Local Government – Local Personnel – Leave With Pay
SB652 authorizes counties and municipalities in Maryland to provide paid leave to certain local government employees for a range of public-service and civic duties. The bill creates a new local government personnel provision allowing disaster service leave with pay for employees who are certified disaster service volunteers through the American Red Cross or who serve in specified volunteer emergency organizations, including volunteer fire, rescue, EMS, Civil Air Patrol, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Maryland VOAD, and Community Emergency Response Teams. Eligible employees may use up to 15 days of disaster service leave in a 12-month period, subject to approval by the governmental unit, and local governments may waive approval requirements or increase the amount of leave during prolonged or recurrent disasters when doing so would serve the public interest.
The bill also adds a separate local government leave-with-pay section covering other circumstances in which a county or municipal employer may choose to provide paid leave, including jury service, approved employee organization events, up to 30 days of uniformed services training or active duty, compliance with subpoenas, administrative leave for safety or fitness-to-work concerns, and any other paid leave the local government head considers necessary. The act takes effect October 1, 2025, and applies to employees of governmental units of counties and municipalities statewide.
The bill’s impact is to expand and clarify the authority of local governments to grant paid leave, rather than mandating a uniform statewide paid-leave program. It amends the Maryland Local Government Article by adding Sections 1-207 and 1-208, thereby creating express statutory authority for disaster service leave and other categories of paid leave for local public employees. The measure affects county and municipal personnel policies, especially for employees who volunteer in emergency response, military reserve service, or civic obligations.
Overall sentiment appears strongly favorable. The bill received a favorable committee report with amendments and passed the Senate on third reading by a 47-0 vote, indicating broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition in the available record. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate significant controversy.
Notable points of potential contention are limited, but the bill does give local governments discretion rather than imposing requirements, which may have been important to supporters who wanted flexibility for counties and municipalities. The main policy questions likely concern the cost and operational impact of paid leave for local employers, the scope of eligible volunteer service, and when local governments may waive approval requirements or extend leave during disasters. However, the unanimous vote suggests these issues were not politically divisive in the legislative process.
SB652 adds new provisions to the Maryland Local Government Article, specifically Sections 1-207 and 1-208, authorizing counties and municipalities to provide paid leave for disaster service, jury duty, military reserve or organized militia training and duty, subpoena compliance, administrative leave for safety-related removal from work, and other paid leave deemed necessary by the local government head. It expands local personnel authority but does not require all local governments to offer every category of leave; instead, it permits them to do so and sets conditions for disaster service leave, including eligibility, approval, and a 15-day annual cap unless increased during prolonged or recurrent disasters.
The available legislative history indicates strong support for the bill. The Senate passed SB652 on third reading by a 47-0 vote, and the committee report was favorable with amendments. With no recorded committee transcript excerpts and no opposing votes in the available history, the bill appears to have been viewed as a practical personnel measure supporting public service, emergency response, and local government flexibility.
There is little evidence of substantive opposition in the available record. The main policy issues embedded in the bill are administrative discretion, potential payroll and staffing costs for counties and municipalities, and the breadth of eligible leave categories, especially disaster service leave and the ability to waive approval requirements or extend leave during emergencies. Any contention would likely center on balancing employee support for volunteer and civic duties against local government operational needs, but the unanimous Senate vote suggests these concerns were not strongly contested.