# Maryland SB 0785: Labor and Employment - Unpaid Parental Leave - Definition of Employer

Maryland SB 0785, Labor and Employment - Unpaid Parental Leave - Definition of Employer, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Justin Ready (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-06 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 296); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0785-2025RS
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Maryland SB 0785
- State: Maryland
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: Labor and Employment - Unpaid Parental Leave - Definition of Employer
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-01-31
- Last action: 2025-05-06, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 296
- Sponsor: Justin Ready (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Private Sector Labor and Industry, Federal Government, Leave, Parents and Guardians, Work, Labor, and Employment -see also- JobTrn; Leave; etc.
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 2 (181 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Narrower unpaid parental leave coverage in Maryland: cost, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland’s unpaid parental leave law excludes employers covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act that calendar year. State coverage requires 15–49 Maryland employees each working day during at least 20 calendar workweeks in the current or previous year. The emp…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Justin Ready (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-07 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 137 | 0 | 3 |
| 2025-03-06 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 44 | 0 | 1 |

## Actions (15)

- 2025-05-06: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 296
- 2025-04-07: Returned Passed (Senate)
- 2025-04-07: Third Reading Passed (137-0) (House)
- 2025-04-04: Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed (House)
- 2025-04-03: Favorable Report by Economic Matters (House)
- 2025-03-18: Hearing 3/19 at 2:15 p.m. (House)
- 2025-03-18: Hearing canceled (House)
- 2025-03-13: Hearing 3/19 at 1:00 p.m. (House)
- 2025-03-07: Referred Economic Matters (House)
- 2025-03-06: Third Reading Passed (44-0) (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Second Reading Passed (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Favorable Adopted (Senate)
- 2025-03-03: Favorable Report by Finance (Senate)
- 2025-02-03: Hearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m. (Senate)
- 2025-01-31: First Reading Finance (Senate)

## Bill text

- Enacted, 2025-05-06: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_296_sb0785t.pdf)
- Third Reading, 2025-03-04: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0785t.pdf)
- First Reading, 2025-01-31: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0785f.pdf)

## Related bills

- HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed)
- SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions (vetoed)
- HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination Review Process (vetoed)
- SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed)
- HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization (became law)
- HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard (signed)

## Sources
- [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_296_sb0785t.pdf)
- [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0785t.pdf)
- [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0785f.pdf)

## Related
- [HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0384-2025RS)
- [SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0227-2025RS)
- [HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0482-2025RS)
- [SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0157-2025RS)
- [HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB1294-2025RS)
- [HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0228-2025RS)
- [Maryland bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland/bills)
- [Maryland state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0785-2025RS (as of 2026-10-17).