Family Leave Laws
Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. 2026. “Equality Maps: Family Leave Laws.” https://mapresearch.org/equality-map/family-leave-laws/. Data as of June 12, 2026.
*Note: Some cities and counties (below) have passed local sick or family leave laws. These vary considerably in scope, coverage, and definitions. For more information on the specifics of these laws, visit A Better Balance.
Emeryville, CA
Long Beach, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Oakland, CA
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
Chicago, IL
Cook County, IL
Montgomery County, MD
Minneapolis, MN
St. Paul, MN
East Orange, NJ
Elizabeth, NJ
Irvington, NJ
Jersey City, NJ
Montclair, NJ
Morristown, NJ
Newark, NJ
Passaic, NJ
Paterson, NJ
Plainfield, NJ
Trenton, NJ
Portland, OR
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Seatac, WA
Seattle, WAÂ
Tacoma, WA
Milwaukee, WI
Percent of Adult LGBTQ Population Covered by Laws
*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the LGBTQ adult population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of the LGBTQ adult population in the five inhabited U.S. territories are not available, and so cannot be reflected here.
Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. 2026. “Equality Maps: Family Leave Laws.” https://mapresearch.org/equality-map/family-leave-laws/. Data as of June 12, 2026.
Note: For some states with recently passed paid leave laws, access to paid leave has not yet begun. For more, visit A Better Balance.
Workers caring for children who are not their legal children can still take federal FMLA leave as the federal government does not require the person acting as a parent to be a legal parent to the child. Maryland’s leave law does not explicitly define child; the Commissioner on Labor and Industry has proposed regulations that would adopt the federal Family Medical Leave Act rules and regulations.
Some cities and counties (including but not limited to those below) have passed local-level sick or family leave laws. These vary considerably in scope, coverage, and definitions. For more information on the specifics of these laws, visit A Better Balance.
Emeryville, CA
Long Beach, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Oakland, CA
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
Chicago, IL
Cook County, IL
Montgomery County, MD
Minneapolis, MN
St. Paul, MN
East Orange, NJ
Elizabeth, NJ
Irvington, NJ
Jersey City, NJ
Montclair, NJ
Morristown, NJ
Newark, NJ
Passaic, NJ
Paterson, NJ
Plainfield, NJ
Trenton, NJ
Portland, OR
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Seatac, WA
Seattle, WAÂ
Tacoma, WA
Milwaukee, WI
Percent of Adult LGBTQ Population Covered by Laws
*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the LGBTQ adult population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of the LGBTQ adult population in the five inhabited U.S. territories are not available, and so cannot be reflected here.
key
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
| State | State leave law permits leave for spouse or partner regardless of relationship status | State leave law permits leave only for a legally recognized spouse/partner | State leave law permits leave for a child, regardless of legal tie to worker | State leave law permits workers leave for a child only if the worker has a legal or biological relationship to the child |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citation | Citation | |||
| Alabama |
|
|
|
|
| Alaska |
|
|
|
|
| American Samoa |
|
|
|
|
| Arizona |
|
|
|
|
| Arkansas |
|
|
|
|
| California |
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| Colorado |
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| Connecticut |
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| Delaware |
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| District of Columbia |
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| Florida |
|
|
|
|
| Georgia |
|
|
|
|
| Guam |
|
Leave law permits leave
|
Leave law permits leave
|
|
| Hawaii |
|
Leave law permits leave
|
|
Leave law permits leave
|
| Idaho |
|
|
|
|
| Illinois |
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| Indiana |
|
|
|
|
| Iowa |
|
|
|
|
| Kansas |
|
|
|
|
| Kentucky |
|
|
|
|
| Louisiana |
|
|
|
|
| Maine |
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| Maryland |
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| Massachusetts |
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| Michigan |
|
|
|
|
| Minnesota |
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| Mississippi |
|
|
|
|
| Missouri |
|
|
|
|
| Montana |
|
|
|
|
| Nebraska |
|
|
|
|
| Nevada |
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| New Hampshire |
|
|
|
|
| New Jersey |
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| New Mexico |
|
|
|
|
| New York |
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| North Carolina |
|
|
|
|
| North Dakota |
|
|
|
|
| Northern Mariana Islands |
|
|
|
|
| Ohio |
|
|
|
|
| Oklahoma |
|
|
|
|
| Oregon |
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| Pennsylvania |
|
|
|
|
| Puerto Rico |
|
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
| Rhode Island |
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
| South Carolina |
|
|
|
|
| South Dakota |
|
|
|
|
| Tennessee |
|
|
|
Leave law permits leave
|
| Texas |
|
|
|
|
| U.S. Virgin Islands |
|
|
|
|
| Utah |
|
|
|
|
| Vermont |
|
Leave law permits leave
|
|
Leave law permits leave
|
| Virginia |
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| Washington |
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
Leave law permits leave
Leave law includes pay during time off
|
|
| West Virginia |
|
|
|
|
| Wisconsin |
Leave law permits leave
|
|
|
Leave law permits leave
|
| Wyoming |
|
|
|
|
