Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 167: Physician Assistants - Revisions (Physician Assistant Modernization Act of 2024)

This Maryland law modernizes the practice of physician assistants by replacing the requirement for a delegation agreement with a collaboration agreement, which allows them to work more closely with a patient care team. The bill also updates the education and licensure standards for physician assistants and expands the list of advanced duties they are authorized to perform. Additionally, it clarifies that federal government physician assistants can carry out their duties during declared disasters and directs the State Board of Physicians to regularly review and update the scope of practice. These changes directly affect physician assistants, their supervising physicians, and healthcare facilities in Maryland.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 1198: Baltimore City – Alcoholic Beverages – 40th Alcoholic Beverages District – Revisions

This bill authorizes the Baltimore City Board of License Commissioners to issue specific new liquor licenses in the 40th Alcoholic Beverages District to support local businesses and community agreements. It creates a new Class M-F license for a municipal family fun center at a bowling alley and skating rink, while also allowing a Class B license for a restaurant on West 29th Street and extending an existing Class A license at East West Biddle Street until July 2025. The new licenses come with specific conditions, such as requiring memorandums of understanding with neighborhood associations, limiting operating hours, and restricting certain types of sales or events.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 59: Hospitals - Care of Infants After Discharge (Safe Sleep Act of 2024)

SB 59, known as the Safe Sleep Act of 2024, requires Maryland hospitals and birthing centers to educate parents on safe infant sleep practices before discharge and to obtain written confirmation that this education occurred. The law mandates that healthcare facilities provide both oral and written resources explaining how to create a safe sleep environment, which includes using a firm mattress, avoiding soft bedding, and keeping the baby in a smoke-free area. Additionally, the bill establishes the Maryland Safe Sleep Certification Program, which will require all child care centers to be certified to ensure they follow these safety guidelines. To support these efforts, the state health department must launch a public awareness campaign and create a list of local resources that help families purchase necessary items like safe sleep sacks.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 959: Health Occupations - Certified Dialysis Technicians - Continuing Education Requirement

This Maryland bill updates the continuing education rules for certified dialysis technicians to require 3 hours of approved training instead of the previous 3-hour requirement. It directly affects dialysis technicians in the state who need to renew their professional certificates every two years. The law mandates that renewing technicians must complete at least 16 hours of practical work and the updated 3 hours of continuing education before their license expires. This change ensures technicians stay current with industry standards while maintaining the existing requirement for an active national certification.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 461: Health - State Advisory Council on Quality Care at the End of Life - Renaming

This bill officially renames the State Advisory Council on Quality Care at the End of Life to the State Advisory Council on Serious Illness Care in Maryland. The change updates the council's title in state laws and modifies the form used for Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment to reflect the new name. While the bill does not alter the council's existing duties, membership composition, or operational rules, it ensures all official references to the group use the updated terminology. The legislation takes effect on October 1, 2024, and applies to the state's health and aging departments as well as other relevant agencies.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 1081: Public Safety - Automatic License Plate Readers - Captured Plate Data Storage and Upload

This Maryland law updates regulations on automatic license plate readers by clarifying that data stored via cloud computing counts as historical data. It establishes that such data belongs to the law enforcement agency that collected it and strictly prohibits selling or sharing it with other agencies or entities. The bill also extends legal penalties to vendors contracted by law enforcement agencies if they mishandle this information and requires new security procedures, including regular audits and breach reporting. Additionally, the legislation allows specific data to be uploaded to the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center for statewide analysis.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 980: Public Health - Opioid Restitution Advisory Council and Fund - Revisions

This bill updates Maryland's Opioid Restitution Fund by creating a formal process for how money from the fund is distributed to local communities. It requires the state health department to share its funding decisions with an advisory council and to publish those decisions online for public transparency. The legislation also mandates that at least 25% of the fund's money each year goes to community-based recovery organizations. Additionally, the bill clarifies which specific programs, such as overdose prevention and treatment services, are eligible for funding and establishes new reporting rules for local governments that receive these funds.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 904: Baltimore City - Alcoholic Beverages - Class B Beer, Wine, and Liquor Licenses

This bill authorizes the Baltimore City Board of License Commissioners to issue a specific Class B license for restaurants located in Ward 4, Precincts 1 and 2. To qualify, a restaurant must derive at least 51% of its daily revenue from food sales, be classified as a high or moderate priority food service facility by the city health department, and sign a memorandum of understanding with the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore. The license restricts the sale of alcohol for off-premises consumption, prohibits transferring the license to a new location, and requires annual verification of financial data by a certified public accountant. Additionally, the bill sets a sunset date of June 30, 2028, after which no new licenses under these specific terms will be issued, though existing ones may be renewed.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 1095: Workgroup on Home Detention Monitoring

This bill establishes the Workgroup on Home Detention Monitoring in Maryland to study pretrial home detention systems. The group includes representatives from the state legislature, public safety agencies, legal organizations, police, detention centers, and both fee-based and non-fee pretrial release programs. Its main task is to examine the costs and availability of publicly and privately provided home monitoring options. The Workgroup must submit annual reports to the General Assembly with its findings and recommendations. The law takes effect on July 1, 2024, and remains in force for three years before automatically ending.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 636: Allegany County - Property Tax Credit - Evergreen Heritage Center

This bill authorizes the Allegany County government to offer a property tax credit to the Evergreen Heritage Center Foundation, Inc., and its related holding company. The legislation adds these specific entities to a list of organizations eligible for tax relief on properties located within the county. By amending state tax codes, the law allows the county to reduce property tax payments for these organizations for taxable years starting after June 30, 2024.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 16, 2024

SB 187: Correctional Services - Inmate Employment - Agricultural Work

This bill repeals the authority for Maryland's Division of Correction to place inmates in agricultural work at specific camps in Queen Anne's County and nearby areas. It removes the requirement that the state must arrange for inmates to perform farm labor during any part of the year, except for emergency road maintenance work. The change effectively ends the state's ability to use incarcerated individuals for harvesting crops and selling the produce, shifting the policy away from inmate employment in agriculture.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 16, 2024

HB 743: Frederick County - Alcoholic Beverages - Promoter's Permit

This Maryland bill updates the licensing rules for alcohol events in Frederick County by creating a specific permit for for-profit organizations to sell beer, wine, and liquor at gatherings. The law allows these organizations to apply for the permit if they are planning an event where alcohol will be sold, provided the organization does not already hold a standard alcohol license. Fees for the permit vary based on the expected number of attendees, ranging from $50 for small events to $1,000 for those with more than 3,000 people. Additionally, the bill gives the local Board of License Commissioners the authority to set health and safety standards for these events.

Bill results