Sign Up
Home › Maryland › Bills
Bills

Maryland Bills

Track legislation and stay informed about the bills that matter to you.

State Legislature US Congress
All 26,430 Active 12,512 In committee 12,512 Passed 3,332 Signed 7,901 Failed 2,336

Bill results

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 1162: Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, or Refrigeration Contractors - Equipment Sales

HB 1162 prohibits sellers of heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, or refrigeration equipment from knowingly selling to unlicensed purchasers, except for specific exemptions (like homeowners doing their own work or licensed utility employees). Sellers with $100,000+ annual revenue must collect the purchaser’s license number at sale or provide a written notice explaining licensing requirements. They must also submit an annual report to the Board listing all purchasers’ names and license numbers. This law directly affects equipment sellers and unlicensed buyers, while exempting certain groups covered under existing exemptions in Section 9A-103. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.
Dana Stein (D)
signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 1475: Maryland State Department of Education - Publicly Funded Prekindergarten - Analysis and Report (Mixed Delivery Model Viability Act)

HB 1475 (Mixed Delivery Model Viability Act) requires Maryland's Office of Child Care Advisory Council to study the state's publicly funded prekindergarten system, which serves children through a mix of public and private providers. The analysis will assess policy differences between public/private providers, reimbursement methods, administrative processes, language accessibility, quality rating procedures, and opportunities for resource-sharing among private providers. The Council must submit an interim report by June 1, 2026, and a final report by December 31, 2027, to the State Board of Education and General Assembly. This bill does not change current law but directs a review to identify potential improvements in program efficiency and equity for providers and families.
Jason Buckel (R) Joe Vogel (D) Julie Palakovich Carr (D) Greg Wims (D) Vanessa Atterbeary (D)
signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 337: State Lottery Fund - Laurel Race Course - Local Impact Aid

HB 337 requires the Comptroller to distribute $500,000 annually from Maryland's Racetrax lottery game proceeds to Anne Arundel County, Howard County, and the City of Laurel. This funding is tied to Laurel Race Course's operations and must be used for community services like health care, addiction support, counseling, and transportation for residents near the racetrack or backstretch workers. Payments stop if Laurel Race Course ceases live racing or if backstretch workers no longer live on the property. Anne Arundel County must allocate its share to nonprofits serving backstretch workers, including those providing Spanish-language services.
Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesDistributes $500k annually from lottery proceeds to fund community services, strengthening local public spending within state budget framework.95% confidence
Mary Lehman (D) Deni Taveras (D) Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D) Jen Terrasa (D) Sandy Bartlett (D)
signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 478: Hagerstown Community College Police Force - Jurisdiction

HB 478 clarifies the jurisdiction of Hagerstown Community College (HCC) Police Officers in Washington County. It authorizes HCC officers to exercise standard police powers (like making arrests) on college-owned property and, under three specific circumstances, on public roads within Washington County: during a fresh pursuit of a suspect, to manage traffic flow to/from campus, or if ordered by the Governor. The bill also requires HCC's Board of Trustees to adopt police officer standards similar to Maryland State Police requirements and to create operational regulations for the force. Crucially, it explicitly states the HCC Police Force does not replace or limit the authority of Washington County Sheriff's Office or other law enforcement agencies. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.
signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 894: Office of Social Equity - Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund - Modifications

SB 894 shifts administration of Maryland's Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund from the Comptroller to the Office of Social Equity. It removes requirements for the Office to report annually on fund allocations and solicit public input, while adding new duties like overseeing fund distribution, training recipients, and requiring counties to create plans for distributing funds to community-based organizations. The bill establishes a Community Reinvestment and Repair Advisory Board and limits administrative costs for managing the fund. These changes directly affect counties, community organizations receiving funds, and the Office of Social Equity, streamlining oversight without altering the fund's core purpose.
Mary Washington (D)
signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 302: Maryland Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Incentive Program - Alterations

SB 302 removes fixed dollar limits for Maryland's Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Incentive Program, which provides matching funds to small businesses receiving federal SBIR/STTR grants. Specifically, it repeals current caps of $25,000 for Phase I awards and $75,000 for Phase II awards. Instead, the program will now allow the Board to approve exceptions for larger awards if deemed necessary to serve community needs. The bill maintains existing annual limits (20 Phase I awards, 10 Phase II awards) and lifetime caps (three total awards per business), but eliminates the previous dollar-based restrictions.
Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRemoves fixed funding caps for small business tech innovation grants, enabling larger awards to advance technology transfer and R&D under SBIR/STTR programs.95% confidence
Clarence Lam (D)
signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 43: Maryland Department of Health - Forensic Review Board - Established

