Maryland Bills | MyRepTracker

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 10, 2025

HB 1135: Environment - Maryland Clean Water Fund - Authorized Uses

HB 1135 amends Maryland's Clean Water Fund to explicitly authorize using its funds for "urban forest management" activities. This change directly affects the Maryland Department of the Environment, which administers the fund, by expanding the list of permitted uses for existing revenue. The bill adds urban forest management as a specific provision under the fund's authorized activities (previously limited to water quality programs, sewage sludge oversight, and erosion control). It does not create new funding but allows current fund resources to support tree planting, canopy preservation, and related urban forestry efforts. The amendment takes effect October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Environment

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 10, 2025

HB 1382: Public Health - Human Immunodeficiency Virus - Repeal of Prohibition on Transfer and Study

HB 1382 repeals a Maryland law that criminalized knowingly transmitting HIV to another person, removing a misdemeanor penalty of up to three years in jail or a $2,500 fine. It requires the Maryland Department of Health to review HIV-related laws and regulations for outdated or discriminatory provisions and recommend updates by December 1, 2025. The review is contingent on the Department confirming it can complete the work with existing resources by July 5, 2025. The repeal of the criminal prohibition takes effect on October 1, 2025, while the review requirement would take effect on July 1, 2025, if the resource condition is met.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

died · Maryland · Senate Mar 10, 2025

SB 12: Estates and Trusts - Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts

This bill modifies Maryland's trust laws to protect certain assets for married couples. It allows a person who creates a trust for their spouse's lifetime benefit to not be considered the "settlor" for tax purposes, and prevents creditors from seizing trust assets under specific conditions. To qualify, the trust must be irrevocable, created for the spouse's benefit during their lifetime, and meet IRS requirements for qualified terminable interest property. This directly affects married individuals establishing such trusts, shielding their spouse's trust assets from creditors while the spouse is alive.

died · Maryland · Senate Mar 10, 2025

SB 729: Special Police Officers - County Government - Protection of Employees and Public Officials

SB 729 allows counties in Maryland to appoint special police officers specifically to protect county employees and public officials while they are present in the county. It amends existing law to authorize counties to apply for these officers (previously limited to property protection) and clarifies that such officers may exercise standard police powers - including arrests and traffic control - only when necessary for protecting assigned county personnel. The bill requires these officers to complete 80 hours of training covering criminal law, constitutional procedures, and use-of-force. This policy change directly affects county employees and officials by providing a formalized security mechanism for their safety during county-related activities.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

died · Maryland · Senate Mar 10, 2025

SB 884: Commercial Driver's Licenses - Out-of-State Residents - School Buses or Passenger Vehicles

SB 884 allows Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administration to issue a Class B commercial driver's license with school bus or passenger vehicle endorsements to nonresidents who hold equivalent licenses from neighboring states. It specifically targets drivers operating school buses or vehicles carrying 16+ passengers (including the driver) who live outside Maryland but hold valid licenses from nearby states. The bill amends existing law to permit this exception while maintaining other residency and age requirements for commercial licenses. This change directly affects commercial drivers from bordering states seeking to operate such vehicles in Maryland. The policy takes effect October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Transportation

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 10, 2025

HB 928: Estates and Trusts - Wills - Married Couples and Registered Domestic Partnerships

HB 928 modifies Maryland's will execution rules to prevent conflicts of interest involving spouses or domestic partners. It prohibits a married person or someone in a registered domestic partnership from signing a will while their spouse or partner is present, and bans witnesses from also signing the will of that person's spouse or partner. These changes apply only to wills created on or after October 1, 2025, and do not affect existing wills. The bill directly affects individuals in married or registered domestic partnerships when creating or witnessing wills.

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 10, 2025

HB 916: Criminal Law - Weapon Crimes - Transporting Firearm in Checked Bag on Public Transportation

HB 916 prohibits transporting a firearm in a checked bag on Maryland public transportation (including buses, trains, ferries, and airlines) unless the firearm is disabled by an external safety lock that prevents discharge. This directly affects travelers who check firearms in baggage, requiring them to use a key or combination lock device. Violations are misdemeanors, with penalties increasing for repeat offenses: up to 2 months in jail or $500 for a first offense, up to 6 months or $1,000 for a second, and up to 1 year or $2,000 for third or subsequent offenses. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 10, 2025

HB 1188: Public Safety - Immigration Enforcement - Cooperation

HB 1188 requires Maryland law enforcement agencies, agents, and local detention facilities to run a national criminal database search when taking custody of an individual. If the search reveals someone not lawfully present in the U.S. has an outstanding criminal warrant, the agency must notify federal immigration authorities and may hold the person for up to 48 hours to facilitate transfer. The bill prohibits local governments or agencies from adopting policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities in these cases. It directly affects police departments, sheriffs' offices, and jail facilities across Maryland, effective October 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Immigration

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 10, 2025

HB 1454: Maryland Department of Aging - Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Continuing Care At-Home Providers Licensing and Regulation - Study

HB 1454 requires Maryland's Department of Aging to hire an independent consultant to study the licensing and regulation of continuing care retirement communities and at-home providers. The study must assess which state agencies (like the Department of Aging and Insurance Administration) are best positioned to lead regulation, compare Maryland's current oversight roles with other states, and analyze how other states regulate these facilities. It will specifically examine Maryland's existing laws (Title 10, Subtitle 4 of the Human Services Article) against other states' approaches, including fees, penalties, and funding. The results must be submitted to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1, 2026. This bill does not change current regulations but mandates a review to inform future policy.

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 10, 2025

HB 1252: County Boards of Education - Appointed Members in Leadership Positions - Prohibition

HB 1252 prohibits appointed members of Maryland county school boards from holding leadership roles like president, vice president, chair, or vice chair. It requires current appointed members in such positions to step down by August 1, 2025. If a school board violates this rule, the State Department of Education must notify them and can suspend administrative funding until corrected, with potential fines of up to $2,500 for individuals who continue violating the prohibition. The law applies specifically to members appointed by officials (not elected to fill vacancies) and takes effect July 1, 2025.

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 10, 2025

HB 1320: Law Enforcement Officers' Pension System - Forest Heights Police Department - Membership

HB 1320 allows certain law enforcement employees of the Forest Heights Police Department to choose whether to join Maryland's Law Enforcement Officers' Pension System. Employees must make a one-time, irrevocable election by a specified deadline to become members, and those who elect before the deadline will receive service credit for prior employment with the department. Employees who join after the deadline will not receive the same service credit for prior service. This bill adjusts pension participation rules specifically for Forest Heights Police Department staff, making membership optional with defined election requirements.

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 10, 2025

HB 1304: Department of Legislative Services - Data Collection - Violent Crimes

HB 1304 requires Maryland's Department of State Police to submit detailed, annual crime data to the Department of Legislative Services by November 30 each year. This data includes violent crime statistics (homicide, rape, robbery, assault, etc.) broken down by victim/offender age, race, ethnicity, sex, location, and whether an arrest was made or the incident was a hate crime. The bill also mandates a work plan to improve hate crime data collection and reporting, and requires the Department of Legislative Services to submit annual reports on this data to the Governor and General Assembly by June 30 starting in 2026. The law directly affects law enforcement data collection practices and state government reporting processes.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice