AUGUSTA – A new law sponsored by Rep. Kristi Mathieson, D-Kittery, to protect the stability and integrity of Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program (PFML) by prohibiting the creation of private group trusts is now in effect.
“While we are in the midst of a national cost of living crisis, the effectiveness of Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program, which provides a lifeline to workers when they need it the most, is more important than ever,” said Mathieson. “I’m proud to have sponsored this law to protect the integrity, stability and promise of Maine’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave program at the exact moment workers are beginning to rely on it.”
LD 2018 clarifies that employers with approved private plans are allowed to share administrative burdens like legal and accounting services. It prohibits private plans from pooling their insurance risk, such as through the creation of group trusts. The new law does not expand or restrict benefits.
Allowing the creation of private group trusts would have potentially fractured the statewide risk pool, undermining PFML’s financial stability, increasing long‑term costs for workers and employers, and making benefits less reliable. LD 2018 keeps the program stable, protecting Maine workers and preserving the solvency of the fund.
The PFML program began accepting applications and providing benefits in May for eligible Maine workers for qualifying life events, like the birth of a child, recovering from a surgery or supporting a sick or dying family member.
Mathieson is serving her third term in the Maine House representing Kittery and is House chair of the Legislature’s Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee.
Contact:
Brian Lee (Mathieson) | 305-965-2744