HB 222 prohibits the sale, transfer, or use of corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) for fuel gas piping systems unless it meets specific safety standards: either the LC1027 standard from the International Fuel and Gas Code or proven resistance to 36 coulombs of electrical arcing. It directly affects builders, contractors, and suppliers working on new construction or major renovations (over 50% of building square footage) of natural gas or propane piping systems in Maryland. The bill mandates compliance for these systems and imposes civil penalties up to $1,000 for violations. It takes effect October 1, 2027.
SB 365 creates a "Nonprofit Organizations Navigator" position within Maryland's Department of Commerce to help nonprofits access state grant programs. The navigator provides direct technical assistance to nonprofits, resolves bureaucratic hurdles in grant applications, and shares information about federal, state, and local grant opportunities. This position also serves as a nonvoting member on the Maryland Efficient Grant Application Council, representing nonprofit interests in council discussions. The bill directly affects nonprofits seeking state funding by streamlining their access to grant resources and improving coordination with state agencies.
SB 230 modifies Maryland's audit requirements for local departments of social services. It replaces the fixed "every 3 years" audit schedule with a flexible 3- to 4-year interval, based on the Office of the Inspector General's risk assessment. The Inspector General must consider factors like program risk, past audit findings, and fiscal activity when determining the audit frequency for each local department. This change directly affects all local departments of social services across Maryland and takes effect October 1, 2025. The bill does not alter audit standards or reporting requirements for findings.
SB 680 modifies continuing education requirements for Maryland real estate licensees (brokers, associate brokers, and salespersons). It increases the required hours for fair housing and ADA training from 1.5 to 2 clock hours every two years, while maintaining other existing requirements like 3-hour ethics courses and 3-hour law updates. The bill also adjusts broker supervision course requirements and clarifies substitution rules for out-of-state continuing education. These changes directly affect all licensed real estate professionals renewing their licenses in Maryland. The bill focuses on updating specific course hour mandates without altering the overall structure of continuing education rules.
HB 448, the Modernization of Military Laws Act, updates Maryland laws to better support veterans, active service members, and military families. It standardizes key definitions like "veteran" and "uniformed services" across all state laws, requires the Secretary of Veterans and Military Families to create transition support policies, and eases voting access by allowing military members to file candidacy certificates remotely with an affidavit. The bill also updates housing and employment discrimination protections for veterans and clarifies election rules for service members. These changes directly affect military personnel, veterans, and their families across Maryland’s state government and election systems.
HB 910 increases Maryland's property tax exemption for blind individuals from $15,000 to $40,000 on their primary residence. It directly affects blind homeowners and their surviving spouses (who haven't remarried) who own a dwelling house meeting specific occupancy and visual impairment criteria. The bill amends existing law to raise the exemption amount, which applies to the assessed value of the home, and continues the exemption to surviving spouses after the blind individual's death. The change takes effect June 1, 2025, for all taxable years beginning after June 30, 2025.
HB 774 modifies Maryland's Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program to increase annual funding from $150,000 (2023-2026) to $225,000 (starting 2027) and adjusts eligibility requirements. It requires public 4-year colleges and regional centers to meet specific campus food security standards (like establishing hunger task forces, food pantries, and meal-sharing programs), while 2-year colleges have simplified requirements excluding meal-sharing and campus retailer options. The bill mandates that institutions receiving grants provide at least $25,000 in matching funds (cash or in-kind) to support program goals. This directly affects Maryland's public colleges and universities, aiming to address student hunger through sustainable campus-based food access initiatives.
HB 879 establishes a 13-member Task Force to study chronic absenteeism in Maryland schools, with members appointed by legislative leaders and the State Superintendent. The Task Force will analyze attendance data, identify best practices, and develop recommendations - including a standardized definition of chronic absenteeism - by December 31, 2025. It will create culturally responsive toolkits for school leaders and guidance for local systems, to be distributed by June 2026. The bill itself does not implement new policies but sets up the process for future regulations. This procedural bill expires automatically on December 31, 2026.
SB 57 requires licensed funeral homes, crematories, and natural organic reduction facilities to notify veterans service organizations if a veteran’s or eligible dependent’s cremated remains or soil remains (from natural reduction) go unclaimed for 90 days. The veterans service organization must then verify eligibility for a veterans cemetery burial within 45 days. If the organization does not take possession within 10 days of verification, the facility must transfer the remains to Maryland’s Department of Veterans and Military Families for proper disposition. This bill directly affects funeral/cemetery operators, veterans service organizations, and the state department handling unclaimed remains of veterans.
SB 718 legalizes the 2025 Edition of the Somerset County Code of Public Local Laws and any supplements containing laws enacted by Maryland's General Assembly. This procedural bill ensures the code is recognized as official law in all state courts and by public officials, replacing prior editions. It takes effect July 1, 2025, without changing existing laws or creating new requirements. The bill directly affects Somerset County's legal documentation and enforcement processes.
HB 704 expands eligibility for Maryland's Graduate and Professional Scholarship Program to include students attending the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. The bill amends existing law to add Meritus as a qualifying institution for osteopathic medicine programs, alongside established schools like the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins. This change directly affects full-time or part-time osteopathic medicine students at Meritus who meet residency, financial need, and enrollment requirements. The policy update does not alter scholarship amounts ($1,000-$5,000 annually) or the 8-semester maximum award period. The amendment takes effect July 1, 2025.
SB 645 changes Maryland's election law to require the gubernatorial primary election to be held on the "last fourth Tuesday" in June (meaning the fourth Tuesday of June). This directly affects all Maryland voters participating in gubernatorial primaries by setting a specific election date for governor races. The bill does not alter the existing date for the presidential primary election (which remains the fourth Tuesday in April). The new date takes effect October 1, 2025, for the 2026 election cycle.
