SB 97 establishes a voluntary program to help individuals released from Maryland state prisons access essential benefits more smoothly. It requires the Departments of Human Services, Public Safety, and Health to create a coordinated system where correctional facilities assist "returning citizens" (those expected to be released within 90 days) in applying for SNAP, Temporary Cash Assistance, and Maryland Medical Assistance *before* release. Key provisions include a standardized prerelease application process, help obtaining required documents (like birth certificates and Social Security cards), and secure data sharing to ensure benefits are active upon release. The program must be implemented by October 1, 2026, with departments required to finalize a data-sharing agreement by April 2027. This directly affects people transitioning from incarceration to community life in Maryland.
HB 71 (Youth Psychiatric Rehabilitation Parity Act of 2026) requires Maryland's Medicaid program to reimburse psychiatric rehabilitation providers for 6-30 community-based mental health support services per month for specific youth. It directly affects Medicaid-covered individuals under 21 with a persistent mental disorder causing severely impaired functioning, who live with a legally responsible parent, guardian, or relative. The law mandates the Maryland Department of Health to adopt these reimbursement rules by December 2026, effective June 2026. This creates standardized billing requirements for youth mental health services, ensuring consistent coverage for qualifying cases without expanding eligibility.
HB 39 expands Maryland's net energy metering program to include portable solar electric generating facilities. It defines portable solar as systems under 30 kilowatts connected via standard 120-volt outlets, intended to offset a customer's own electricity use. The bill requires utilities to provide two-way meters and prohibits additional fees for customers using portable solar, while capping total program capacity at 3,000 megawatts statewide. This change directly affects homeowners and businesses using portable solar setups (e.g., for RVs or temporary installations) by allowing them to receive credit for excess power fed back to the grid.
SB 175 authorizes the City of Cumberland to install and use traffic cameras (speed monitoring systems) specifically to enforce speed limits for tractor-trailers on certain sections of Interstate 68. This directly affects commercial truck drivers operating combination vehicles (tractor-trailers) traveling on that highway segment within Cumberland. The bill modifies Maryland law to allow these cameras, requiring that any leftover fines collected after covering system costs must fund local public safety programs and transportation improvements along the I-68 corridor in Cumberland. The law also includes definitions for terms like "speed monitoring system" and "erroneous violation" to ensure proper implementation and review of camera-recorded violations. (Note: The bill is pending, with a hearing canceled in January 2026.)
HB 244 allows sole vessel owners in Maryland to designate a beneficiary who automatically inherits the vessel upon the owner's death. Owners must include the beneficiary's name and address on the vessel's title using "TOD" (Transfer-on-Death). The beneficiary must then apply to the Department of Natural Resources with a death certificate and other documents to obtain a new title. If the beneficiary does not survive the owner, the vessel becomes part of the owner's estate.
HB 504 repeals provisions requiring two physician members on Maryland's State Board of Examiners for Audiologists, Hearing Aid Dispensers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Music Therapists. The bill removes the requirement for physician members who must hold specific certifications (e.g., American Board of Otolaryngology) and be actively practicing in the state. This changes the board's composition from 15 to 13 members by eliminating the physician slots, directly affecting future appointments for physicians seeking board roles. The bill does not alter the board's regulatory duties over licensed professionals in these fields.
HB 88 allows Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) to join group buying pools for prescription drugs. This enables these entities to collectively purchase medications at potentially lower costs, directly affecting the price of covered drugs for plan members. The bill authorizes participation in such pools for entities providing prescription drug coverage through pharmacy benefit managers. It will take effect October 1, 2026, but does not require participation or guarantee cost savings.
HB 70 requires Maryland's State Highway Administration to study and develop recommendations for a consistent statewide policy on traffic calming devices (like speed bumps or roundabouts) on state highways. The study must examine best practices, guidelines for when to use such devices, technical support for local governments, and potential partners for policy development. This bill directly affects the State Highway Administration (which must conduct the study), counties and municipalities (which would implement future policies), and the public (as end-users of these devices). The Administration must submit its final report to the Governor and legislature by December 1, 2026, but does not establish new policies or funding.
SB 127 requires Maryland's Department of Housing and Community Development to study food deserts (areas with limited access to affordable, healthy food) in Baltimore County and develop recommendations to reduce them. The study will review existing food desert projects, analyze their locations, assess their impact on residents and the local economy, and identify strategies to attract grocery stores, including cost analysis and available funding programs. The department must submit a final report with findings and recommendations to specific legislative committees by November 30, 2026. This bill directly affects Baltimore County residents in food desert areas and the state agency responsible for housing and community development. It is a study-focused bill with no immediate policy changes, solely aiming to inform future actions.
SB 446 requires ticket sellers (including venues, promoters, and secondary marketplaces like StubHub) to clearly disclose all fees and taxes at every step of a ticket purchase, not just at checkout. It bans selling "speculative tickets" (tickets not owned by the seller at time of sale) and gives consumers, artists, or venues the right to sue for violations. Successful lawsuits can recover up to $10,000 for first violations or $25,000 for repeat offenses. Sellers must also provide full refunds for counterfeit tickets, canceled events, or misrepresented tickets. The law updates Maryland’s ticket pricing rules to improve transparency and consumer remedies.
HB 709 allows the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) to share digital photos or signatures (such as those on driver's licenses) with the Special Investigations Unit of Baltimore City's Department of Housing and Community Development or its successor. The bill explicitly adds this unit to the list of authorized recipients, which previously included courts, criminal justice agencies, and driver license authorities. This change streamlines access to these records for Baltimore City's investigations without altering existing confidentiality rules or public access policies. The bill does not create new requirements or change how MVA records are generally handled.
SB 404 amends Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) record-sharing rules to allow the MVA to provide digital photographs or signatures of individuals to Baltimore City's Special Investigations Unit (SIU) within the Department of Housing and Community Development. This directly affects the MVA (which must now share these records) and Baltimore City's SIU (which gains access to these records for investigations). The key provision explicitly adds the SIU to the list of authorized entities - alongside courts, criminal justice agencies, and others - that can access MVA's digital records, specifically for housing and community development enforcement purposes. The bill does not change public access to MVA records but streamlines record-sharing for this specific city agency.
