Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 237: Election Law - Presidential Electors - Selection and Voting

SB 237 updates Maryland’s election law for selecting presidential electors. It requires political parties and unaffiliated presidential candidates to submit two nominees per elector position (one "nominee" and one "alternate") with signed pledges committing to vote for their party’s or candidate’s ticket. The bill also mandates that nominees be certified to the State Board at least 30 days before the general election and establishes procedures for filling vacancies during the electors’ meeting, including requiring the State Administrator to preside and appoint substitutes. These changes directly affect political parties, unaffiliated candidates, and the state’s electoral process for certifying presidential electors.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 153: Election Law - Campaign Finance Entities - Oversight and Control of Campaign Funds

SB 153 updates Maryland's campaign finance rules to strengthen financial oversight. It designates the treasurer as the sole financial steward of campaign finance entities, requiring all funds to be handled through them and prohibiting candidates from directly accessing or disbursing campaign funds. The bill allows treasurers to appoint authorized agents for disbursements and removes the chair’s authority to approve payments in most cases, instead requiring treasurer approval for all disbursements. These changes directly affect campaign committees, their treasurers, and candidates running for office in Maryland.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 12, 2026

HB 328: Bicounty Commissions - Public Ethics - Financial Disclosure Statements PG/MC 105-26

HB 328 requires applicants for commissioner positions on bicounty commissions (jointly governed by Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties) to submit paper financial disclosure forms directly to the Prince George’s County Office of Ethics and Accountability, rather than to county administrators. The bill mandates that this office retains all disclosure statements during a commissioner’s term, returns unapproved applicants’ forms within 15 days, and provides public access to the documents during office hours while requiring users to log their name and the individual whose data was viewed. These changes amend Maryland’s ethics laws to centralize oversight of financial disclosures for bicounty commission roles in these two counties, effective October 1, 2026.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 177: Criminal Law - Obstruction or Interference With Exercise of Religious Beliefs - Prohibition

SB 177 prohibits physically blocking someone from entering or leaving a religious facility, including places of worship, cemeteries, religious schools, and their adjacent grounds. The law makes it a misdemeanor to detain, obstruct, impede, or hinder access through physical means, with penalties of up to 90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine. It explicitly excludes facility leaders, agents, law enforcement officers, and protected speech from the prohibition. The bill amends Maryland’s criminal code to apply these rules specifically to religious facilities, building on existing protections for medical facilities.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 12, 2026

HB 115: Election Law - Individuals Released From State Correctional Facilities - Automatic Restoration of Voter Registration

HB 115 automatically restores voting rights for Maryland residents released from state prisons who were registered to vote before incarceration. The Department of Public Safety must send the State Board of Elections a weekly list of released individuals' names and new addresses, prompting the Board to reactivate their voter registration at their updated address. The bill requires the Board to send notification cards confirming voting eligibility and the right to update address or decline registration, while prohibiting public disclosure of how someone was restored through this process. This applies to all released individuals with prior registration who now reside in Maryland, effective January 2027.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 12, 2026

HB 182: Election Law - Presidential Electors - Selection and Voting

HB 182 updates Maryland's process for selecting and managing presidential electors. It requires all presidential elector nominees (from political parties or unaffiliated candidates) to sign a pledge committing to vote for their respective candidate. The bill establishes specific procedures for filling vacancies among electors (e.g., appointing alternates or using lot selection) and mandates that the State Administrator presides over the electors' meeting. It also sets rules for amending the official certificate of electors if changes occur before the vote, ensuring the final list reflects current nominees.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 12, 2026

HB 130: Task Force to Study Deed Fraud

HB 130 prohibits intentional fraud in property transactions, making it illegal to sell, convey, or lease real property you don’t own or to acquire property through deception, intimidation, or undue influence. It establishes criminal penalties (felony up to 10 years/$7,500 fine for major violations) and creates a new Deed Fraud Prevention Grant Fund to provide grants for identifying and preventing such fraud, including coordination with legal aid organizations. The bill also requires law enforcement to collect and analyze data on deed fraud incidents. These provisions directly affect property owners vulnerable to fraud, local governments seeking prevention grants, and law enforcement agencies handling related cases. The bill does not address broader housing policy but focuses on criminalizing specific fraudulent acts and funding prevention efforts.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Maryland · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 77: State Contracts - Prohibited Provisions - Exemptions

SB 77 exempts specific contracts entered by Maryland's Office of International Trade (under §3-303 of the Economic Development Article) from standard prohibitions on certain contract terms. It removes restrictions that normally prevent state contracts from including provisions requiring state indemnification without funding, binding arbitration, or limiting liability for negligence. This exemption directly affects contracts the Office of International Trade uses to develop international business activities and opportunities. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and does not change general contract rules for other state agencies.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 85: Department of Information Technology - Information Technology Investment Fund - Uses

SB 85 clarifies how Maryland's Information Technology Investment Fund can be used to support state IT systems. The bill requires fund money to directly support the state's telecommunication network and the Maryland First public safety radio system (used by first responders), while giving the Secretary of Information Technology discretion to allocate funds for other state-owned communication sites and equipment related to IT agreements. It does not create new programs but specifies existing fund usage for these concrete purposes. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and primarily affects state agencies managing IT infrastructure and public safety communications.

Topics ✓ Technology

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 12, 2026

HB 218: Office of the Attorney General - Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit - Reporting Requirement

HB 218 changes the annual reporting deadline for Maryland's Attorney General's Environmental and Natural Resources Crimes Unit. It requires the Attorney General to submit an annual report to the Governor and General Assembly by October 1 (instead of November 30) each year. The report must detail the Unit's activities during the previous fiscal year and any actions taken by the Department of the Environment or Department of Natural Resources in response to the Unit's findings. This bill directly affects the Attorney General's Office, the two environmental departments, and the Governor and General Assembly who receive the reports. The change is procedural, altering the timing of a required annual disclosure.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 12, 2026

HB 246: Video Tolls - Class G (Trailer) Vehicles - Liability

HB 246 clarifies that the registered owner of a Class G (trailer) vehicle is responsible for paying video tolls when a trailer passes through a toll facility without using an electronic toll system. The bill requires the Maryland Transportation Authority to send a notice of toll due to the registered owner’s address on file, giving them 30 days to pay before penalties apply. This directly affects commercial trailer owners who use Maryland toll roads, as it establishes clear billing procedures and penalties for unpaid tolls captured by video systems. The law updates existing toll regulations to specifically include trailers under video toll liability rules.

Topics ✓ Transportation

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 12, 2026

HB 30: Public Safety - Department of State Police - Police-Initiated Towing - Alterations

HB 30 modifies Maryland's towing regulations for police-initiated towing of commercial vehicles. It bans "per pound billing" (charging based on vehicle weight) by October 2023 and requires the Department of State Police to establish fixed approved rates for medium- and heavy-duty towing by January 2024. The bill creates a committee with towing industry, trucking association, and state agency representatives to recommend these rates and resolve complaints. This directly affects towing companies designated by the state, vehicle owners involved in police towing, and the Department of State Police in setting and enforcing pricing rules.

Bill results