Letter to Chairman Davis - Labor and Employment, Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program, Establishment

Letter

Dear Chairman Davis,

I am writing to express my strong support for House Bill 740 to establish a Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program in Maryland. This legislation addresses a critical need in our state and will help reduce poverty, improve infant health outcomes, and provide economic security for countless working families in our State. I commend Delegate Ariana Kelly and all the bill's sponsors for their leadership on this issue.

Workers with newborn children or those who face a long-term illness must make difficult choices in order to make ends meet. We need expanded family and medical leave, and I have included this important policy priority in past Democratic budgets I have authored. Family and Medical Leave Insurance programs are a proven way to give new mothers and fathers more time to bond with their babies and allow workers to care for an aging parent or a family member with a disability while continuing to receive a monthly paycheck. As with Social Security and disability insurance, workers pay into a fund and receive the benefit when they need it.

I have cosponsored the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act in Congress to create a national system for paid leave, but Maryland has the opportunity to join the three other states that have implemented successful state-run programs by passing House Bill 740. This is a common-sense solution to a problem that impacts far too many women and families.

I thank you for your attention to this issue, and strongly urge a favorable report.

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