[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6363893,"mediaKeyId","2165498-4dd137c2328d0ffb5ddb5d7da0084f06","parentId",2165498,"title","Maryland Department of Labor seeks flexibility to redesign self-employed participation in paid leave","audioSeconds",628,"startMs",883550,"endMs",1512450,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2165498-4dd137c2328d0ffb5ddb5d7da0084f06&start=883&end=1512","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2165498-4dd137c2328d0ffb5ddb5d7da0084f06/thumbnail_883550.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6363893/Maryland/Maryland-Department-of-Labor-seeks-flexibility-to-redesign-self-employed-participation-in-paid-leave","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363893-b6fc6b553272ebeb6f05aea712acbdbc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174053&Signature=lc9pFpVLUNL5XkzpyPKpGGmvVFD9DgsN~m8tsgUix3JOMO6iskuUOxy3~DD34mwecT4k-9JVkYlJ63Bal7h8V8BJOWL~rhZPBhwt3j3KuTCl9R6dRvkqZwkHlbjaVV5JLnJVGaMMxQNsyOxvs9oA~HRm2v3IDWI3pxZVfie9HRgs7hcQVNV9~PR5jf3GLDqe3YzkIIA5R~7XLoJMuqAH2b5a~zbyxdR4BuY-e2HeiIKPcICMrJQJARJ546BNwCQsMI1fDOLJEO5FD~Z~aD3Fn4PdbulnDkEPwpUESeRVhOi8aTyaJ~crueZe4YW~SfVwgbQERW0ryI6LWjESA2LmOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maryland General Assembly - Finance","date","2025-01-29T00:00:00Z","article","Maryland Department of Labor officials urged the Senate Finance Committee on Jan. 29 to approve Senate Bill 225, which would repeal the current statutory framework for optional participation by self-employed individuals in the state's paid family and medical leave program and direct the department to design a new approach.

\"When we spoke to other states and looked at their experience, we found that very few self employed individuals are opting into the program,\" said Portia Wu, secretary of the Maryland Department of Labor. She told the committee that the department wants the authority to \"rethink how we can deliver paid leave to self employed workers\" and to develop a stakeholder-driven, actuarially modeled framework before opening the program to that group.

Regan Vaughn, director of policy for the department's Family Division, described three sponsor amendments the department supported: a statutory data-sharing change to allow the comptroller's office to share tax data for anti-fraud checks; flexibility to permit private plans and the department to pay benefits at least biweekly rather than mandating biweekly payments; and an \"anchor date\" rule clarifying the date used to determine benefit eligibility (earlier of application date or leave start).

At a question from Senator Hershey, Wu and Vaughn said the bill would delay self-employed participation at the initial program launch date (previously discussed as July 1) and allow the department time to develop the new framework and anti-fraud safeguards. \"If this begins implementation on July 1 ... self employed would not be part of that on July 1,\" Vaughn said, and Secretary Wu confirmed.

Committee members had no additional questions and the department said it would provide the committee the sponsor amendments in writing.

The bill would not change worker eligibility for wage replacement under the program as it stands; it is narrowly focused on replacing the existing statutory language about optional self-employed participation with a directive for the Department of Labor to propose an alternative participation framework through stakeholder engagement and actuarial modeling.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","FIN Committee Session, 1/29/2025 #1","oneSentenceSummary","Department of Labor officials told the Senate Finance Committee they want statute repealed for the program's self-employed option and replaced with a directive to develop a new framework, citing low opt-in from self-employed workers and fraud concerns.","taxTitle","Finance Committee, SENATE, SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Maryland","taxId",15094,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6363897,"Bill would clarify that local resilience authorities can join public insurance pools",343,519521,862571,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2165498-4dd137c2328d0ffb5ddb5d7da0084f06&start=519&end=862","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2165498-4dd137c2328d0ffb5ddb5d7da0084f06/thumbnail_519521.jpg","/articles/6363897/Maryland/Bill-would-clarify-that-local-resilience-authorities-can-join-public-insurance-pools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363897-720ea87630b7157048ad31bc400f4691/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174053&Signature=YpmM4TXXDIRxZLq80M-vqWyFuXDFdUaHI9WXSa1kp54W2st9KRtv-Pn6T503EHBYUoG5YnlWfAijsmHL~XkSvY3YNCJG5jyEca1R9vm3YaJav~oHEUN6WnbhZKoD2eQ-nbsZMJhQsJDSgFtxZ58BSoJbnKNYyBlpcCqx0PsfK7~g-2-7UmxGHZs064ITTpnVz6PNcoLbKXgiMatWayKvdPN1iUwYWvp1zcUUqHS9eC4gs6feaX3HRVIvSSR0tesUCVt5ImZp9oxXYB17DFd26cbB81~BD2rSJqhYTEalHv-ijX29s209Or3zVfYyE6PJvLUtaR8zgKbbulSEtPKNZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 102 would amend Maryland law to explicitly allow resilience authorities established by counties or municipalities to participate in public insurance pooling arrangements, the bill's sponsor and supporters told the Senate Finance Committee on Jan. 29.

Supporters said the change is intended to remove uncertainty over whether newly created resilience authorities — public entities established to finance climate resilience projects — qualify to join jointly owned insurance funds that pay members' claims out of pooled premiums. \"Senate Bill 102 clarifies language in the code that it would explicitly allow resilience authorities established by counties and municipalities to enter into insurance pooling,\" said Greg Swain, who testified for the bill.

The bill references earlier enabling legislation for resilience authorities. As explained at the hearing, the General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 457 in 2020 to authorize local governments to establish resilience authorities that may issue tax-exempt bonds for resilience infrastructure. Supporters told the committee Anne Arundel County created a resilience authority under that law in 2021 and later sought to join the county's health benefits pooling arrangement so the authority's employees could participate in the county group health plan at county rates.

Kelly Lovett, Assistant Personnel Officer for Pension and Benefits for Anne Arundel County, described how the county's existing pooling agreements allow affiliated political subdivisions and nonprofit corporations (that meet eligibility rules) to participate in the county plan. She testified that the bill \"would confirm the authority's eligibility to pool with the county for health benefits\" and would extend the clarification to resilience authorities in other jurisdictions.

Carrington Anderson of the Maryland Association of Counties also testified in support, saying the change \"simply extends a good government practice to an emerging area of public service.\" Gregory Swain, Anne Arundel County attorney, was at the table to answer legal questions.

Committee members asked no substantive objections; the bill's proponents requested a favorable report.

If enacted, the bill would amend the statutory definition of \"public entity\" for purposes of insurance pooling to include resilience authorities, enabling those authorities to participate in casualty, property, or health insurance pools or to self-insure.","Senate Bill 102 would expressly include county and municipal resilience authorities in the state definition of \"public entity,\" allowing them to join insurance pools for health, casualty or property coverage or to self-insure, supporters told the Senate Finance Committee.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Maryland Department of Labor seeks flexibility to redesign self-employed participation in paid leave

Bill would clarify that local resilience authorities can join public insurance pools