Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 453: Mental Health - Assisted Outpatient Treatment Programs

This bill updates Maryland's mental health laws to improve how individuals in crisis are evaluated and treated, specifically affecting peace officers, emergency facilities, and people with severe mental illness. It allows peace officers to transport individuals to nearby emergency facilities rather than strictly the nearest one and expands the ability to evaluate patients for involuntary admission to include psychiatric nurse practitioners. Additionally, the legislation mandates that every county establish an assisted outpatient treatment program, which can legally require individuals with severe mental illness to attend treatment to prevent homelessness and repeated hospitalizations. The law also ensures that public defenders provide legal representation during these assisted outpatient proceedings and permits electronic submission of evaluation petitions.

Alonzo Washington (D) Pam Beidle (D) Steve Hershey (R) Nick Charles (D) Antonio Hayes (D)

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 84: Hospitals and Urgent Care Centers - Sepsis Protocol (Lochlin's Law)

This bill requires all Maryland hospitals and urgent care centers to adopt a standardized protocol for identifying and treating patients with sepsis by January 1, 2025. The protocol must follow Centers for Disease Control guidelines and include specific steps for screening, administering antibiotics, providing fluid support, and training staff on these procedures. Facilities must also collect data on their sepsis treatment outcomes to improve internal quality and share their protocols with the state health department upon request.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 714: State Board of Examiners for Audiologists, Hearing Aid Dispensers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Music Therapists - Appointment of Members

This bill changes how audiologists are selected to serve on Maryland's State Board of Examiners for Audiologists, Hearing Aid Dispensers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Music Therapists. Instead of the board itself choosing candidates, the Governor must now appoint licensed audiologists from a list provided by the Maryland Academy of Audiology. The law also requires the board to notify all licensed audiologists in the state about any open positions to gather additional nominations. These changes take effect on October 1, 2024, and apply specifically to the three audiologist seats on the fifteen-member board.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 1041: Alcoholic Beverages - Breweries, Wineries, and Distilleries - Direct Delivery

SB 1041 updates Maryland laws to allow breweries, wineries, and distilleries to directly ship alcoholic beverages to consumers within the state. The bill creates new permits for out-of-state producers to deliver beer and liquor, while also setting annual production limits that include any affiliated companies. To qualify for these permits, applicants must meet specific requirements and post security for state taxes, and recipients of direct shipments are capped on the total amount they can receive each year. Additionally, the legislation repeals previous restrictions on how much alcohol a consumer could buy in person at certain manufacturers. Overall, the law aims to regulate the direct sale and transport of alcohol while maintaining oversight over production volumes and tax compliance.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 51: Public Health - Maryland Pediatric Cancer Fund and Commission

This Maryland bill modifies the Pediatric Cancer Fund to restrict its use exclusively to pediatric cancer research while also permitting the allocation of up to 5% of the fund for administrative expenses and promotional activities. To manage these changes, the legislation establishes a new Pediatric Cancer Research Commission tasked with overseeing the award of competitive grants to eligible physicians, hospitals, and research institutions. The commission is composed of a diverse group including adult survivors, caregivers, scientists from major universities, medical professionals, and representatives from national health organizations. Additionally, the bill mandates annual reporting to the General Assembly detailing how the fund is administered and utilized.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 1008: Baltimore City - Alcoholic Beverages - 40th Alcoholic Beverages District - Revisions

This bill updates Maryland's alcohol licensing laws specifically for Baltimore City to allow new licenses in the 40th district and adjust rules for existing ones. It authorizes a new license for a municipal family fun center at a bowling alley and skating rink on Pennsylvania Avenue, provided the owner agrees to specific community partnership terms and operates within set hours. The legislation also permits a restaurant on West 29th Street to receive a license despite not meeting the usual seating capacity requirement, as long as it signs an agreement with a local community association. Additionally, the bill extends the expiration date for an existing license on East West Biddle Street until July 1, 2025, to allow for its renewal.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 428: Garrett County Alcoholic Beverages Act of 2024

This bill establishes new licensing options specifically for Garrett County to allow hotels, motels, and recreational facilities to sell beer, wine, and liquor at additional locations on their property. It creates three distinct license types that permit sales at secondary facilities separated by at least 150 feet from the main premises, with fees ranging from $150 to $1,750 per additional facility depending on the license category. The legislation also introduces a special license for an annual beer, wine, and liquor festival organized by a qualified nonprofit, while simultaneously banning the consumption or transfer of alcohol within places of adult entertainment. Additionally, the bill adjusts Sunday sales hours for certain licenses, modifies residency requirements for applicants, and updates the maximum fines for violating local alcohol laws.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 111: Criminal Procedure - Protection of Identity of Minor Victim

This Maryland bill requires anyone filing documents in criminal or juvenile cases to remove identifying details, such as names, that could reveal the identity of a minor victim. Unless a court finds good cause to allow otherwise, these redacted filings cannot be shared with non-participants in the case. The law also permits the Supreme Court to create rules allowing a sealed, unredacted copy of the document to be filed separately for official use. These protections apply to all parties and non-parties submitting electronic or paper filings, with the goal of keeping minor victims anonymous in public court records.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 440: Income Tax Credit - Venison Donation

This Maryland bill creates a state income tax credit of up to $300 for individuals who harvest an antlerless deer and donate the meat to a qualified nonprofit organization. To qualify, hunters must follow state laws and donate the processed meat to a 501(c)(3) venison donation program, with the credit amount potentially increasing to $600 if the deer was harvested under a specific management permit. The legislation also establishes a liability shield for donors and recipients of the food and requires donation programs to report donor names and deer counts to the state comptroller annually. This five-year program, effective from July 1, 2024, is designed to encourage the donation of venison to food banks and similar organizations while providing a financial incentive to hunters.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 408: Maryland Department of Health - Reports on Standing Orders and Opioid Overdose Reversal Drugs

This Maryland bill requires health care providers issuing standing orders for opioid overdose reversal drugs to let patients choose any FDA-approved formulation of the drug. It also mandates that the Maryland Department of Health submit annual reports to state committees by December 1 of 2024, 2025, and 2026 detailing available reversal drugs and explaining why any specific approved drug has not been included in standing orders. These changes aim to increase patient choice and improve transparency regarding access to life-saving medications for individuals at risk of opioid overdose.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 1009: Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances

This Maryland law establishes the Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances to study these substances and propose changes to state regulations. The group includes elected officials, state agency leaders, and experts in health, law enforcement, and psychedelic therapy, with a specific focus on including a patient representative and a Native American tribal representative. The Task Force will examine current laws, scientific data on benefits and risks, and barriers to care before submitting a report by July 2025. Its recommendations may include creating a regulated access program, shifting from criminal penalties to civil fines for nonviolent offenses, and expunging related criminal records. The legislation specifically defines natural psychedelic substances as psilocybin, psilocin, dimethyltryptamine, and mescaline, while explicitly excluding peyote.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 1010: Baltimore County - Alcoholic Beverages - Individual Storage Permits

This bill requires alcoholic beverage retailers in Baltimore County to obtain written approval from the local Board of License Commissioners before applying for an individual storage permit. The legislation updates state law to ensure that anyone wanting to warehouse alcohol where they hold the title must first get this specific local endorsement. Once approved, the permit holder can legally operate a storage facility for alcoholic beverages for a fee of $50. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024, and apply specifically to Baltimore County, while a similar rule already exists for Anne Arundel County.

Bill results