Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 967: Somerset County Code of Public Local Laws - 2025 Edition - Legalization

HB 967 legalizes the 2025 Edition of Somerset County's Code of Public Local Laws and any related supplements, confirming they contain valid laws enacted by Maryland's General Assembly. This procedural bill ensures the code is officially recognized as evidence of law in all state courts and by public officials, replacing the need for separate citation of individual statutes. It affects Somerset County by formally adopting its updated local law code, effective July 1, 2025, without creating new policies or changing existing laws.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 1193: Housing Development Permits - Local Reporting Requirements (Maryland Housing Data Transparency Act)

HB 1193 (Maryland Housing Data Transparency Act) requires large Maryland local governments (those with at least 150,000 residents or issuing 50+ annual residential permits) to submit monthly reports to the state Department of Planning starting January 2027. These reports must include specific details for each housing development permit, such as permit numbers, approval dates, housing type (e.g., apartments, single-family), unit counts, construction costs, and processing times. The state Department of Planning must then publish this data on a public, searchable website by July 2027, organized by housing type and county. The bill aims to increase transparency around housing development by making permit data accessible to the public and policymakers.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 872: Local Government - Hiring and Promotion Preferences for Veterans and Spouses of Service Members and Veterans (Families Serve Act)

SB 872, the "Families Serve Act," authorizes Maryland counties and municipalities to create hiring and promotion preferences for veterans and specific family members in local government jobs. It allows local governments to grant a 10-point credit on hiring tests for eligible veterans, spouses of veterans with service-connected disabilities, spouses of active-duty service members, and surviving spouses of veterans. The bill also permits an additional 2-point credit for former prisoners of war. Local governments must adopt a specific local law to implement these preferences before applying them, and it excludes current employees and veterans convicted of crimes after military service. This policy directly affects local government hiring practices and eligible veterans and their families.

Topics ✓ Veterans

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 785: Common Ownership Communities and Zoning Authorities - Operation of Family Child Care Homes - Limitations

HB 785 prevents cooperative housing corporations, condominium associations, and homeowners associations in Maryland from banning or restricting family child care homes in their governing documents. It prohibits these groups from limiting the number of children served in such homes below the state-approved maximum of eight children. The bill also stops local governments from imposing similar restrictions through ordinances or rules. It allows associations to charge a reasonable annual fee of up to $50 per home and require basic liability insurance, but cannot demand higher insurance amounts than state law requires.

Topics ✓ Housing

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 426: Election Law - Postelection Tabulation Audits - Risk-Limiting Audits

HB 426 changes Maryland's post-election audit process by replacing mandatory manual audits with risk-limiting audits for statewide elections. It requires the State Board of Elections, working with local election boards, to conduct a risk-limiting audit after every statewide election - auditing at least one statewide contest and one local contest per county. The bill repeals the previous requirement for manual audits of paper ballots and allows (but does not mandate) automated software audits. This directly affects the State Board of Elections and local election boards, shifting their post-election verification process to a statistically-based method focused on detecting discrepancies in key contests.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 277: Health Equality for Service Members Act

SB 277, the "Health Equality for Service Members Act," updates Maryland law to include members of the Public Health Service and NOAA Commissioned Corps under the definitions of "uniformed services" and "veteran." This change ensures these service members qualify for state health programs, housing assistance, and veterans' benefits currently available to military veterans. The bill amends multiple sections of Maryland’s health, housing, and veterans’ codes to apply these provisions broadly. It directly affects service members in these federal health agencies who were previously excluded from state-level benefits.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Housing ✓ Veterans

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 678: Maryland Deaf Culture Digital Library - Funding and Budget Submission

HB 678 establishes the Maryland Deaf Culture Digital Library as the state's primary resource center for deaf-related library services. It requires the Governor to include $450,000 annually in the budget for the library and mandates that the library submit its operating budget to the State Library Agency by June 1 each year. The bill directs the library to conduct needs assessments, develop staff training on deaf services, create a shared website, and form partnerships with deaf organizations and county libraries. These provisions directly affect deaf and hard of hearing Marylanders, state and county libraries, and the State Library Agency.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 1021: Real Estate Appraisers - Licensure and Certification - Qualifications

HB 1021 removes the requirement that real estate appraiser applicants in Maryland must hold a bachelor's degree or higher to obtain a license or certificate. Instead, it mandates specific experience requirements: 1,000 hours of supervised trainee work for a license or 1,500 hours for a certificate, plus completion of approved training programs. The State Commission must approve all training courses but cannot impose a degree requirement. This change directly affects aspiring real estate appraisers in Maryland by lowering educational barriers to entry.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 466: Health Equality for Service Members Act

HB 466, the "Health Equality for Service Members Act," expands eligibility for Maryland's health, housing, and occupation programs to include members of the Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as "veterans" under state law. The bill revises definitions to clarify that "uniformed services" encompasses all such branches - not just the armed forces - and requires health, housing, and licensing laws to apply uniformly to all covered service members. This directly affects Public Health Service and NOAA personnel who previously lacked access to state programs designed for veterans. The law modifies specific sections of Maryland’s health, housing, and occupation codes to ensure consistent coverage across all uniformed services.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Housing ✓ Veterans

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 1223: State Board of Cosmetologists - Licensing - Eyelash Extensions

HB 1223 creates a new limited license specifically for eyelash extension services under Maryland's cosmetology licensing system. It directly affects professionals who want to offer eyelash extensions by requiring them to obtain this specialized license instead of using general cosmetology or esthetician licenses. The bill adds "providing eyelash extension services" to key definitions in Maryland law, including the scope of "practice cosmetology," "provide esthetic services," and creates a precise definition of the service itself (cleaning eyes, applying primers/adhesives/extensions, and drying). This change formalizes a separate licensing pathway for eyelash technicians, aligning their practice with existing regulatory categories.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 400: Residential Child Care Programs - Transportation Companies - Regulation (Preventing Abduction in Youth Transport Act of 2025)

SB 400 regulates transportation companies that move children to residential child care programs. It prohibits the use of visual impairments (like blindfolds) or physical restraints (such as handcuffs or chains) during transport, except when necessary to address an immediate serious risk of dangerous behavior with no less restrictive alternatives available. The bill also bans pickups between 9 PM and 6 AM. Individuals and the Attorney General may file civil lawsuits against violating companies, seeking injunctive relief or up to $1,000 in statutory damages for first offenses. This applies specifically to transportation companies serving residential child care programs, excluding hospitals, detention facilities, foster homes, and secure facilities.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 1000: Gaming - Sports Wagering - Sports Wagering Facility Licensees

SB 1000 allows existing Class B sports wagering facility licensees (those licensed on or before September 30, 2023) to request relocation within their current county. Licensees must submit a written request to the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission, which may approve the move only if the new location complies with existing location requirements under Maryland law. The bill does not permit relocations to new counties or change the fundamental licensing rules for new facilities. This policy change takes effect July 1, 2025.

Bill results