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Maryland labor department seeks flexibility for self‑employed under paid‑leave law
Summary
The Maryland Department of Labor asked the Economic Matters Committee to approve HB102 to remove statutory language on self‑employed participation in the State’s paid family leave program and direct the agency to design participation rules by regulation, add payment‑frequency flexibility and establish an "anchor date" for benefit calculations.
The Maryland Department of Labor asked the Economic Matters Committee on Oct. 12 to support HB102, legislation that would remove current statutory language allowing self‑employed workers to opt into the State’s paid family and medical leave program and direct the department to craft a new participation framework by regulation.
Secretary of Labor Portia Wu told the committee the bill would give the department “more time to allow for some seamless implementation” and let staff rethink how self‑employed workers could participate in the program. Wu said Maryland’s program was modeled on other states, but those states have seen very low takeup among self‑employed people.
The bill would repeal the existing statutory language on self‑employed participation and require the department to develop participation rules by regulation. Regan Vaughn, director of policy for the family division at the Maryland…
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