For Immediate Release: Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Montgomery Council approves expansion
of County’s Sick and Safe Leave law
to include paid benefits for parents
Councilmember Tom Hucker was lead sponsor of Bill 32-16
that will allow paid leave for parents dealing
with births, adoptions, foster care placements
and bonding with children
ROCKVILLE, Md., November 1, 2016—The Montgomery County Council today unanimously approved Bill 32-16 that will extend the provisions of the County’s paid leave law for certain parental purposes. Councilmember Tom Hucker was the lead sponsor of Bill 32-16. Councilmembers Roger Berliner, Marc Elrich, Sidney Katz and Nancy Navarro were co-sponsors.
Bill 32-16 will add two related purposes for which use of paid leave accrued under the Earned Sick and Safe Leave law will be permitted. The bill will permit the use of paid leave for the birth of a child or for the placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care. It also will allow use of the leave to care for a newborn, newly adopted or newly placed child within one year of birth, adoption or placement.
“The County’s law providing paid leave is a critical protection for workers,” said Councilmember Hucker. “Bill 32-16 is an important expansion of this law to allow parents the flexibility to use their leave to spend time with their children.”
The Council in July 2015 enacted Bill 60-14 that requires an employer doing business in the County to provide a minimum amount of paid leave for an employee who works in the County. Bill 60-14 was enacted with a delayed effective date of Oct. 1, 2016 to give employers time to adapt their payroll systems to the new law. Over the past year, the County Office of Human Rights has been meeting with businesses to explain the new law and answer questions.
Bill 32-16 will go into effect immediately as expedited legislation. Release ID: 16-342