News Release



For Immediate Release: February 25, 2025

*Paid Family & Medical Leave Authority Hold Public Hearing*

AUGUSTA – The Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Authority [ [link removed] ] today held a public hearing at the Maine Department of Labor’s office in Augusta. The meeting was to solicit public comments on the implementation and administration of the Paid Family and Medical Leave program, in accordance with Maine Title 26 §850-O.

The public was able to attend either in person or virtually. Nearly 20 people attended in person, and over 370 watched online, with 32 people giving comments. The recording of the hearing can be watched here. [ [link removed] ]

“We were pleased to hear from so many people who took the time to provide comments, which included positive experiences as well as constructive feedback to improve the program," *said Authority Chair Maria Fox.* "The Authority debriefed following the public comment period and prioritized issues to address in future meetings, as well as educational outreach measures the MDOL can consider."

Maine Revised Statute requires the Authority to annually solicit public comments. While all Authority meetings are open to the public, today’s meeting served as the inaugural meeting dedicated solely to hearing from the public. The Authority and the Department will use the feedback to inform future recommendations and actions related to the program.

Although this is the first public comment meeting for the Authority, the Department of Labor held multiple sessions in 2024, soliciting and responding to Paid Family and Medical Leave questions and suggestions through its rulemaking process. Listening sessions were held in January and February 2024 to garner input from the public prior to drafting the agency’s rules. Two rounds of draft rules were published, and hearings were held at the Department’s headquarters in June and September 2024. Final rules were published in December 2024.

The Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Authority is a fifteen-member body with the responsibility of advising on the administration of the Paid Family and Medical Leave program. Eleven of the fifteen members are appointed by the Governor and subject to review by the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Labor and to confirmation by the Maine State Senate. The remaining members represent state agencies. The Authority initially convened in March 2024.

To learn more about Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave, visit www.maine.gov/paidleave [ [link removed] ]. Questions can also be directed to the PFML call center at (207) 621-5024, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

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This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Maine Department of Labor · 54 State House Station · Augusta, Maine 04333 · (207) 623-7900 · TTY (for Deaf and hard of hearing): 1-800-794-1110 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]