State Paid Family Leave Laws Expected to Grow: States of Play

December 19, 2025, 7:33 PM UTC

STATE-MANDATED PAID FAMILY LEAVE PROGRAMS are set to expand in 2026, further complicating multistate businesses’ compliance as benefits become available in Delaware, Maine, and Minnesota while others, including Virginia, are poised to enact a program.

  • Thirteen states plus Washington, DC, have put in place paid family and medical leave laws guaranteeing most workers access to benefits funded by payroll taxes. They ensure private-sector employees can take time off, typically up to 12 weeks annually, for covered reasons such as bonding with a new child or providing care for a spouse undergoing cancer treatments.
  • As new programs come online, other ...

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