Maryland Bills

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1551: Department of Agriculture - Regulation of Dog Breeders

HB 1551 requires dog breeders who sell or transfer puppies to the public to register annually with Maryland’s Department of Agriculture starting July 1, 2028, paying a $150 fee. Breeders must also apply for a puppy birth certificate ($50 per puppy) within 30 days of a litter’s birth starting July 1, 2029, and microchip puppies born after July 1, 2030. The bill establishes a Dog Breeder Accountability Fund, funded by these fees, to support animal shelters (50%), administrative costs (30%), and education/enforcement (20%). It prohibits selling puppies without valid registration, a birth certificate (for 2029+ births), and microchipping (for 2030+ births).

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1577: Common Ownership Communities - Common Areas - Approval of Alterations

HB 1577 requires governing bodies of cooperative housing corporations, condominiums, and homeowners associations to obtain majority approval from members, unit owners, or lot owners before making major renovations, expansions, or substantial upgrades to common areas. The bill exempts ordinary maintenance, necessary repairs, and projects costing under $1,000 from this requirement. It applies to all three community types and specifies that approval must be obtained through accessible methods for all affected owners. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1486: Workers' Compensation - Average Weekly Wage - Multiple Employers

HB 1486 changes how Maryland calculates workers' compensation for employees injured while working multiple jobs. It requires combining wages from all concurrent employers at the time of injury to determine the average weekly wage for compensation claims. This replaces current rules and also directs the Subsequent Injury Fund to reimburse employers for certain permanent disability payments. The bill directly affects injured workers with multiple jobs and their employers in wage calculation scenarios.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1512: Business Regulation - Rounding Cash Transactions - Remittance to Comptroller

HB 1512 requires merchants to remit the difference when rounding cash transactions up to the nearest 5 cents to the State Comptroller. It directly affects merchants selling goods or services who round cash payments (e.g., rounding $1.99 to $2.00), excluding transactions where customers explicitly consent to rounding for donation purposes. The Comptroller must distribute all collected revenue to the State’s General Fund. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies only to cash transactions (not gift cards or other payment methods).

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1179: Consumer Protection - Application Store Accountability Act

HB 1179, the Consumer Protection - Application Store Accountability Act, requires app store providers (like Apple App Store or Google Play) and developers operating in Maryland to implement age verification for minors under 18 and obtain verified parental consent before enabling certain transactions. It mandates clear disclosures about an app's age rating and content description to parents before purchases, prohibits enforcing contracts with minors without verified consent, and bans misleading parental consent disclosures. The bill also authorizes Maryland's Consumer Protection Division to enforce these rules under the state's consumer protection laws. This directly affects app stores, developers, parents, and minors using mobile apps in Maryland.

Topics ✓ Technology

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1550: Eminent Domain and Condemnation Authority - Repeal (Property Rights Protection Act)

HB 1550 proposes to repeal Maryland’s eminent domain authority by removing the state’s legal power to seize private property for public use. It would eliminate specific provisions across multiple Maryland Code articles (including Public Utilities, Real Property, and Transportation) that govern condemnation procedures, quick-take mechanisms, and redevelopment projects. This bill directly affects property owners who could no longer face state-led property seizures, as well as state agencies and developers relying on eminent domain for infrastructure or redevelopment. The measure also includes constitutional amendments to formally end this authority, requiring voter approval to take effect.

Topics ✗ Housing

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1404: Public Utilities - Energy Generation and Transmission

HB 1404 authorizes investor-owned electric companies and electricity suppliers in Maryland to construct, operate, and recover costs for their own natural gas energy generation facilities and related transmission infrastructure. The bill explicitly permits natural gas energy systems to be built, operated, and permitted in the state while requiring compliance with certificate or commission approval processes. It also directs the Public Service Commission to delay certain orders until specific conditions are met and encourages the PJM Interconnection to expedite interconnection for new thermal generation. The legislation expresses legislative support for developing additional nuclear energy in Maryland. These provisions directly affect energy providers and shape how new power infrastructure can be developed and financed within the state.

Topics ✗ Energy

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1455: State Retirement and Pension System - Divestment From Israel

HB 1455 requires Maryland's State Retirement and Pension System Board of Trustees to review all investment holdings and divest from specific "Israel-restricted investments," defined as holdings in the Government of Israel, its agencies, or associated entities like the Development Corporation for Israel. The bill prohibits the Board from making new investments in these restricted assets using net new funds and mandates annual reports to legislative committees detailing divestment actions and ineligible investments. It includes provisions requiring the Board to act in good faith while complying with fiduciary duties and applicable human rights law, with limited exceptions for investments that cannot be sold at fair market value. The bill directly affects Maryland's public employee pension funds, which hold billions in assets managed by the Board. It takes effect July 1, 2026.

in committee · Maryland · Senate Feb 17, 2026

SB 934: Education - Public School Construction - Funding

SB 934 increases Maryland's annual funding goal for public school construction from $450 million to $550 million, effective starting in fiscal year 2027. This change applies directly to public school construction projects funded through the state's Capital Improvement Program, aiming to maintain a stable number of funded projects. The bill clarifies that the $550 million annual goal does not include funds provided via the Built to Learn Program. It also requires the funding level to be recalculated before the Public School Facilities Priority Fund is funded.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1277: Education - Maryland Institute for Literacy and Equity - Establishment

HB 1277 establishes the Maryland Institute for Literacy and Equity as a partnership between the University of Maryland, College Park, and Morgan State University. The bill requires the Governor to fund the Institute with $3 million in fiscal year 2028 (split between the two universities), increasing to $6 million annually starting in 2031. The Institute must conduct research, provide training for educators and literacy professionals, and offer technical assistance to school districts to improve reading instruction and outcomes - particularly for students in underserved communities. This directly affects Maryland students, school districts, and literacy professionals by creating a state-funded resource to address declining reading scores and equity gaps.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1399: Consumer Protection - Consumer Reporting Agencies - Use of Algorithmic Systems

HB 1399 requires credit bureaus and other consumer reporting agencies in Maryland to meet strict standards when using algorithms to evaluate credit data. It mandates that agencies explain algorithmic decisions in plain language (meeting an 8.0 Flesch-Kincaid readability score), maintain public algorithm registries, and achieve error rates below 0.5% and discriminatory bias below 0.1% when compared to human reviews. Agencies must also conduct quarterly bias audits by independent third parties, implement data governance with minimum data point requirements (1,000-10,000 per category), and require human review within 24 hours before final credit decisions. This bill directly affects agencies that compile credit reports for lenders, insurers, or employers, aiming to ensure transparency and fairness in automated credit evaluations.

Topics ✓ Technology

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 1299: Real Property - Residential Sales - Communications During Appraisal Process

HB 1299 requires appraisers to notify buyers, sellers, or their designated point of contact if an appraisal value may be below the contract price or refinance estimate. Interested parties (like lenders or real estate agents) can then submit verified sales data or pending sale documentation within 48 hours for the appraiser to consider. The final appraisal report must include an addendum detailing the notification, submitted data, and whether the additional information changed the valuation. This applies to residential property transactions in Maryland and aims to standardize communication during the appraisal process.

Bill results