Maryland Bills

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2025

HB 312: Criminal Procedure - Incompetency to Stand Trial

HB 312 modifies Maryland's rules for dismissing criminal charges against defendants found incompetent to stand trial. It directly affects victims of first-degree murder (under §2-201) and sexually assaultive behavior (under §10-923) by allowing victims or their representatives to petition a court to extend the 10-year dismissal deadline for these specific charges. The bill adds a new process where courts must consider victim petitions for extensions beyond the standard time limits, while still requiring advance notice to victims before dismissal. This change updates existing law (Article 3-107 of the Criminal Procedure code) to give victims a formal role in extending case timelines. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2025

HB 125: St. Mary's County - Circuit Court - Judges

HB 125 amends Maryland's judicial code to increase the required number of resident judges for St. Mary's County Circuit Court from 3 to 4. This change modifies Section 1-503 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, which specifies the number of judges for each county's circuit court. The bill takes effect on October 1, 2025, directly affecting the staffing structure of St. Mary's County's judicial system. This is a procedural adjustment to judicial staffing requirements, not a substantive policy change.

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2025

HB 955: Forged Digital Likenesses - Distribution - Prohibition

HB 955 prohibits knowingly distributing computer-generated images or audio that misrepresent a real person's appearance, speech, or behavior as genuine, such as deepfakes. It defines "forged digital likeness" to exclude drawings, cartoons, sculptures, and paintings, and criminalizes distribution when presented as authentic. This law directly affects individuals creating or sharing deceptive digital content that could harm reputations. Violations are misdemeanors punishable by up to 3 years in jail or a $1,000 fine, but defendants may defend by showing they warned viewers the content was fake. The bill explicitly states it won’t infringe on free speech rights under the First Amendment.

Topics ✓ Technology

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2025

HB 26: Public Safety - Missing Person Reports - Collection and Publication

HB 26 requires Maryland's Department of State Police to collect and publish specific missing person data on its website. It mandates that the data be broken down by age, race, and county, include the number of resolved cases from the previous month, and provide an annual summary by December 31 each year. Local law enforcement agencies must submit missing person report details to the State Police as required by the department. This bill directly affects state and local law enforcement agencies responsible for data submission and the public accessing transparent missing person statistics. The policy change focuses solely on standardized data collection and public reporting, with no new investigative procedures or funding.

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2025

HB 58: Public Safety - Rape Kit Collection, Testing, and Tracking Grant Fund - Alterations

HB 58 amends Maryland's Rape Kit Collection, Testing, and Tracking Grant Fund to clarify its name, purpose, and eligible uses. The bill specifies that fund money must support multiyear funding for law enforcement agencies to test sexual assault evidence kits, covering equipment, personnel, and outsourcing costs. It also expands fund usage to include grants for hospitals to hire forensic nurse examiners (RN-FNEs) and cover their certification training. This directly affects law enforcement agencies and hospitals by providing dedicated, non-lapsing funding for processing rape kits and supporting forensic nursing staff.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Labor & Employment

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2025

HB 924: Family Law - Child Custody Evaluators - Qualifications

HB 924 sets new qualifications for professionals appointed by Maryland courts to conduct child custody evaluations. It specifies that custody evaluators must be licensed in one of six fields (such as psychiatry, psychology, clinical social work, or marriage and family therapy) and meet specific education, experience, and training requirements. The bill requires evaluators to have completed court-approved training, ongoing education in their field, and demonstrated expertise in areas like domestic violence, child abuse, trauma, and family dynamics. This directly affects courts appointing evaluators and the professionals seeking to serve in this role, ensuring they meet standardized competency standards.

died · Maryland · Senate Feb 17, 2025

SB 799: Wicomico County - Alcoholic Beverages Licenses - Athletic and Event Facility License

SB 799 creates a new Class B license for athletic and event facilities in Wicomico County, allowing them to serve beer, wine, and liquor on-site. It directly affects facilities with a kitchen and seating for at least 500 people, such as stadiums, auditoriums, banquet halls, or conference centers. The bill requires the county Board of License Commissioners to adopt regulations banning alcohol consumption by youth at events and setting rules for outlet limits, minimum investment, sales hours, and annual fees before issuing any licenses. The license cannot be granted until these regulations take effect, with the bill becoming effective July 1, 2025.

died · Maryland · Senate Feb 17, 2025

SB 971: Maryland Department of Health and Health Officers - Revisions

SB 971 gives Maryland county health officers more autonomy over local health department operations. It requires the state Department of Health to notify county health officers about procurement opportunities, allowing counties to join if they choose. County health officers can now appoint staff for fully locally or grant-funded positions without state approval, and may proceed with contracts if the state fails to respond within 7 days. The bill also mandates the Department to include health workforce data in a new statewide clearinghouse and permits health officers to serve on hospital boards without accepting payment. These changes primarily affect county health departments and their staffing and contracting processes.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

died · Maryland · Senate Feb 17, 2025

SB 510: Excess Ownership of Single-Family Residences Excise Tax (End Hedge Fund Control of Maryland Homes Act of 2025)

SB 510 imposes a special tax on large investment firms (like hedge funds) that acquire or own excessive numbers of single-family homes in Maryland. The tax applies to entities owning more than a specified number of properties, targeting investment firms rather than individual homeowners. Revenue from this tax will fund the Down Payment and Settlement Expense Loan Program, which provides financial assistance to help eligible homebuyers cover down payments and closing costs. The bill creates a dedicated, non-lapsing fund to administer these down payment programs, with tax revenue flowing directly to this program rather than general state funds.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing

died · Maryland · Senate Feb 17, 2025

SB 607: Human Remains - Transportation Protection Agreements

SB 607 defines "transportation protection agreements" as arrangements primarily coordinating the preparation and transportation of human remains, hydrolyzed remains, or soil remains. The bill explicitly excludes these agreements from being classified as "preneed burial contracts" under Maryland’s Cemetery Act or "pre-need contracts" under its Morticians and Funeral Directors Act. It also clarifies that such agreements are not insurance contracts and are not subject to regulation under Maryland’s Insurance Article. This directly affects funeral service providers offering transportation coordination services, removing them from specific regulatory frameworks for burial contracts and insurance. The bill creates new definitions and provisions to ensure these agreements operate outside existing regulatory categories.

died · Maryland · Senate Feb 17, 2025

SB 801: Dorchester County – Alcoholic Beverages – Issuance of License Near a Place of Worship or School

SB 801 would change Dorchester County's rules for issuing new alcoholic beverage licenses near places of worship or schools. Currently, new licenses are prohibited within 300 feet of such locations. The bill allows licenses if the establishment obtains written consent from every place of worship or school within that 300-foot radius. This change applies specifically to new licenses sought after July 1, 2025, and does not affect existing licensed locations or temporary licenses.

died · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2025

HB 697: Health Insurance - Artificial Intelligence, Adverse Decisions, and Grievances - Reporting Requirements

HB 697 requires Maryland health insurance carriers to submit quarterly reports to the Maryland Insurance Commissioner about their use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision-making systems. Specifically, carriers must report details on AI system deployment (including training data sources, purpose, and bias testing), as well as expanded demographic data on grievances and adverse decisions (broken down by zip code, race, ethnicity, gender, and age). The bill also updates existing reporting rules to include the monetary value of grievance decisions and timeframes for handling cases. These reports will enable the Commissioner to compile annual oversight summaries and identify potential disparities in insurance practices.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Technology

Bill results