States with paid family leave: Maryland, Minnesota, Maine, Delaware and Virginia side by side — rates from 0.8% to 1.0%, and the next dated change in each
Published Sep 19, 2026
Page updated Oct 10, 2026
Short answer, as of October 8, 2026: This site tracks five state paid family and medical leave insurance programs. Minnesota, Maine and Delaware pay benefits now. Maryland starts contributions on wages paid on or after January 1, 2027, and benefits on January 1, 2028 (the law requires a start no later than January 3, 2028). Virginia's law was approved on April 22, 2026 (2026 Acts of Assembly, Chapters 981 and 1093), with benefits from Dec 1, 2028.
The five programs, side by side
| State | Status | Total rate and split | Small-employer rule | Weekly maximum | Private plans and official insurer list | Next dated change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland (FAMLI) | Registration opened to all employers on September 1, 2026. Contributions from January 1, 2027. Benefits from January 1, 2028. | 0.9% up to the Social Security wage base: 0.45% employer, 0.45% employee | Fewer than 15 employees in total, inside and outside Maryland: remit the employee half only | Up to $1,000 through Dec 31, 2028 | Allowed. Declaration of Intent Sep 1 to Nov 15, 2026. This site has no Maryland insurer list; insurer filings were due Sep 30, 2026. | Nov 15, 2026: the Declaration window ends. As of September 18, 2026, the 2027 Social Security wage base was not announced. |
| Minnesota (Paid Leave) | Benefits since January 1, 2026 | 0.88% for 2026 and 2027; up to 0.44% from employees | 30 or fewer workers in each quarter and an average wage test: total 0.66%, employer share as low as 0.22% | $1,423 in 2026 | Equivalent plans allowed. Official list: 21 approved insurer entities/plans, label "Last updated 10/2/2025", server date June 8, 2026. | Minnesota's payment estimator page gives no 2027 weekly maximum (read Oct 8, 2026). |
| Maine (PFML) | Contributions since January 1, 2025. Benefits for leave on or after May 1, 2026. | 1.0% for 15 or more employees, up to half from employees; fixed for 2025 to 2027 | Fewer than 15 employees: 0.5%, and all of it can come from employees | $1,250 (rounded) on the PFML chart; state average weekly wage $1,249.12 as of July 1, 2026 | Private-plan substitution allowed. Official list: 21 carriers, "Current as of 08/24/2026". | Tax year 2027: Form W-2 change. |
| Delaware (Paid Leave) | Contributions since January 1, 2025. Benefits since January 1, 2026. | 0.8%, set by statute for 2025 and 2026; up to half from employees | 9 or fewer: exempt. 10 to 24: parental leave only (0.32%). 25 or more: full coverage. | $900 in 2026 and 2027, by statute | Private plans start Jan 1, Apr 1, Jul 1 or Oct 1. Official list: 21 companies, "UPDATED: August 2026". | The Delaware Department of Labor's Delaware Paid Leave page, its FAQ and its employer guide give no 2027 rate (read Oct 8, 2026). |
| Virginia | Law approved on April 22, 2026; effective July 1, 2026 | No rate yet. The employee share is 50 percent. | 10 or fewer employees: remit the employee half only | 100 percent of the state average weekly net earnings; benefit is 80% of average weekly wages | Allowed with the Commission's approval. This site has no Virginia list. | Oct 1, 2027: the rate. Apr 1, 2028: contributions. Dec 1, 2028: benefits. |
Each cell comes from the state's official page or statute, checked on Oct 8, 2026. The rules by state tool shows each cell with its source link.
How to read the table
- The three insurer lists are official lists of other states. The word "Maryland" is in none of them (read October 8, 2026). Maryland insurer filings were due Sep 30, 2026, and employer applications for a private plan open in summer 2027.
- Maryland uses the Social Security wage base. The 2026 base is $184,500. As of September 18, 2026, the 2027 base was not announced, and this site does not print a projection. Minnesota's page prints its own limit: "wages up to $185,000".
New laws in 2026
Virginia is the only state with a new paid-leave insurance law in the National Partnership's 2026 State Legislative Highlights (read October 8, 2026). The National Partnership for Women & Families calls Virginia "the first state in the South and the 15th state (including D.C.) to create a statewide program". That is a secondary source.
Pennsylvania is the state to watch. HB 200 passed the House on March 25, 2026 (107–92) and sits in the Senate Labor and Industry committee. SB 906 was re-referred on June 22, 2026. Neither is enacted. Illinois SB 2413 was re-referred on May 22, 2026 and is not enacted. Hawaii is reported as not enacted by the National Partnership's 2026 list; we have not yet confirmed this on the state's legislature site, so check there before relying on it.
The state pages
This is a private website, not a government site. General information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Official sites: paidleave.maryland.gov · pl.mn.gov · maine.gov/paidleave · labor.delaware.gov/delaware-paid-leave · vec.virginia.gov/pfml.
Sources
- Maryland FAMLI Division — official site — checked Oct 8, 2026
- Minnesota Paid Leave — Premium rate and contributions — checked Oct 8, 2026
- Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave — official site — checked Oct 8, 2026
- Delaware Department of Labor — Delaware Paid Leave — checked Oct 8, 2026
- Virginia Employment Commission — Paid Family and Medical Leave — checked Oct 8, 2026
- National Partnership for Women & Families — 2026 State Legislative Highlights — checked Oct 8, 2026
Frequently asked questions
›Which states does this site track for paid family leave?
Five: Maryland, Minnesota, Maine, Delaware and Virginia. They are the programs with new employer duties between 2025 and 2028. Other states have older programs that this page does not cover.
›Did any new state pass a paid family leave law in 2026?
Virginia is the only one in the National Partnership's 2026 State Legislative Highlights (read October 8, 2026). Its law was approved on April 22, 2026 (2026 Acts of Assembly, Chapters 981 and 1093). Pennsylvania HB 200 passed the House on March 25, 2026 but is not enacted.
›Which of the five states has the highest employer rate?
The total rates are 1.0% in Maine for employers of 15 or more, 0.9% in Maryland from 2027, 0.88% in Minnesota and 0.8% in Delaware through 2026. Virginia has no rate until October 1, 2027. The employer's own share depends on each state's split.
›Which states publish an official list of private-plan insurers?
Minnesota, Maine and Delaware each publish one, with 21 entries each on the dates we checked. This site has no such list for Maryland or Virginia.
Private website. Not affiliated with the State of Maryland, the Maryland Department of Labor or the FAMLI Division. Official site: paidleave.maryland.gov. General information with sources and check dates — not legal, tax or insurance advice. We are not a licensed insurance producer; we do not recommend any agent, insurer or plan, and we receive no commission or fee based on any insurance sale.