SB 427, the DECADE Act, reorganizes Maryland’s economic development structure by replacing the Maryland Economic Development Commission with the Maryland Economic Competitiveness Fund and creating new programs like the Strategic Closing Fund. It modifies eligibility and funding rules for tax credits (including film production and biotechnology incentives), prioritizes applications in RISE zones for development projects, and waives filing fees for businesses in Regional Institution Strategic Enterprise zones. The bill alters how certain economic development funds are distributed, repeals outdated programs like the Small Business Development Financing Authority, and adjusts tax credit calculations for businesses and investors. These changes directly affect state agencies managing economic development, businesses seeking incentives, and communities participating in RISE zones.
HB 399 allows organizations affiliated with a Major League Baseball team playing in Baltimore City to conduct raffles under new rules. It requires these groups to obtain a permit from a Baltimore City agency (not the police commissioner), spend most funds locally for charitable, civic, or youth athletic purposes, and operate raffles using electronic devices within Baltimore’s boundaries. The bill amends existing raffle laws to create this exception, while maintaining limits on raffle frequency (max 12 per year) and prohibiting personal financial gain from proceeds. It directly affects baseball-connected nonprofits, charities, and community groups in Baltimore seeking to fundraise through raffles.
HB 1246 requires Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations to include certain patient discounts, financial assistance, product vouchers, or out-of-pocket expenses paid for prescription drugs when calculating cost-sharing (like copays or deductibles). This applies to covered drugs without a preferred generic equivalent or where prior authorization was needed, but excludes high-deductible health plans. The bill also mandates that providers notifying insureds about the maximum value and expiration date of these discounts. It takes effect January 1, 2026, for all health plans issued or renewed in Maryland after that date. The law directly affects Maryland residents using prescription drug coverage under these health plans.
HB 858 establishes Maryland's Mattress Stewardship Program to reduce landfill waste and promote recycling. It prohibits disposing of mattresses in landfills or incinerators after specific dates (with limited exceptions), requires mattress producers to submit recycling plans to the Department of the Environment, and adds a fee to all mattresses sold in the state to fund the program. Retailers must provide consumers with recycling information after implementation, and the program creates an advisory board to oversee recycling efforts. The bill directly affects mattress producers, retailers, and consumers through new fees and disposal rules, aiming to divert mattresses from landfills - addressing a problem where only 5% of U.S. mattresses are recycled annually.
HB 1348 bans home improvement contractors and their representatives from soliciting disaster victims within 48 hours after a disaster, such as a fire, flood, or hurricane. It defines "disaster" broadly to include natural events causing property harm and specifies that "contractor" covers those performing home renovations, repairs, or installations like decks or fences. Violating this ban is treated as an unfair trade practice under Maryland’s consumer protection law, subject to existing enforcement and penalties. The law applies to all affected contractors, excluding those with pre-existing business relationships with victims before the disaster.
HB 1255 amends Maryland law to give local jurisdictions the option of allowing appeals from historic preservation commission decisions directly to their board of appeals, rather than only to the planning commission. This primarily affects property owners, developers, or community members who disagree with a historic preservation ruling and wish to challenge it. The bill adds a new provision (Section 8-308(B)) stating that local governments may authorize such appeals to the board of appeals, expanding existing appeal pathways. The change takes effect October 1, 2025, and does not alter the substantive requirements for preservation decisions.
HB 1199 creates a new 3-year limited license for internationally trained physicians to practice medicine in Maryland, effective October 1, 2027. It directly affects foreign-trained doctors who meet strict criteria, including holding a WHO-recognized medical degree, completing 2+ years of equivalent postgraduate training, practicing for 5+ years in their home country, passing U.S. medical exams (USMLE Steps 1-3), and residing in Maryland for at least one year. The license cannot be renewed but may lead to full licensure through conditions set by the State Board of Physicians. This provision does not change existing full licensure pathways but adds a temporary option for eligible international physicians.
SB 442 (Tenant Possessions Recovery Act) requires landlords in Maryland to provide tenants with written notice before evicting them for unpaid rent, lease breaches, or holding over. It mandates that landlords give tenants 14 days to reclaim personal belongings after an eviction, prohibits immediately removing items into public view, and requires safe storage of belongings. The bill also delays evictions during extreme weather (e.g., temperatures below 32°F or severe storms) and sets a 5-day deadline to complete evictions once weather conditions end. These changes apply directly to landlords and tenants involved in eviction proceedings under Maryland law.
SB 614 prohibits consumer reporting agencies (like credit bureaus) from including paid medical debt or medical debt under $500 in credit reports. It also bans entities from using medical debt information to assess creditworthiness and requires hospitals, clinics, and ambulance services to stop reporting unpaid medical debt for 180 days after billing. Additionally, healthcare providers must include specific contract clauses with debt collectors preventing them from sharing medical debt with credit bureaus, and contracts lacking this clause are void. The law directly affects consumers, healthcare providers, credit bureaus, and debt collection agencies in Maryland.
SB 1007 modifies Maryland's evidence rules to allow intercepted communications (like phone calls or texts) as court evidence under specific conditions. It permits such evidence if at least one party was outside Maryland during the communication, the interception wasn’t conducted by Maryland law enforcement, or all parties were co-conspirators in a violent crime. Courts must also determine the evidence is more probative than alternatives and serves justice, and the defense must receive advance notice of its use. The law applies to all Maryland courts and legal proceedings, effective October 1, 2025.
SB 458 requires health professionals (such as doctors, nurses, and pharmacists) renewing certain licenses in Maryland to attest that they completed an approved training program covering **both implicit bias and structural racism**, rather than just implicit bias. The bill amends existing law to mandate this dual focus, defining "structural racism" as systemic barriers affecting health access based on race. Approved training programs must be designated by the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency Program, with the requirement applying to first license renewals after April 1, 2026. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, with a transition period allowing use of the older implicit bias-only training for renewals before April 2026.
SB 322 bans drivers from obscuring, modifying, or blocking vehicle registration plates in a way that prevents identification, directly affecting anyone using plate covers, tinted shields, or alterations that hide license plate numbers. The bill amends Maryland’s Vehicle Laws (Section 21-1112.1) to make such violations a moving violation, resulting in points on a driver’s license under state law. It removes the previous requirement of proving intent to avoid identification, focusing instead on whether the plate’s readability is compromised. The law takes effect on October 1, 2025, and applies statewide to all vehicles registered in Maryland.
