Maine Becomes Latest State to Offer Paid Family, Medical Leave

Maine is the next US state to require paid family and medical leave for employees under a new law signed by Gov. Janet Mills (D).

The legislation approved by Mills on Tuesday as part of the state’s budget bill passed both chambers of the state legislature earlier this month.

States continue to adopt new paid family and medical leave legislation as advocates push for these worker protections across the country. Maine is the 13th state in addition to Washington, D.C., to enact a universal paid leave program.

The law goes into effect in 2026 and will apply to businesses with 15 or more employees. Workers and employers would split a wage contribution to fund the program that amounts to 1% or less of an employee’s wage.

Once the employee reaches a designated contribution amount, they would be eligible for up to 12 weeks of paid leave per year for qualifying life events, such as the birth of a child or care for an aging family member.

“The really amazing thing about this bill is that it comes out of three years of research from the Bipartisan Commission which was made up of two Democratic legislators, two Republican legislators as well as a group of citizens from across the state,” State Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D), assistant Senate majority leader and lead co-sponsor on the bill, said shortly after the measure’s initial passage.

In an op-ed published in the Portland Press Herald last month, Mills said she would sign the bill. In spite of some reservations that it would create added costs, she wrote that the final legislation struck a balance viable for Maine residents and businesses.

The program is expected to cost the state of Maine $25 million in start-up expenses before becoming self-funding.