There's still no federal paid family leave law in the U.S. — the federal Family and Medical Leave Act only guarantees unpaid, job-protected leave. Whether you get paid during that time depends entirely on which state you work in. * As of 2026, thirteen states plus Washington, D.C. run mandatory, state-administered paid leave programs funded like insurance through payroll contributions: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington state, alongside D.C. — though not all of these are actually paying out benefits yet. * Two of the newest programs became active in 2026: Minnesota and Delaware both launched paid leave benefits at the start of the year. Maine's program is a bit newer still, with benefits beginning May 1, 2026, covering up to 12 weeks of paid leave for family care, personal medical leave, military-related leave, or safety leave related to abuse or violence. * Not every state on the list is actually paying benefits yet, though. Maryland's program, despite being enacted years ago, has been delayed repeatedly and still won't begin paying benefits until January 2028. Virginia passed its own program in April 2026, but it's on an even longer runway — benefits don't start until December 2028. * Outside these mandatory programs, a separate group of states — including New Hampshire, Vermont, and several Southern states like Texas, Florida, and Tennessee — allow employers to voluntarily offer paid leave through private insurance, but don't require it. If your state isn't on the mandatory list, whether you get paid leave depends entirely on your specific employer's policy.