The 2025 state legislative session has been filled with ups and downs and a few notable surprises – specifically in the South. This year’s highlights include more workers having access to paid parental leave and pay transparency protections. This piece covers developments of paid family and medical leave, paid sick and safe days, fair pay and discrimination.
Key takeaways:
- Three states without paid family and medical leave programs passed laws to provide paid parental leave to certain workers, such as state employees or educators.
- Thousands of voters across three states voted for ballot initiatives that gave workers the ability to earn paid sick and or safe leave, and two legislatures overturned or modified the will of the people.
Paid Family and Medical Leave
At some point, nearly everyone will need to take time away from work to deal with a serious personal or family member’s health condition, or to bond with a new child. This year’s state session continues to show that paid family and medical leave policies are possible.
Alabama
This year, Governor Ivey signed SB 199 into law, providing educators and teachers who give birth, miscarry or lose a baby due to stillbirth with eight weeks of paid parental leave. Non-birthing parents receive two weeks of paid parental leave.
Arkansas
The Arkansas legislature passed HB 1017. While state law allowed schools to provide educators with paid parental leave, it was not required. Under HB 1017, schools are now required to provide female educators 12 weeks of paid leave for the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child. Governor Huckabee Sanders signed the bill in April, and the law went into effect on August 5, 2025.
Colorado
Colorado expanded its paid family and medical leave qualifying circumstances via SB25-144 to give parents with children in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) an additional 12 weeks of leave. Governor Polis signed the bill into law in June 2025.
Delaware
In July 2025, Governor Meyer signed HB 128 into law. HB 128 makes technical modifications to Delaware’s paid family and medical leave program, including prohibiting workers from having to use accrued paid time off before accessing paid family and medical leave.
Iowa
The Iowa legislature passed HF 889, which provides state workers who give birth four weeks of paid parental leave; non-birthing parents receive one week of paid parental leave. State workers who adopt a child receive four weeks of paid parental leave. Governor Reynolds signed the bill into law at the end of May.
Maine
While Maine passed its paid family and medical leave program last year and has begun implementation, lawmakers introduced a slew of legislation to undo or greatly undermine the state’s forming program. The legislature rejected any modifications to the paid family and medical leave program as passed.
Maryland
In 2022, Maryland passed the FAMLI Act, the law enacting its paid family and medical leave program. Earlier this year, the state announced that it would delay implementation, citing the ongoing federal worker crisis. Since the passage of Maryland’s program, three states have passed and implemented their paid family and medical leave programs.
Minnesota
The Minnesota legislature considered HF 11, a bill that would delay the state’s implementation of its paid family and medical leave program. However, the bill failed, and Minnesota’s paid family and medical leave program contributions are set to begin in 2026.
Mississippi
Mississippi lawmakers passed HB 1063, which provides paid parental leave for state employees. Eligible employees will be able to take up to six weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. Governor Reeves signed the bill into law in March 2025.
Nevada
This year, members of the Nevada legislature introduced paid family and medical leave legislation that would expand leave for state workers and require paid leave for private workers. AB 388 aimed to extend paid leave benefits to both public and private sector employees. It sought to reduce the employment requirement from 12 months to 90 days and increase the leave entitlement from eight weeks to 12 weeks.
The bill also sought to expand the reasons for taking leave to include bonding with a newly placed foster child, recovering from certain health conditions and addressing issues related to domestic violence, stalking, harassment or sexual assault. This June, Governor Lombardo vetoed AB 388.
New Mexico
For three years, New Mexican workers have been on the brink of access to paid family and medical leave. This year, New Mexico’s legislature failed to pass paid family and medical leave (HB 11) once again after significant last-minute modifications to the bill. If passed as introduced, New Mexican workers who paid into the fund over time would have been able to receive up to 12 weeks of partial wage replacement for (1) welcoming a new child through birth or adoption, (2) managing a serious medical condition, (3) caring for a family member with a serious medical condition, (4) recovering and seeking help from domestic or sexual violence, (5) dealing with exigencies arising out of a family member’s active military duty and (6) grieving the loss of a child.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced HB 200/SB 906, the Family Care Act. The bill would allow workers to pay into a paid family and medical leave fund for up to 20 weeks of paid leave for workers at a progressive wage replacement for (1) the birth, adoption, or foster placement, (2) a family member’s serious health condition, (3) one’s own serious health condition, (4) a declared public health emergency or (5) needs arising out of a family’s active military duty.
The bill has passed out of committee in the House. The state session is set to adjourn in November 2026.