SB 43 requires Maryland's Department of Health to establish a Forensic Review Board at every facility housing individuals committed as not criminally responsible for crimes due to mental illness. The board, composed of licensed health care providers, must review each person's case annually to determine eligibility for release and recommend discharge or conditional release to the court. The board's written findings and recommendations become part of the individual's medical record. Additionally, the bill creates a Community Forensic Aftercare Program to monitor individuals released on conditional terms.
Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAnnual forensic reviews by health professionals for mental health commitments promote rehabilitation, informed release decisions, and align with criminal justice reform goals by preventing indefinite detention without oversight.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes healthcare provider-led forensic review for mental health cases, ensuring medical oversight and patient rights in treatment continuity.85% confidence
Malcolm Augustine (D)
signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 271: Maryland Tort Claims Act - Employees of an Office of a Sheriff

SB 271 amends Maryland law to explicitly include employees of a sheriff's office (in counties or Baltimore City) under the definition of "State personnel" for immunity purposes under the Maryland Tort Claims Act. This means sheriff's office employees - such as administrative staff or support personnel - will now have the same legal protection from tort liability as sheriffs and deputy sheriffs when acting within their official duties, without malice or gross negligence. The bill achieves this by revising two sections of the Maryland Code: updating Section 5-522(b) to clarify immunity scope and amending Section 12-101(a)(6) to add "an employee of the office of a sheriff" to the definition of "State personnel." The change takes effect October 1, 2025, and directly affects all sheriff's offices across Maryland.
Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands legal immunity for sheriff's office employees, reducing accountability and oversight of law enforcement. Weakens oversight, aligning with 'oppose' indicators for criminal justice.85% confidence
Michael Jackson (D)
signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 239: State Finance and Procurement - Local Cybersecurity Preparedness and Response Plan and Assessment - Repeal

SB 239 repeals Section 3.5-405 of Maryland’s Annotated Code, which required county governments, local school systems, and local health departments to create or update cybersecurity preparedness plans and complete assessments. The bill removes this duplicative requirement, as stated in the bill’s purpose, and renumbers subsequent sections (3.5-406 and 3.5-407) to 3.5-405 and 3.5-406. This change takes effect July 1, 2025, and directly affects the specified local government entities by eliminating a mandatory planning and assessment obligation. The bill does not create new requirements but streamlines existing law.
Topics ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyRepeals mandatory cybersecurity planning requirement, reducing local government cybersecurity obligations per bill's purpose.90% confidence
signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 152: Criminal Law - Crimes Relating to Animals - Conviction and Sentencing

SB 152 modifies Maryland's animal cruelty laws to clarify exemptions and sentencing rules. It exempts routine veterinary practices (like dehorning), federally compliant research, and activities such as hunting or food processing when conducted humanely. The bill also establishes that each animal harmed in a cruelty violation counts as a separate offense for sentencing, and convictions cannot merge with other charges from the same act, allowing for consecutive sentences. This directly affects farmers, veterinarians, researchers, hunters, and individuals convicted of animal cruelty.
Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeModifies sentencing to require consecutive penalties per animal harmed, strengthening enforcement of animal cruelty laws within criminal justice framework.90% confidence
Chris West (R)
signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 178: Anne Arundel County - Property Tax Credit - Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, Incorporated

This bill updates the name of a Habitat for Humanity affiliate to "Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, Incorporated" to qualify for an existing property tax credit in Anne Arundel County. It amends Maryland tax law to replace the previous organization name in the provision allowing county/municipal tax credits against property taxes for real property owned by this specific nonprofit. The credit applies to properties owned by the renamed organization, with local governing bodies setting the credit terms. The change affects only this organization's eligibility for the current tax credit program, not the credit's structure or scope. The bill takes effect June 1, 2025, for taxable years after June 30, 2025.
Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill maintains property tax credit for Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, a nonprofit focused on affordable housing development, ensuring continued funding for housing initiatives.85% confidence
Jim Rosapepe (D) Dawn Gile (D) Clarence Lam (D) Bryan Simonaire (R) Shaneka Henson (D)
signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 363: Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation - Oyster Shucking House Loan Program

SB 363 creates a loan program allowing the Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation to provide up to $250,000 in financing for oyster shucking businesses to support seasonal full-time job creation (defined as 420 hours over 12 weeks in a 3-month period). The program reduces eligibility requirements from 5 to 3 years of being a licensed seafood dealer and offers loan forgiveness based on returning oyster shells to the Chesapeake Bay or planting spat-on-shell, verified by the Department of Natural Resources. It appropriates $1 million for fiscal year 2024 to fund the program, targeting job retention and environmental restoration in Maryland's oyster industry.
Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates state-funded loan program ($250k max) for oyster businesses, allocating public funds to support job creation and environmental practices, directly advancing fiscal support for targeted industry programs.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentLoan forgiveness requires returning oyster shells to Chesapeake Bay or planting spat-on-shell, directly supporting shellfish conservation and water quality restoration in a key environmental ecosystem.85% confidence
Jack Bailey (R)
Showing 1,489 to 1,500 of 7,901 bills
Previous 1 … 124 125 126 … 659 Next