Sine Die Addition

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Josiah Magnuson

Expands Massachusetts PFML to cover medical leave for living organ, bone marrow, and blood donors, with defined maximums and no waiting period.

Roll call Yeas-89 Nays-20

Main purpose

H.4545 expands Massachusetts’ Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program (chapter 175M of the General Laws) to explicitly cover donation-related medical leave for living organ donors, bone marrow transplant donors, and blood donors. The intent is to allow covered workers to use PFML for donation procedures, associated tests, and recovery, with specified maximum durations and streamlined certification and waiting-period rules.

Key provisions and changes

Adds definitions to chapter 175M (Section 1):

“Blood donor” — donates whole blood or blood derivatives at a collection site or hospital.
“Bone marrow transplant donor” — individual whose bone marrow is taken for transfer.
“Living organ donor” — non-deceased individual who donates an organ or part of an organ.

Expands eligible medical-leave reasons (Section 3 / amending §2(a)):

Medical leave available for living organ donors, bone marrow transplant donors, and blood donors, including procedures, tests, surgeries, and recovery.

Specifies maximum leave allowances (Section 4 / amending §2(c)(1)):

Living organ donors: up to 30 days.
Bone marrow transplant donors: up to 5 days.
Blood donors: up to 4 hours per donation, up to 5 times per benefit year.

Removes the standard 7-calendar-day waiting period for medical leave taken for the donation reasons enumerated (Section 7).

Certification requirements (Section 8 / amending §5(a)):

Provider certification must state date/time and place of donation, probable duration of the procedure and recovery as known to the provider, and, if applicable, medical necessity and expected duration for intermittent or reduced-schedule leave.

Technical amendments to cross-references in chapter 175M to incorporate the new paragraph.

Who is affected

Covered employees under Massachusetts PFML who serve as living organ donors, bone marrow transplant donors, or blood donors.

Employers and payroll administrators (implementation of leave and coordination with the PFML program).

The PFML trust/fund and the Department of Family and Medical Leave (administration, claims adjudication).

Health care providers who supply PFML certification documentation.

Procedural / timeline status

Filed/Presented: January 26, 2025 (House Docket No. 4324).

Introduced / Roll call in House (Yeas 89 — Nays 20): May 8, 2025.

Referred to relevant committees (House Rules; Labor & Workforce Development).

Senate concurred: September 18, 2025.

Hearings (committee) were scheduled and rescheduled for November 2025 (11/20/2025).

The bill text amends chapter 175M; no explicit effective date appears in the provided text.

Notes / potential impacts

The bill increases access to paid leave for donation-related care, likely reducing financial barriers to donation and supporting public health goals.

It creates specific maximums for donor leave which will guide claims and employer accommodations.

Removing the waiting period may speed access to paid benefits for donors.

Administrative costs and PFML fund expenditures could rise modestly depending on uptake; employers will need to handle leave coordination and certification verification.

Bill