Home › Maryland › Bills

Bills

Maryland Bills

Track legislation and stay informed about the bills that matter to you.

State Legislature US Congress

All 26,430 Active 12,181 In committee 12,181 Passed 3,693 Signed 7,929 Failed 2,304

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 154: Homeowners' and Homestead Property Tax Credits - Application Filing Deadline - Extension

This Maryland bill extends the deadline for filing homeowners' property tax credit applications for individuals enrolled in the Homeowner Protection Program. It allows these specific homeowners to submit their applications up to three years after the standard April 15 deadline, whereas the general deadline is one year. Additionally, the legislation provides relief for homeowners aged 70 or older who missed filing in previous years by calculating their current tax assessment as if they had received the credit for those past years. The law does not require these individuals to repay property taxes they already paid during the missed filing periods. These changes take effect for tax years beginning after June 30, 2024.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 635: Harford County - Alcoholic Beverages - Performing Arts Nonprofit Organization License

This Maryland bill creates a new special license for performing arts nonprofit organizations in Harford County, allowing them to sell and serve alcohol at their venues. The license permits the sale of beer, wine, and liquor for on-site consumption at up to three locations designated for plays, concerts, or similar events, specifically during performances, intermissions, or receptions. To hold this license, organizations must purchase alcohol from licensed wholesalers, serve snacks alongside drinks, and keep detailed records of all sales and purchases for at least two years. The annual fee for this license is set at $750, and the Board may impose fines or revoke the license if record-keeping or reporting requirements are not met.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 360: Budget Bill (Fiscal Year 2025)

This bill appropriates funds for the Maryland state budget for fiscal year 2025, covering operations for the General Assembly, the Judiciary, and various civil divisions. It authorizes specific spending amounts for salaries, grants, and administrative costs while mandating reductions in certain judicial employee merit increases and legal representation funds. The legislation also designates restricted funds that must be used solely for providing attorneys at initial court appearances and permits the transfer of receipts from other agency budgets to support specific court programs.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 734: Harford County - Alcoholic Beverages - Performing Arts Nonprofit Organization License

This bill updates Maryland law to replace an existing beer and wine license with a new performing arts nonprofit organization license that covers beer, wine, and liquor in Harford County. The change allows nonprofit theater groups to sell and serve alcohol at up to three designated locations for on-premises consumption during performances and related events. License holders must now purchase alcohol from wholesalers or retailers, serve snacks whenever alcohol is sold, and maintain detailed records of sales for at least two years. Additionally, the new license includes a restriction that no more than 750 tickets can be sold for any single event where alcohol is served.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 1034: 9–1–1 Specialist Recruitment and Retention Workgroup

This Maryland bill establishes a temporary workgroup dedicated to studying how to better recruit and retain 9-1-1 specialists in the state. The group is composed of legislators, state agency representatives, and current employees in the field, and it will meet without receiving a salary but with reimbursement for travel expenses. Its main task is to investigate current challenges such as salary levels, benefits, training requirements, and turnover rates, while also reviewing reports from a previous commission on emergency services. By December 2024, the workgroup must provide an interim report, followed by a final report in December 2025, which will offer recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on improving support for these workers. The legislation is set to expire automatically on December 31, 2025, unless further action is taken.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 499: Health Occupations - Private Dental Offices - Infection Control

This Maryland bill requires every owner of a private dental office to appoint a licensed dentist as a supervising dentist who is responsible for all infection control activities within that office. The designated supervising dentist must register with the State Board of Dental Examiners and oversee compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, including water quality and spore testing, though they are not responsible for individual dentist actions like sterilization or personal protective equipment use. To ensure proper oversight, the law limits each supervising dentist to managing no more than three offices that are close enough for personal inspection, and owners must immediately name an interim supervisor if the primary one steps down. Additionally, the bill allows the state board to charge a registration fee for these supervising dentists and clarifies that the term "practice dentistry" does not include the specific supervisory duties outlined in the act.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 20: Environment - Cox Creek Citizens Oversight Committee - Alterations

This bill updates the membership rules for the Cox Creek Citizens Oversight Committee in Maryland, which oversees dredged material management at the Cox Creek facility. The law changes the committee's composition to include representatives from various local groups, such as land trusts, waterfront communities, recreational birders, and specific residents, while removing some previous categories like the Maryland Saltwater Sport Fishermen's Association. Additionally, it clarifies the committee's role to include providing input and recommendations to the Maryland Port Administration on how dredged material is handled and its potential impact on nearby areas. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024, ensuring the committee reflects a broader range of local interests in its oversight duties.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 72: Tobacco Tax Stamp Refunds - Loss Due to Theft

This Maryland law allows tobacco tax stamp buyers to get a refund for stamps lost due to theft, expanding previous rules that excluded theft from covered losses. To qualify, the taxpayer must submit a police report detailing the stolen items and a notarized affidavit confirming the claim is true. The law also requires that if the stolen property is later recovered, the taxpayer must return the refund and faces a fine of double the refund amount for making a false claim.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 822: Income Tax - Subtraction Modification - State Law Enforcement Officers

This Maryland law expands a state income tax break for law enforcement officers to include those who live in areas with higher crime rates than the state average. Under the new rules, eligible officers can subtract up to $5,000 of their income from their state tax calculation if they meet specific residency and employment criteria. The bill applies to various police forces, including county and municipal officers, state units, and members of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Police Force. To determine eligibility, the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission must certify which local areas have crime rates exceeding the state average, with these certifications occurring every three years. The changes take effect for tax years starting after December 31, 2023.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 475: Center for Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention - Establishment

This bill establishes the Center for Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention within the Maryland Department of Health to reduce gun violence and misuse through a public health approach. The center will be led by an executive director who will partner with federal, state, and local agencies, as well as communities disproportionately affected by firearm violence, to develop and implement prevention strategies. Key actions include creating a state plan by May 2025, offering training and technical assistance to agencies and organizations, sharing data across jurisdictions, and promoting evidence-based initiatives. Funding for the center will be included in the state's annual budget starting in fiscal year 2026.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 94: Correctional Services - Inmate Employment - Agricultural Work

This bill repeals the authority for Maryland's Division of Correction to place inmates in agricultural camps, effectively ending the state's program of using prisoners for farming work. The legislation removes the requirement that inmates be employed in agriculture during any part of the year, except for those needed by the State Highway Administration for emergency road maintenance. By striking the relevant section of the Annotated Code of Maryland, the law eliminates provisions that previously allowed private entities to hire inmates for produce harvesting and mandated payment at prevailing wages.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 688: Prince George's County - Judgeships - Circuit Courts

This bill increases the number of resident judges in the Prince George's County Circuit Court from 24 to 25. The change is made by updating the official list of judge counts for Maryland counties within the state's judicial code. This adjustment takes effect on July 1, 2024, and directly affects the staffing and operations of the local court system.