Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 869: Economic Development - Maryland Workforce Launch Pilot Program - Establishment

SB 869 establishes the Maryland Workforce Launch Pilot Program within the Department of Commerce to attract businesses that do not yet have a Maryland location but are negotiating to establish one. The program provides no-cost, customized workforce training through partnerships with up to two community colleges, targeting "qualified business entities" in industries identified as strategic by the state. To qualify, businesses must agree to the program and meet performance metrics like job creation numbers and wages paid to trained workers. If these metrics aren't met, businesses must reimburse the state for training costs. The 3-year pilot runs from October 2026 through September 2029, requiring a 2028 report on job creation, revenue, and potential statewide expansion.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 905: Maryland Technology Development Corporation - Maryland Advanced Manufacturing Grant Program - Established

This bill establishes the Maryland Advanced Manufacturing Grant Program within the Maryland Technology Development Corporation to support companies specializing in regenerative medicine and other advanced manufacturing sectors. The program will provide grants that recipients can use exclusively for acquiring or renovating manufacturing space, improving infrastructure, and purchasing necessary equipment. A dedicated fund will be created to hold grant money, with interest earnings credited back to the fund rather than the state's general fund. The Corporation will work with the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission to set eligibility criteria, application procedures, and award amounts, with the program taking effect on July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare ✓ Technology

signed · Maryland · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 816: West North Avenue Development Authority - Neighborhood Social Connection and Development Program - Establishment (WNADA Neighborhood Social Connection and Development Act)

SB 816 establishes the Neighborhood Social Connection and Development Program within Baltimore City's West North Avenue Development Authority. It provides technical support and grants (up to $500,000) to local organizations like neighborhood associations, nonprofits, and volunteer groups operating in the West North Avenue corridor (between the 600 and 3200 blocks) to fund social activities such as block parties, cultural festivals, neighborhood newsletters, volunteer stipends, and community space projects. The program requires organizations to collaborate with residents in planning and mandates annual reports to the Governor and General Assembly starting in 2027, with a final evaluation due by 2029. This directly affects community groups and residents in the designated Baltimore corridor seeking to strengthen neighborhood connections through funded activities.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 753: Fiduciary Institutions - Exploitation of Seniors and Vulnerable Adults - Protections and Required Referral (Vulnerable Adult Banking Protection Act)

SB 753, the "Vulnerable Adult Banking Protection Act," allows banks and financial institutions to delay or deny account disbursements for seniors (65+) or adults lacking capacity to meet daily needs if they reasonably suspect financial exploitation. The bill requires institutions to notify authorized account holders within 4 business days and report suspected exploitation to Adult Protective Services, law enforcement, or a state’s attorney. It prohibits notifying suspected abusers directly and mandates status updates to oversight agencies upon request. The law aims to protect vulnerable adults from unauthorized asset misuse while providing institutions legal immunity for good-faith actions.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 757: Economic Development - Local Sourcing Database

SB 757 requires businesses selling consumer goods to disclose any import tariffs included in the product's price and creates the Maryland Local Sourcing Portal - a free, searchable online database developed by the Department of Commerce. The portal connects businesses with local suppliers of tariff-affected goods (like imported materials) using industry codes, while ensuring accessibility and privacy compliance. It applies directly to businesses selling consumer goods (for tariff disclosure) and local suppliers (for voluntary portal participation). The law takes effect October 1, 2026, and expires automatically on September 30, 2031.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 770: Economic Development - Maryland's Future Board - Establishment

SB 770 establishes the Maryland’s Future Board within the Department of Commerce to create a long-term economic vision for the state. The board must develop, evaluate, and revise a "Visionary Plan" by a specific deadline, focusing on future trends like AI, robotics, and equitable growth, and recommend projects to the Governor and General Assembly. It also creates a nonlapsing "Maryland’s Future Fund" where interest earnings are reinvested to support the plan. The board requires diverse membership (including entrepreneurs, academics, and community leaders) reflecting Maryland’s demographics, with appointments from the Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 858: Department of Budget and Management - Audit and Finance Compliance Unit - Establishment

SB 858 establishes the Audit and Finance Compliance Unit within Maryland's Department of Budget and Management. The unit directly affects all Executive Branch state agencies by monitoring their progress in resolving audit findings from the Office of Legislative Audits. Key provisions require the unit to create a public dashboard on its website showing agency audit status (including resolution timelines and repeat findings), form a specialized team to assist agencies with four or more repeat audit issues, and report quarterly to the Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee. The dashboard must launch by October 1, 2027, and track corrective actions for all agencies annually.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · Maryland · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 806: Health Occupations - Criminal History Records Checks

SB 806 requires health professionals applying for new licenses in Maryland to undergo a criminal history records check starting July 1, 2027. This applies to professions including nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, and others regulated by specific state boards. Applicants must submit fingerprints and pay fees to a central repository, with results kept confidential and used only for licensing decisions. The bill also mandates a similar check for license renewals for professionals licensed before January 1, 2028, during their first renewal after that date.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 704: Maryland Estate Tax – Qualified Agricultural Property – Transfer to Limited Liability Company

This bill allows Maryland estates to transfer qualified agricultural property (farmland used primarily for farming) to a limited liability company (LLC) without triggering estate tax recapture under specific conditions. It modifies the estate tax exclusion to allow up to $5 million of qualified agricultural property value to be excluded from taxation when passed to a "qualified recipient" (a farmer continuing farm use). Crucially, if the property is transferred to an LLC owned solely by qualified recipients and remains used for farming for at least 10 years after the decedent's death, it avoids the standard 10-year recapture rule that would otherwise apply if farming stopped. The provision applies to estates of individuals dying after June 30, 2026, directly affecting farm owners who use LLC structures to manage inherited agricultural property.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 12, 2026

HB 750: Criminal Law - Obstruction or Interference With Exercise of Religious Beliefs - Prohibition

HB 750 prohibits anyone from physically blocking another person from entering or leaving a religious facility, such as a church, mosque, synagogue, cemetery, or religious school. It specifically bans detaining, obstructing, or hindering someone’s path to or from these locations. Violating this law would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine. The bill includes exemptions for facility staff, law enforcement, and religious authorities acting in good faith, and explicitly does not restrict protected speech.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 12, 2026

HB 1372: Public Health - Office of Health Care Quality Information and Maryland Health Centralization Commission

HB 1372 requires the Maryland Health Care Commission, working with the Office of Health Care Quality, to create a process for publishing health facility inspection data (including inspection dates, quality ratings, next inspection dates, and compliance statements) on a public website. It establishes the Maryland Department of Health Centralization Commission, composed of legislators, department officials, and health board leaders, to advise on improving efficiency between the Department and health occupations boards. The bill also mandates that all health occupations boards meet minimum cybersecurity standards set by the Secretary of Information Technology. These changes directly affect health care facilities subject to inspections, health occupations boards, and the Maryland Department of Health.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 12, 2026

HB 822: Circuit Court Clerks and Registers of Wills - Maximum Salary

HB 822 sets a new maximum annual salary for Maryland circuit court clerks and registers of wills at the State of Maryland Standard and Bargaining Salary Scale Grade 26, Step 20. This replaces an outdated minimum salary requirement for Baltimore City registers and ties their pay to the state's standardized scale, adjusted annually based on office workload and revenue. The bill ensures current officeholders' salaries remain unchanged during their current term, with any new rate applying only at the start of their next term. It takes effect October 1, 2026, directly affecting these local court officials across Maryland.

Bill results