likely that the cost will be absorbed into existing personnel budgets,” the budget analyst told the committee.

Sonia Owens, the county executive liaison, said the executive branch supported the legislation as amended. A community policy analyst from CASA, Aden Aron, testified in favor of the bill on behalf of more than 38,000 CASA members in Prince George’s County, calling immigration proceedings traumatic and saying the measure would let workers “respond without having to go unpaid or hide what they are going through.”

The motion to hold the bill carried 5-0; the sponsor indicated there is a related measure the committee should consider alongside CB 78 and sought the pause to allow concurrent review. The committee did not take further action while staff and stakeholders continue to work on harmonizing the two bills.