(1) Any person, partnership, corporation, association or other business entity; and

(2) The State, a county, a municipality or any political subdivision.

D. "Family military leave" means leave requested by an employee who is the spouse or parent of a person who is a Maine resident and is called to military service lasting longer than 180 days with the State or United States pursuant to the orders of the Governor or the President of the United States.

2. Family military leave requirement.__Subject to the requirements of subsection 3, an employer that employs 50 or more employees shall provide up to 15 days per year of family military leave to an employee during the time federal or state deployment orders are in effect for the spouse or child of the employee.__ Family military leave granted under this section may consist of unpaid leave.

3. Notice requirements. An employee taking family military leave under this section is subject to the following.

A.__The employee must give at least 14 days' notice of the intended date upon which the family military leave will commence if leave will consist of 5 or more consecutive work days.

B.__An employee taking family military leave for fewer than 5 consecutive work days must give the employer advance notice as is practicable.

C.__The employee shall consult with the employer to attempt to schedule the leave so as to not unduly disrupt the operations of the employer.

4. Certification. An employer may require certification from the proper military authority to verify an employee's eligibility for the family military leave requested pursuant to this section.

5.__Other leave exhausted.__An employee may take family military leave under this section only if the employee has exhausted all accrued vacation leave, personal leave, compensatory leave and any other leave, except sick leave and disability leave, that may be granted to the employee.