Bill > SB652

This bill establishes guidelines for disaster service leave with pay for employees of county and municipal governmental units in Maryland. Specifically, employees may be entitled to paid leave if they are certified American Red Cross disaster service volunteers responding to a Level II or higher disaster, or if they are members of specific emergency response organizations like the Civil Air Patrol, volunteer fire departments, emergency medical services, or community emergency response teams. Employees can use up to 15 days of disaster service leave in a 12-month period, but must first obtain approval from their governmental unit. During prolonged or recurrent disasters, the governmental unit may waive approval requirements and increase leave days if doing so would benefit citizens. The bill also provides flexibility for governmental units, allowing them to increase leave days or modify requirements during extraordinary circumstances. Additionally, the bill is set to take effect on October 1, 2025, giving local governments time to prepare and implement the new leave provisions. The legislation aims to support employees who volunteer in critical emergency and disaster response roles while providing governmental units with discretion in managing such leave.

Budget and Finance

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0652?ys=2025RS