Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 529: Caroline County - Alcoholic Beverages - Beer, Wine, and Liquor Tasting License

This Maryland bill expands a specific tasting license in Caroline County to include liquor, in addition to beer and wine, allowing businesses to offer samples of all three types of alcohol. The law sets strict limits on how much a person can drink during a tasting day, capping daily consumption at nine ounces of beer, four ounces of wine, and 2.5 ounces of liquor. Under the new rules, a business can issue this license no more than 26 times per year, and the fee for each license remains $50. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024, and apply only to Caroline County.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 827: Maryland Insurance Administration – Professional Employer Organizations – Study

This bill directs the Maryland Insurance Administration to conduct a comprehensive study of professional employer organizations within the state. The study will examine how these organizations are regulated compared to federal rules and other states, review their history and health plan benefits, and analyze requirements for businesses to join them. Additionally, the administration will look at how these groups allow small business employees to access large group health plans and assess potential impacts on the local small group market. The agency must submit its findings to the House Health and Government Operations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee by December 31, 2024.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 621: Harford County - Alcoholic Beverages - Stadium License Annual Fee

This Maryland bill reduces the annual fee for a stadium beer, wine, and liquor license in Harford County from $10,000 to $7,000. It also clarifies rules for selling alcohol at professional baseball stadiums, including specific times when sales must stop during games and restrictions on where alcohol can be served. The legislation further limits how alcohol can be dispensed during games, prohibiting roving vendors and requiring servers to hold approved certificates. These changes apply to the stadium owner, lessee, or concession manager who holds the license.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 1092: Emergency Services - Funding

This bill increases the emergency medical system surcharge on certain vehicle registrations in Maryland to generate additional revenue for emergency services. The extra funds will be directed toward the Maryland Trauma Physician Services Fund, which helps cover costs for uncompensated care and keeps specialized medical staff on call at trauma centers. Additionally, the legislation raises fines for driving while impaired and mandates a minimum annual budget allocation for fire, rescue, and ambulance operations. By adjusting these financial mechanisms, the law aims to ensure stable funding for critical emergency medical infrastructure and personnel.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 319: Regulated Firearms - Maryland Judiciary - Reporting Requirements

This Maryland bill changes who receives annual reports on firearm violations by shifting responsibility from the State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy to the Department of State Police Maryland Judiciary. The law requires the police department to submit data by October 1 each year on charges, convictions, and sentences related to specific gun offenses. These reports must include detailed breakdowns of the data by jurisdiction, race, and gender to provide a clearer picture of enforcement trends. The changes take effect on June 1, 2024, and apply to all future reporting cycles starting October 1, 2024.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 1142: Tax Assistance for Low-Income Marylanders - Funding

This bill increases funding for Maryland programs that help low-income residents with their taxes and financial education. It directs the state Comptroller to allocate $500,000 annually from abandoned property funds to a specific fund that grants money to law schools and volunteer organizations to run on-site and mobile tax clinics. Additionally, the bill raises the annual budget for the CASH Campaign of Maryland, allowing it to award more grants for providing free tax assistance and financial coaching to underserved communities. These changes aim to expand access to free tax preparation services and financial education for low-income individuals and families across the state.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 853: Washington County - Alcoholic Beverages - Multi-Use Sports and Events Facility Beer, Wine, and Liquor License

This bill updates the alcoholic beverage license for Washington County's multi-use sports and events facility to allow the sale of beer, wine, and liquor for on-site consumption. The law authorizes the facility owner, who may operate as a professional sports team, to sell these drinks in plastic, Styrofoam, or paper containers during events. Key provisions require all employees to complete alcohol awareness and crowd control training, prohibit individuals from carrying alcohol into or out of the venue, and set the annual license fee at $2,500. The changes also clarify that sales in parking lots or during non-baseball events require specific board approval. These rules take effect on July 1, 2024.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 1171: Nonprescription Drugs and Devices – Provision by Registered Nurses and Sale of Contraceptives Through Automatic Devices

This Maryland law updates rules on how contraceptives are sold and allows registered nurses to provide certain nonprescription medications without a doctor's order. The bill removes criminal penalties for selling contraceptives through vending machines in schools and clarifies that only natural membrane condoms, not all nonlatex condoms, are banned from such machines. It also authorizes a committee to create a list of over-the-counter drugs and devices that registered nurses can dispense at local health departments. Additionally, the legislation defines key terms like "dispense" and "authorized prescriber" to guide how nurses handle these medications. These changes aim to improve access to reproductive health products and expand the role of nurses in public health settings.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 182: Criminal Procedure - Facial Recognition Technology - Requirements, Procedures, and Prohibitions

This Maryland law establishes strict rules for how law enforcement agencies can use facial recognition technology in criminal investigations. It generally prohibits using the technology's results as evidence in court unless they are supported by additional, independently gathered proof. The bill also limits when officers can use these tools, allowing them only for serious crimes like violence, human trafficking, or stalking, and forbids scanning images of people engaged in lawful activities or those not intended to be identified. Furthermore, the law bans comparing suspect images against databases containing photos of individuals based on their race, religion, political beliefs, or other protected characteristics. Finally, any facial recognition results must be verified by a trained individual before they can be used in an investigation.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 1439: Emergency Services - Funding

This Maryland bill establishes and funds a specialized program to support trauma centers and emergency medical services by creating a new financial fund. It directly affects hospitals designated as trauma centers and the physicians who treat patients there, particularly those providing care to uninsured or underinsured individuals. The legislation increases the motor vehicle registration surcharge to generate revenue for this fund, which will be used to cover the costs of uncompensated care and maintain on-call staffing requirements. Additionally, the bill raises fines for driving under the influence and mandates that the Governor include specific funding for fire, rescue, and ambulance services in the annual state budget.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 412: Mental Health Law - County Mental Health Advisory Committees - Membership

This bill updates the membership rules for Maryland's county mental health advisory committees by adding a specific category for individuals with experience in military or veteran mental health care. It requires that at least one voting member on these committees be selected from a pool that includes people who have received mental health services, parents of individuals with mental disorders, and now, those with military mental health experience. The legislation also clarifies the composition of these committees to ensure representation from various community groups, including healthcare providers, law enforcement, and social services agencies. These changes aim to broaden the perspective of the committees to better address the unique mental health needs of veterans and service members within their counties.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 1059: Maternal Health – Assessments, Referrals, and Reporting (Maryland Maternal Health Act of 2024)

This bill establishes new requirements for hospitals and freestanding birthing centers in Maryland to improve maternal health care. It mandates that providers complete standardized prenatal risk assessment forms during initial visits and the third trimester, as well as postpartum referral forms for high-risk pregnancies. Facilities must also provide specific information on postpartum complications and call new parents within 24 to 48 hours after discharge. To ensure compliance, the state will withhold Medical Assistance Program reimbursement from any facility that fails to follow these protocols. Additionally, the bill creates a public report card for birthing facilities and requires local health departments to submit annual reports on the number of referrals made.

Bill results