Maryland Bills

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 11, 2026

SB 390: Wicomico County - Class A Beer, Wine, and Liquor License - Alterations

SB 390 modifies Wicomico County's rules for Class A beer, wine, and liquor licenses. It prohibits the Board of License Commissioners from issuing new Class A licenses for use at most restaurants after July 1, 2026, while allowing existing holders with Class B licenses (issued before that date) to renew their Class A licenses. The bill also limits each county councilmanic district to one Class A license and removes the ability for license holders to purchase liquor directly from wholesalers. These changes apply specifically to Wicomico County and take effect July 1, 2026.

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 9, 2026

HB 1084: Montgomery County - County Board of Education - School Operation Requirements MC 14-26

HB 1084 allows Montgomery County public schools to meet state education requirements by adhering to either a minimum number of school days or a minimum number of school hours - instead of both - during the school year. This bill amends Maryland’s education code specifically for Montgomery County, granting its Board of Education authority to choose this flexible approach. The change directly affects all Montgomery County public schools, which would no longer need to satisfy both the 180-day and 1,080-hour requirements simultaneously. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and does not alter requirements for other counties.

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 6, 2026

SB 222: Family Law - Child Custody Evaluators - Qualifications

SB 222 establishes strict qualifications for individuals appointed by Maryland courts to conduct child custody evaluations. It requires custody evaluators to be licensed professionals (such as psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, or marriage and family therapists) with specific training and experience in areas like child development, domestic violence, trauma, and family dynamics. The bill mandates completion of court-approved training, ongoing continuing education, and demonstrated expertise in key topics before appointment. Courts may only waive these requirements for existing court employees with at least 14 years of prior experience who complete additional training. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 6, 2026

SB 154: Commercial Law - Uniform Commercial Code - Controllable Electronic Records

SB 154 adds Article 12 to Maryland's Uniform Commercial Code to establish rules for property rights in certain digital assets, including controllable electronic records, accounts, and payment intangibles. It directly affects businesses and financial institutions handling digital transactions by defining how control and ownership transfer for these assets. The bill creates a new standard for "control" (requiring exclusive power to access benefits and transfer the asset) and ensures qualifying purchasers acquire rights free of competing claims. This changes how digital property rights are managed under Maryland law, replacing ambiguous state rules with a clear, standardized framework.

Topics ✓ Technology

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 5, 2026

HB 821: Judiciary Department - Judicial Removal - Disqualification From Future Judicial Office

This constitutional amendment prohibits judges or justices removed or retired for misconduct from holding any future judicial position. It directly affects judges disciplined by the Commission on Judicial Disabilities, adding a new provision that explicitly bars such individuals from future judicial office. The key mechanism requires the Supreme Court to remove or retire judges found guilty of misconduct, with the amendment ensuring these individuals lose eligibility for any subsequent judicial role. This change modifies Article IV of the Maryland Constitution and requires voter approval in the November 2026 election.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 5, 2026

HB 486: Public Schools - Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day - Establishment

HB 486 designates November 14 each year as "Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day" to honor Ruby Bridges' 1960 integration of an all-white school, and the second Wednesday in October as "Maryland School Pedestrian Awareness Day" to promote safe walking routes to schools. The Maryland State Department of Education must provide free, age-appropriate resources to all public schools, including civil rights lesson plans for Ruby Bridges Day and pedestrian safety materials like lesson plans and walk audit guides for Pedestrian Awareness Day. The bill directly affects Maryland public school systems by requiring state-provided educational tools for these designated days, starting July 1, 2026. It focuses on commemoration and safety education without mandating specific school activities.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Transportation

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 5, 2026

HB 477: Criminal Procedure - Admission of Out-of-Court Statements - Assault in the Second Degree

HB 477 modifies Maryland's evidence rules to allow certain out-of-court statements in assault in the second degree cases where the defendant caused the witness's unavailability. It permits such statements as evidence if the court finds by a preponderance of evidence that the defendant engaged in wrongdoing to make the witness unavailable. The bill requires statements to have been given under oath, written and signed, or recorded verbatim, and mandates early notice to the defense about the statement's use. This directly affects criminal trials for assault in the second degree by expanding admissible evidence while adding procedural safeguards. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 27, 2026

HB 95: Family Law - Marriage License Applications - Appearance and Affidavits

HB 95 (Family Law - Marriage License Applications - Appearance in Court) requires **both parties** to appear in person before a circuit court clerk to apply for a marriage license in Maryland, replacing the current requirement that only one party needs to appear. The bill mandates that both applicants provide full legal names, addresses, birth dates, relationship status, marital history, and documentation (like birth certificates or Social Security numbers) during this in-person visit. Non-resident couples may still use an affidavit sworn in their home jurisdiction, but the affidavit must now include all the same information required for the standard in-person application. This change applies to all marriage license applications processed in Maryland starting October 1, 2026, directly affecting anyone applying for a marriage license in the state.

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 27, 2026

HB 192: Maryland Higher Education Commission - Religious Educational Institutions - Certificate of Approval

HB 192 exempts certain religious educational institutions from needing a certificate of approval from Maryland's Higher Education Commission to operate in the state. It applies to institutions established solely for religious education, offering only sectarian instruction aligned with their faith, and stating the religious nature of awards on diplomas. The bill specifically excludes institutions accredited by U.S. Department of Education-recognized bodies from this exemption. It also grandfathered in religious schools operating continuously in Maryland since before January 1, 2013. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 20, 2026

HB 177: Vehicle Laws - Bicycles, Play Vehicles, and Unicycles - Crosswalks

HB 177 allows bicycle, play vehicle, and unicycle riders to enter an intersection on a red traffic signal when facing a pedestrian "walk" signal, provided they yield to vehicles and pedestrians already in the intersection. It directly affects cyclists, children's ride-on toys (like scooters or ride-on cars), and unicycles operating at crosswalks. The bill clarifies that these riders have pedestrian-like rights in crosswalks and on sidewalks (while still yielding to pedestrians), and removes certain existing traffic restrictions. It takes effect October 1, 2026, and does not change general traffic signal requirements for other road users.

Topics ✓ Transportation

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 20, 2026

HB 432: Municipalities - Vagrancy - Repeal of Authority to Prohibit

HB 432 repeals a provision in Maryland law that allowed municipalities to prohibit "vagrancy" (laws targeting homeless or loitering individuals without clear purpose). The bill directly affects local governments by removing their legal authority to enforce such vagrancy prohibitions under Section 5-207(c)(2) of the Maryland Annotated Code. Key mechanisms include deleting "vagrancy" from the list of activities municipalities could ban, while preserving other related powers like prohibiting gambling or vice. The change takes effect October 1, 2026, and represents a concrete policy shift in local law enforcement authority.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Housing

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 16, 2026

HB 28: Higher Education - Private Career Schools - Advertising

HB 28 allows private career schools in Maryland to advertise programs and collect student contact information before receiving full state approval to operate. It requires schools to disclose that approval is pending and include specific details like opening dates and application processes in all ads. The Secretary of Higher Education will establish rules for approving these pre-approval advertisements. This affects schools training students for jobs like technicians or skilled workers (not universities), but does not change the standards for final approval.

Bill results