More details on changes to the Time to Care Act
The impacts of the bill fall into three main categories: additional time, administrative changes, and clarifications and corrections.
Shifting the timeline will make implementation more feasible.
State Plan contribution period will begin July 1, 2025. Benefits will be available July 1, 2026.
Administrative changes will ease the burden on employers.
The definition of “wages'' will now match the Maryland Unemployment Insurance statute. Aligning the definitions will eliminate the need to calculate two different sets of wages for the two programs.
The Department can now use periodically submitted reports to verify eligibility and calculate a claimants’ benefit amount.
The FAMLI system gives businesses the freedom to select the plan that works best for them. After working closely with stakeholders, the bill allows the Department to set reasonable fees for employers seeking private coverage options. Employers can avoid the fee by participating in the State Plan.
The Department can now assess additional penalties on bad actors, ensuring a fairer system for all employers.
Language changes provide clarifications for employers and workers.
Covered individuals will be able to apply for benefits to care for a service member for whom they are next of kin. This will align FAMLI with FMLA.
The Department now has more detailed guidance on what is protected personal information from claimants and, consistent with feedback from employers during our stakeholder engagement process, resolves a conflict in the law regarding whether it can be shared with employers.
Amended language clarifies that employers obtaining coverage through a private plan may not deduct more than 50% of the maximum contribution amount from workers.
Draft Regulations Engagement Session
We are updating draft regulations to incorporate the changes noted above. The draft regulations will be shared in the coming weeks, and we will host a public engagement session before initiating the formal regulatory review process. More information will be available soon.
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