Family Leave: Spouse/Partner

State family leave laws govern whether a person can take leave from work to care for their spouse or partner. Definitions of spouse or partner can be narrow (only including those in legally-recognized relationships), or they can be broad (including those even if not in a legally-recognized relationship).
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires certain employers to provide unpaid leave for employees to care for their or certain family members' health or obligations. State laws may provide additional benefits or requirements, including that such leave be paid.
Law grants workers leave to care for a partner, even if couple is not in a legally recognized relationship
(14 states + D.C.)
Law grants workers leave to care for a partner, but only if couple is in a legally recognized relationship
(5 states + 1 territory)
State lacks leave law
(31 states + 4 territories)
State leave law includes pay during time off
State leave law includes pay during time off
(16 states + D.C.)
Citations & More Information

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.

 

Berkeley, CA
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
Bloomfield, NJ
East Orange, NJ
Elizabeth, NJ
Irvington, NJ
Jersey City, NJ
Montclair, NJ
Morristown, NJ
Newark, NJ
Passaic, NJ
Paterson, NJ
Plainfield, NJ
Trenton, NJ
New York City, NY
Portland, OR
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Seatac, WA
Seattle, WAÂ

 

Spokane, WA
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.

42%
42% of LGBTQ population lives in states with a law granting workers leave to care for a partner, even if couple is not in a legally recognized relationship
3%
3% of LGBTQ population lives in states where workers can take leave to care for a partner, but only if the couple is in a legally recognized relationship
54%
54% of LGBTQ population lives in states lacking leave law
43% of LGBTQ population lives in states that provide pay during time off
43%
43% of LGBTQ population lives in states that provide pay during time off