HB 1465 creates income-based installment payment plans for drivers who owe $250 or more in unpaid tolls and civil penalties. It requires the Maryland Transportation Authority to establish this program, allowing eligible individuals to pay gradually based on their income instead of paying the full amount upfront. The bill amends existing law to replace the previous 30-day payment deadline with this new payment option, which can prevent license suspension for non-payment. Drivers must qualify by meeting income requirements and applying through the new program.
HB 930 establishes Maryland's Public Health Abortion Grant Program to improve access to abortion care by redirecting excess funds from health insurance coverage. It requires insurance carriers in Maryland to transfer 90% of unused funds from their abortion coverage accounts (after covering patient costs) into a new special fund. This fund will support abortion clinical services, particularly where federal funding is restricted, benefiting individuals seeking abortion care in Maryland. The program mandates annual reporting by insurers and transfers existing excess funds starting in 2025.
SB 606 clarifies tenants' right to first refusal when a landlord sells a rental property. It requires landlords to give tenants 30 days to match a third-party offer if the sale price is at least 10% lower than the tenant's previous offer or if the landlord receives a third-party offer without public sale. Tenants must submit a written offer matching the third-party price within the 30-day window, and landlords must provide specific written notice detailing the offer price and deadlines. The bill also specifies that liability for non-compliance attaches only to the landlord, not the property itself. This applies to residential rental properties in Maryland under amended Section 8-119 of the Maryland Annotated Code.
SB 566 increases the filing fee required for residential mortgage foreclosure cases in Maryland from $300 to $600. This change applies directly to mortgage lenders or servicers filing foreclosure complaints or orders to docket. The bill amends Section 7-105.1(e) of Maryland's real property law to require this higher fee, which must be paid in addition to other existing filing fees. The fee increase takes effect October 1, 2025, and is part of procedural requirements for foreclosure filings.
SB 848 establishes the Public Health Abortion Grant Program to improve access to abortion care for uninsured individuals in Maryland. It creates a special fund that receives 90% of unused premium funds from health insurers’ abortion coverage accounts (after 12 months), starting with a 2025 transfer and annually thereafter. The program provides grants to eligible organizations that offer equitable abortion care without restrictions, targeting individuals who are uninsured. Insurers must submit annual reports on these segregated accounts to the Commissioner of Insurance. This bill directly affects health insurers and expands access to clinical abortion services for low-income residents.
SB 103 amends Maryland law to require boaters to report property damage exceeding $2,000 caused by accidents involving their vessels, specifically adding damage to navigational aid markers, lights, or identifiers to the mandatory reporting list. This directly affects boat operators who cause such damage, requiring them to file a report with the Department within 10 days (or 48 hours if injury occurs beyond first aid). The bill expands existing reporting requirements under Section 8-724(b) of the Natural Resources article to explicitly include damage to critical waterway infrastructure. It takes effect October 1, 2025, and does not apply to vessels already requiring federal inspection.
SB 63 requires cooperative housing corporations, condominiums, and homeowners associations to include specific reserve funds in annual budgets and deposit them by certain dates each year. It mandates initial reserve studies for new properties (based on county and establishment date) and updated studies every 5 years, with annual reviews for accuracy. The bill also requires governing bodies to prepare detailed funding plans aligned with reserve study recommendations. These changes directly affect property management entities across Maryland, ensuring long-term maintenance funding for common elements like roofs, elevators, and plumbing systems. The policy focuses on concrete financial planning requirements, not outcomes or advocacy.
HB 480 changes how St. Mary’s County must review and approve new or expanded public sewerage and water supply systems. It requires the St. Mary’s County Planning Commission to review these systems for consistency with county plans, hold a public hearing, and make specific findings on factors like engineering, economics, and compatibility with land use plans before the County Commissioners can approve them. This directly affects St. Mary’s County officials (Planning Commission and County Commissioners) by adding mandatory review steps for infrastructure projects. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.
SB 833 requires Maryland's Department of Human Services to redirect a portion of its annual budget starting in fiscal year 2026 to provide child care stipends for private treatment foster care homes. These homes, which care for children with special physical, emotional, or behavioral needs, will receive stipends covering child care expenses in the same way public treatment foster care homes currently do. The bill mandates that the Secretary of Human Services include annual budget requests for this funding starting in 2027, based on local needs assessments, and adopt application procedures ensuring private homes meet the same equity standards and anti-discrimination requirements as public homes. This policy change directly affects private foster care providers and the state's budget allocation process for child welfare services.
HB 309 establishes confidentiality requirements for peer support programs within Maryland law enforcement agencies. It directly affects law enforcement officers using these programs and peer support specialists (trained officers or Fraternal Order of Police members). The bill mandates strict confidentiality for all peer support communications, with limited exceptions for explicit suicide threats, imminent harm to others, required child/vulnerable adult abuse reports, or criminal admissions. Before any session, specialists must provide written notice of these confidentiality rules to participants.
HB 964 establishes a Montgomery County task force to study how urban renewal projects from 1960-1985 displaced residents of the Emory Grove community. The task force, composed of county officials, housing experts, historical society representatives, and former Emory Grove residents, will review property acquisitions, demolition practices, and equity impacts of the redevelopment. It must submit an interim report by December 2025 and a final report by December 2026, including potential remedies like compensation or housing benefits for those displaced. The bill directly affects former Emory Grove residents who lived there between 1960 and 1985. The task force will not implement changes but will analyze historical displacement to inform future policy.
HB 542 allows local Adult Protective Services (APS) departments in Maryland to request assistance from federal law enforcement officers during investigations of suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable adults. It clarifies that agencies involved in these investigations may share pertinent client information to protect vulnerable adults' welfare. The bill modifies disclosure rules to explicitly permit sharing APS-related information with relevant agencies (like law enforcement or aging services) during investigations. These changes directly affect vulnerable adults, APS departments, and agencies providing services to them, effective October 1, 2025.