South Carolina
While South Carolina lawmakers did not pass HB 3645 to expand paid family and medical leave provision for state workers, the bill may be re-introduced next session. If passed, it would give employees of K-12 schools, state agencies, and public colleges 12 weeks of paid leave, instead of six, if they are primarily responsible for furnishing the care and nurture of the child. Employees who are not primarily responsible for furnishing the care and nurture of the child, would qualify for four weeks of leave instead of two.
Virginia
This session, the Virginia legislature passed paid family and medical leave, and Governor Youngkin vetoed it for the second time. If signed into law, the bill would have granted workers up to 12 weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, to tend to their illness, or to care for a loved one who is ill.
Paid Sick/Safe Days
No one should be forced to choose between risking their paycheck and caring for loved ones or themself. Nearly 28 million people – nearly one in five private sector workers – can’t earn a single paid sick day. Thousands of voters across the country voted for the ability to earn paid sick and or safe leave, and two legislatures overturned or modified the will of the people. Despite these rollback efforts, paid sick days remain a critical policy. All human beings fall ill and need the time to recover without facing financial detriment.
Alaska
Alaska legislators attempted to modify the state’s recently passed ballot initiative – Ballot Measure 1. Ballot Measure 1 boosts the minimum wage and provides workers with the ability to earn sick and safe leave. Ballot Measure 1 went into effect, unchanged, on July 1, 2025. Alaska workers may now earn one hour of earned sick and safe leave for every 30 hours worked. For employers with 15 or more employees, workers may earn and use up to seven paid sick days per year. If an employer has fewer than 15 employees, workers can earn and use up to five days of paid sick days per year.
Nebraska
Nebraska passed a ballot measure in November 2024 – Nebraska Initiative 436 – which provides workers with the ability to earn sick leave. Since its passage, the Nebraska legislature targeted the ballot initiative via LB 415, a bill that would limit who has access to earn sick leave. Nebraska lawmakers modified the ballot measure to exclude 14- and 15-year-olds, temporary, seasonal agricultural workers and workers at businesses with 10 or fewer employees. In June 2025, Governor Pillen signed LB 415 into law.
Missouri
Last year, Missourians also took to the ballot box and overwhelmingly passed Proposition A – a ballot initiative that provides workers with the ability to earn sick and safe leave and boosts the state’s minimum wage. At the very end of the legislative session, Missouri lawmakers used the “previous question” mechanism – the 19th time in 150 years – to pass HB 567 and repeal Proposition A’s paid sick and safe leave provisions. On July 10, 2025, Governor Kehoe signed HB 567 into law, and the repeal is set to go into effect on August 28, 2025. As a result, workers who have been able to accrue earned sick leave since May 1, 2025 will no longer be able to earn it after August 28. Workers will also lose any accumulated sick leave.
Maine
Maine lawmakers introduced and passed LD 55, a bill that amends the state’s earned sick leave law. Previously, Maine’s law only permitted workers to earn 40 hours of earned sick leave, and if workers accrued additional time, the following year they could only earn up to 40 hours, including the carry over time. For example, if a worker earned 40 hours of earned sick leave one year, and did not use 10 of the 40 hours, the following year they would only be allowed to earn 30 hours of earned sick leave. LD 55 now allows workers to carry over and accrue more sick time: up to 80 hours. Workers may still only earn 40 hours per year and use 40 hours of earned sick time annually. In July, Governor Mills signed LD 155 into law.
Fair Pay and Discrimination
All workers deserve to be paid fairly to work free from discrimination. As the current administration and states across the nation work to dissolve the most basic protections, it is more essential than ever that states be proactive in their efforts to protect all workers from discrimination.
Washington
Washington state passed SB 5408, which requires job applicants to inform potential employers of job postings that may violate the state’s pay transparency law and gives employers the opportunity to cure any violation. Governor Ferguson signed the bill into law in May.
Illinois
The Illinois legislature passed HB 2488, which would retain that private employers with 100 or more employees continue to report on their workers’ wages by gender and their race or ethnicity. Governor Pritzker signed HB 2488 into law in late June.
Iowa
The Iowa legislature and Governor continued the assault on one of the state’s most vulnerable populations – trans people. Governor Reynolds signed into law SF 418, which removes “gender identity” from the state’s civil rights code. This makes Iowa the first state to formally erase gender identity from its laws. This devastating repeal could leave workers vulnerable to open and relentless discrimination.
Credits: Author would like to thank Udochi Onwubiko, Gail Zuagar, Grace Nielson and Mettabel Law for their contributions.
