Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Maryland Advisory Council on Deaf and Hard of Hearing - Renaming
This bill updates the official names of two state entities to better reflect the needs of all individuals with hearing disabilities. It renames the "Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing" to "Office of the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing" and the "Maryland Advisory Council on Deaf and Hard of Hearing" to "Maryland Advisory Council on Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing." These changes apply to all references in Maryland law, including sections in Education, Health, Human Services, and State Government codes. The bill does not alter existing services, funding, or responsibilities of these entities - only their official titles.
Bill status
passed both
4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Apr 2026
Governor
Introduced Feb 6, 2026
Last action Apr 13, 2026
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What changed between versions
First - Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Maryland Advisory Council on Deaf and Hard of Hearing - Renaming
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Third - Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Maryland Advisory Council on Deaf and Hard of Hearing - Renaming
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3 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended to correct the repeal and reenactment instructions, shifting the primary focus from the State Government and State Personnel articles back to the Human Services and Transportation articles. This revision ensures the bill aligns with the correct statutory sections regarding the Office of the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing, while also updating the Annotated Code of Maryland citation volumes to reflect the 2023 Replacement Volume. The substantive content of the library and council provisions remains unchanged.
Scope change
The bill's scope was technically adjusted to target the correct articles (Human Services and Transportation) and sections for repeal and reenactment, correcting a previous error that listed State Government and State Personnel articles. The applicability of the new subtitle for the Office of the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing was also preserved in the corrected text.
TECHNICAL
Corrected the 'BY repealing and reenacting' instructions to reference the proper articles (Human Services and Transportation) and sections instead of the previously listed State Government and State Personnel articles.
Updated the Annotated Code of Maryland citation volumes from the 2019 and 2021 Replacement Volumes to the 2023 Replacement Volume to ensure legal accuracy.
Adjusted the bill's action status to 'Adopted' and added a 'Committee Report: Favorable' line, indicating the bill has passed committee review.
Floor votes · Senate Feb 27, 2026 · House of Delegates Mar 30, 2026
How they voted
46–0
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 49
Feb 27, 2026
D
Democratic36
91% Yea
R
Republican13
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
14
Key actions
8
Committee
6
Apr 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
Third Reading Passed
lower
Apr 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
lower
Apr 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments Report by Government, Labor, and Elections
lower
Mar 30, 2026
House Of Delegates · Passed
House of Delegates Vote: pass (137-0-5)
house of delegates
Mar 13, 2026
Committee
Referred Government, Labor, and Elections
lower
Mar 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Third Reading Passed
upper
Mar 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable Adopted
upper
Mar 9, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
upper
Feb 27, 2026
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (46-0-3)
senate
Feb 6, 2026
Committee
First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Kevin Harris
DDemocratic
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