Maryland Bills

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 3, 2025

HB 1461: Blueprint for Maryland's Future - Alterations

HB 1461 repeals the Career Counseling Program for middle and high school students and its associated funding, directly affecting school districts that previously administered this service. The bill requires county school boards to report on per-school funding for specific programs and provides waivers from minimum funding requirements for schools with fewer than 350 students. It also alters the career ladder system for principals and assistant principals, expands prekindergarten eligibility to include certain children, authorizes county boards to set family income limits for post-college career readiness pathways, and mandates two studies: one on National Board Certification for teachers and another on special education funding adequacy.

Topics ✗ Education

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 24, 2025

HB 1011: Correctional Services - Private Detention Facilities - Deprivation of Rights, Privileges, and Immunities

HB 1011 prohibits private detention facilities in Maryland from denying individuals constitutional or legal rights, such as those protected by the U.S. or Maryland Constitutions. It directly affects people detained in privately operated facilities and the facilities themselves. Key provisions allow the Attorney General to investigate violations, notify local governments, and file civil lawsuits after a 30-day notice period - unless an imminent threat to safety exists. Violators face civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation, damages for harmed individuals, or court-ordered injunctions to stop ongoing rights violations. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Immigration

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 24, 2025

HB 810: Public Safety - Lethality Assessment Protocol

HB 810 requires all Maryland law enforcement agencies to adopt a policy mandating the use of a lethality assessment protocol during investigations of domestic violence incidents. The protocol is a research-backed tool that uses specific questions to assess an individual’s risk of serious harm or death from an intimate partner, and it must include connecting victims to local support services. This bill directly affects police departments statewide, requiring them to standardize how they respond to domestic violence calls starting October 1, 2025. It focuses on proactive risk assessment during domestic violence investigations, not criminal penalties or new victim protections.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 24, 2025

HB 733: Elections for County Boards of Education - Party Designation or Affiliation - Certificates of Candidacy and Ballots

HB 733 allows candidates running for county school boards in Maryland to voluntarily include their party affiliation on their candidacy forms and ballots. Local election offices must display this information if provided by the candidate and cannot disqualify a candidate for including it. The bill maintains that school board elections remain nonpartisan, meaning party labels appear only for voter information without changing the election's nonpartisan status. This directly affects candidates seeking school board seats and local election offices preparing ballots.

died · Maryland · Senate Feb 24, 2025

SB 497: Department of Information Technology - Maryland OneStop - Required State, County, and Municipal Information

SB 497 requires Maryland's Department of Information Technology to update state licenses, forms, permits, and applications on the Maryland OneStop online portal by December 1, 2025, and every two months thereafter. It also mandates that all counties and municipalities make their local licenses, forms, permits, and applications available on OneStop by July 1, 2026, with updates required every two months starting September 1, 2026. The bill directly affects state agencies, counties, and cities by standardizing how they share government services information. Its key mechanism is creating fixed deadlines for updating existing online resources, ensuring consistent public access to licensing and permitting information. This policy change aims to centralize government service access without altering the underlying licensing requirements.

Topics ✓ Technology

died · Maryland · Senate Feb 24, 2025

SB 243: State Government - Research Duties and Advisory Committee on Black Males - Repeal

SB 243 repeals a requirement that Maryland's Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs conduct annual research and submit reports on unemployment, criminal justice, education, and health issues affecting Black males. It also eliminates the authorization for the Office to create an Advisory Committee on Black Males. The bill removes these specific duties and structures from Maryland law, which were originally established in 1995. This is a procedural repeal with no new policy changes.

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 24, 2025

HB 1250: State Retirement Agency - Report on Employer Contribution Rate Impact of Teacher Salary Increases

HB 1250 requires the State Retirement Agency to estimate how teacher salary increases (both base pay and career ladder compensation) will affect employer contribution rates for teachers' retirement systems. The agency must submit a report to the Maryland General Assembly by December 15, 2025, detailing these impacts for fiscal years 2027 through 2032, using 2026 budgeted salaries as the baseline. This is a procedural requirement for analysis, not a policy change affecting current contributions or salaries.

died · Maryland · Senate Feb 24, 2025

SB 290: Natural Resources - Roadside Tree Removal Permit Notification Act

Maryland's SB 290 requires anyone applying for a permit to remove trees along public roads to provide written notice via certified mail to adjacent property owners and community associations that control the land. The law applies to most roadside tree removals (excluding emergencies like downed power lines or trees on unimproved, unpaved roads). Applicants must send either a copy of their application or online access details to affected neighbors. Violations carry fines up to $5,000 for repeat offenses. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 24, 2025

HB 1115: Maryland Pediatric Cancer Fund - Funding

HB 1115 requires the Governor to include a $5 million annual appropriation for the Maryland Pediatric Cancer Fund in the state budget starting in fiscal year 2027. It also directs the Cigarette Restitution Fund to provide funding to this pediatric cancer research fund, expanding its financial sources. The fund must be used exclusively for pediatric cancer research and administrative costs (limited to 5% of funds), with grants distributed to eligible researchers and institutions. An annual report to the legislature detailing fund usage and promotional efforts is also mandated.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

died · Maryland · Senate Feb 24, 2025

SB 13: Commission to Study African American Civil War Sailors in Maryland

SB 13 establishes a commission to study the history of African American sailors who served in the Union Navy during the Civil War in Maryland. The commission, appointed by the Governor and legislative leaders, will research their service records, honors, and contributions, then recommend details for a memorial. It must report findings and recommendations to the Governor and legislature by December 1, 2025, after which the bill expires on June 30, 2026. This bill directly affects Maryland's historical preservation efforts and the planning of a potential memorial honoring these sailors.

died · Maryland · Senate Feb 24, 2025

SB 895: Employment - Wages - Deductions for Public Employees

This bill updates Maryland's wage law to clarify that public employers (like state or local government agencies) must follow the same rules as private employers regarding wage deductions for public employees. It specifically allows deductions only if authorized in a written compensation or benefit plan (such as a retirement plan), removing previous ambiguities about public sector exceptions. The law continues to prohibit deductions without court orders, written employee consent, or valid benefit plan authorization. This directly affects all public employees in Maryland whose wages may be subject to such deductions.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 24, 2025

HB 1405: Commercial Law - Vehicles Towed or Removed From Parking Lots - Statutory Liens and Administrative Hearings

HB 1405 establishes clear rules for towing charges and legal rights when vehicles are removed from private parking lots in Maryland. It creates a legal right (lien) for towing companies to hold vehicles until specific fees - like towing, recovery, storage, or notice costs - are paid, affecting parking lot owners, towing companies, and vehicle owners. The bill requires local governments to set up administrative hearings where owners can challenge towing legitimacy, and mandates parking lots to display clear signage listing towing fees, reclaim hours, and hearing contact info. It also specifies who can pay to release a vehicle (owners, lessees, insurers, or agents) and clarifies that police-initiated towing follows similar lien rules.

Bill results