Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 1450: Howard County Task Force to Study Revenue Options for School Capital Needs Ho. Co. 18-24

This bill establishes a temporary task force in Howard County to identify funding gaps for school capital projects, such as building repairs and construction, through the year 2035. The group will consist of representatives from the county government, school board, local residents, and various community organizations, with the County Executive serving as chair. After analyzing current revenue projections, the task force will study potential ways to close funding shortfalls, including options like increasing transfer tax allocations for schools or implementing new commercial taxes. The group must submit its findings and recommendations to county officials by October 31, 2024, and if the local council cannot enact a suggestion due to legal limitations, it will ask the state legislature for the necessary authority.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 1184: Prince George's County - Alcoholic Beverages - College Athletic Event Venue Concessionaire Beer, Wine, and Liquor License

This bill creates a new type of alcohol license in Prince George's County specifically for concessionaires at college athletic venues on the University of Maryland, College Park, and Bowie State University campuses. It authorizes these vendors to sell beer, wine, and liquor for on-premises consumption in areas like courtside seating and suites during college sports events. The license operates under the same hours and days as standard bar licenses but requires a separate $3,500 annual fee for each venue where the concessionaire works. This change allows alcohol to be sold and consumed at these specific locations without counting toward the venue's existing standard bar license limit.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 456: Alcoholic Beverages – Retail Delivery – Local Delivery Service Permit

This Maryland bill creates a new permit system that allows third-party delivery companies to transport alcoholic beverages on behalf of licensed stores. Under the new rules, local licensing boards can issue permits to independent contractors or agents who must be at least 21 years old and complete an alcohol awareness course. These permitted carriers can facilitate online orders and deliver alcohol only to customers within the specific jurisdiction where the store is located, while the store must retain control over sales and payments. The legislation also establishes a $1,000 annual fee for the permit and sets out specific penalties for violations, such as fines and suspension of the delivery service.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 943: Vehicle Laws - Bus Lane Obstruction - Monitoring Systems Expansion and Workgroup (Better Bus Service Act of 2024)

This bill expands the use of automated monitoring systems to enforce parking and stopping rules in dedicated bus lanes across Maryland. It authorizes local jurisdictions to deploy these cameras to issue citations for vehicles illegally parked or stopped in bus lanes, while also clarifying that bus stops located near these lanes are considered part of the restricted area. The legislation updates state laws to ensure images from these systems can be used as evidence in court and establishes a new workgroup to manage curb space. Additionally, it requires Baltimore to use competitive bidding processes when hiring contractors to operate these monitoring systems or process related tickets.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 9: Prince George's County - Alcoholic Beverages Licenses - Nonprofit Organizations

This bill allows the Prince George's County Board of License Commissioners to issue special Class C alcoholic beverage licenses to independent, nonprofit nationwide fraternal or sororal organizations. To qualify, an organization must have at least 100 dues-paying members, operate a clubhouse in the county, and consist only of inducted members rather than students. The license permits the sale of beer, wine, and liquor for on-premises consumption by members and their guests, with Sunday sales restrictions lifted and a specific penalty for repeated underage sales violations. The annual fee for this license is set at $910, and the law takes effect on July 1, 2024.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 578: Professional and Volunteer Firefighter Innovative Cancer Screening Technologies Program - Funding

This bill authorizes the Governor of Maryland to allocate state funding for the Professional and Volunteer Firefighter Innovative Cancer Screening Technologies Program. It mandates that the program receive at least $100,000 annually from fiscal years 2021 through 2024, with the amount increasing to at least $500,000 starting in fiscal year 2025 and continuing thereafter. The legislation also requires that all funds used for this program be subject to audits by the Office of Legislative Audits to ensure proper financial oversight.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 402: Correctional Training Commission - Membership - Alterations

This bill alters the membership of Maryland's Correctional Training Commission by increasing the number of correctional officer representatives from four to five. The new structure requires these five appointed members to represent each of the state's five distinct geographic regions, ensuring broader regional input into correctional policy. Additionally, the legislation updates the terms for these regional members to begin staggering on June 1, 2024, and mandates that one of the five representatives be a Department of Juvenile Services employee. The act also clarifies that other commission members may send representatives to meetings instead of attending in person.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 801: Criminal Procedure - Committed Persons - Release Proceedings

This bill updates the rules for release proceedings for individuals committed to mental health facilities in Maryland. It ensures that discovery rules used in civil court cases also apply to these administrative hearings, allowing for a more thorough exchange of information between parties. The legislation also mandates that courts and the Department of Health promptly notify relevant parties when a violation of release conditions is reported. Additionally, it clarifies the burden of proof for applicants seeking changes to their release conditions and expands the court's authority to modify, extend, or terminate those conditions.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 1155: Hospitals - Opioid Overdose and Opioid-Related Emergency Medical Conditions - Treatment

This Maryland law requires hospitals to create specific protocols for treating patients suffering from opioid overdoses or related emergency conditions. Under the new rules, hospitals must have the capacity to provide and administer approved medications for opioid use disorder and offer evidence-based interventions to reduce the risk of future harm before discharging patients. Additionally, the bill mandates that hospitals refer patients diagnosed with opioid use disorder to community providers for voluntary ongoing treatment and connect them with peer support professionals. To help hospitals implement these requirements, the state will use funds from the Opioid Restitution Fund to provide necessary training and resources.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 770: Frederick County – Alcoholic Beverages – Stadium License

This bill updates Maryland's laws to allow stadium license holders in Frederick County to sell liquor for on-site consumption, expanding their current ability to sell only beer and wine. The legislation specifically authorizes the sale of hard liquor in plastic or paper containers at the stadium during events, provided it is consumed on the premises or sold directly to individuals present. Additionally, the bill increases the annual fee for this license from $2,000 to $2,500. These changes apply exclusively to the owner of a professional baseball team franchise operating a stadium in Frederick County.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 840: Public Safety - Automatic License Plate Readers - Captured Plate Data Storage and Upload

This Maryland bill updates regulations surrounding automatic license plate readers to clarify how captured data is stored, owned, and shared. It explicitly includes data stored via cloud computing in the definition of historical data and establishes that such data remains the property of the law enforcement agency that collected it, prohibiting its sale or unauthorized transfer to other agencies. The legislation also expands criminal penalties to cover vendors contracted by police departments and mandates strict procedures for auditing data access and reporting security breaches. Additionally, the bill requires the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center and relevant agencies to report the number of unreadable license plates during a specific six-month period.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 458: Criminal Procedure - Protection of Identity of Minor Victim

This bill requires parties and nonparties filing documents in criminal or juvenile delinquency cases to remove the name and other identifying details of any victim who was a minor at the time of the offense. Under this law, courts cannot share these redacted filings with the public unless the identifying information has been properly removed, with limited exceptions for good cause. The legislation also allows the state's Supreme Court to create rules requiring that unredacted versions of these documents be filed separately under seal to preserve legal access while protecting privacy. Effective October 1, 2024, these measures aim to prevent the accidental exposure of minor victims' identities in public court records.

Bill results