Maryland Bills

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 1, 2025

HB 1266: Task Force to Study Land Use Issues in Prince George's County - Establishment MC/PG 117-25

HB 1266 establishes a framework for Prince George's County to allow its district council to review certain zoning and planning decisions previously handled solely by the county planning board. It directly affects residents, developers, and local businesses in Prince George's County by changing how zoning approvals and appeals are processed. Key provisions include requiring the district council to review specific planning board decisions, modifying timelines for zoning hearings, and altering standing requirements for judicial appeals. The bill also prohibits council members from voting on certain appeals and restricts how the council can amend zoning classifications. These changes aim to adjust the balance of power between county planning and legislative bodies for local land use matters.

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 1, 2025

HB 1168: Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission – Service Charges MC/PG 112–25

HB 1168 allows the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) to establish different customer classes for water and sewer service rates, directly affecting property owners and businesses within the WSSC service area. The bill amends Maryland law to require that rates within each class must be uniform across the entire district and permits minimum charges to include an infrastructure investment component. Key provisions include defining "class" by meter size, enabling seasonal surcharges (e.g., summer water conservation fees), and giving WSSC flexibility to base minimum charges on factors like meter size or other criteria set through regulations. The changes take effect July 1, 2025.

passed · Maryland · Senate Apr 1, 2025

SB 382: Consumer Protection - Right to Repair - Powered Wheelchairs

SB 382 requires manufacturers of powered wheelchairs to provide independent repair providers and wheelchair owners with necessary documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, and tools on fair and reasonable terms. It directly affects wheelchair users and independent repair shops by mandating that manufacturers share repair resources without excessive cost or barriers, such as charging more than the suggested retail price for parts. The bill establishes clear definitions for "independent repair providers" and "fair terms," ensuring access to diagnostics and repair tools at no more than the manufacturer's actual cost for printed materials. This law amends Maryland's Commercial Law to create a new "Subtitle 50" specifically governing powered wheelchair repairs.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed · Maryland · Senate Apr 1, 2025

SB 635: Wildlife - Protections and Highway Crossings

SB 635 establishes the Maryland Connectivity Coalition to coordinate wildlife protection efforts, directly affecting state agencies, local governments, and wildlife (particularly threatened and endangered species). The bill creates the Wildlife Connectivity Fund to support projects like wildlife crossings on highways, requires the State Highway Administration to include wildlife habitat data in transportation planning, and mandates the Department of Natural Resources to maintain a website for public donations to fund these initiatives. Key provisions include coalition-led criteria for prioritizing projects - such as locations with frequent wildlife-vehicle collisions or highways fragmenting habitats - and requirements for counties to consider wildlife connectivity when updating local land-use plans. The law aims to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and protect habitat access without altering existing endangered species definitions.

Topics ✓ Environment ✓ Transportation

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 31, 2025

HB 7: Vehicle Laws - Bicycles - Operation at Intersections

HB 7 modifies Maryland's vehicle laws to allow bicyclists to proceed through certain stop-sign intersections without stopping under specific conditions. It applies only to intersections on highways with two or fewer lanes for moving traffic, requiring bicyclists to reduce speed to a reasonable rate and yield to vehicles already in the intersection or approaching vehicles posing immediate danger. The bill directly affects bicyclists operating on these low-traffic highways, changing the standard stop requirement to a conditional "yield and proceed" rule. This amendment updates Sections 21-707 and 21-1202 of the Maryland Annotated Code, effective October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Transportation

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 31, 2025

SB 984: Private Passenger Motor Vehicle Insurance - Use of Programs That Measure the Operation of an Insured Vehicle

SB 984 requires Maryland car insurance companies to clearly disclose when they use telematics systems (devices tracking driving behavior like speed, location, or braking) to collect data about a vehicle or driver. It prohibits insurers from using this data to set premiums, cancel policies, or refuse renewal. The bill also mandates that the Maryland Insurance Administration establish rules limiting the types and amount of data insurers can collect, and creates a process for policyholders to dispute inaccurate data. These changes directly affect Maryland residents who purchase private passenger auto insurance.

Topics ✓ Technology

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 31, 2025

HB 978: Baltimore County - Speed Monitoring Systems - Interstate 695 and Interstate 83

HB 978 authorizes the State Highway Administration to install speed monitoring systems on specific high-risk sections of Interstate 695 and Interstate 83 in Baltimore County, with limits of up to four systems per direction on I-695 and three per direction on I-83. It requires that fines collected from violations recorded by these systems be used exclusively for roadway and safety improvements on those highways, supplementing existing funding. The bill also mandates that the Department of State Police mail warning notices instead of citations for initial violations during a specified period. This legislation directly affects drivers using those highways in Baltimore County and governs how enforcement data is handled and funds are allocated.

Topics ✓ Transportation

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 31, 2025

HB 422: Vehicle Laws - Bicycles, Play Vehicles, and Unicycles - Crosswalks

HB 422 allows cyclists, play vehicles (like scooters), and unicycles to enter an intersection on a red traffic signal when a pedestrian "walk" signal is active, directly affecting these non-motorized users at crosswalks. The bill amends Maryland law to clarify that operators must yield to all vehicles and pedestrians already in the intersection before proceeding. It specifically updates Section 21-1202 of the Maryland Transportation Code to permit this maneuver at intersections with pedestrian-controlled signals. The change takes effect October 1, 2025, and does not alter existing requirements for cyclists to follow other traffic laws.

Topics ✓ Transportation

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 31, 2025

HB 1527: Prince George's County - Illegal Dumping and Litter Control Law - Video Evidence and Reward Programs

HB 1527 requires Maryland counties to establish programs allowing residents to submit video evidence of littering violations to local authorities. If the video leads to a conviction under the Illegal Dumping and Litter Control Law, the submitter receives half the fines collected from that violation. The bill amends existing law to direct these fines toward public rewards and litter control efforts, such as installing receptacles and signage. It applies to all counties and takes effect October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Environment

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 28, 2025

SB 912: Charles County – Off–Highway Recreational Vehicles – Regulation and Enforcement

SB 912 authorizes Charles County to regulate off-highway recreational vehicles (OHRVs) within the county. It requires OHRV owners to register their vehicles with the county and pay a registration fee, imposes age restrictions on operators, and allows county authorities to impound OHRVs involved in specific violations. These violations include offenses under Maryland’s Vehicle Law (Title 21, Subtitle 9) or Criminal Law sections 6-404 and 6-405. The law directly affects OHRV users in Charles County by establishing new local rules for operation, registration, and enforcement. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 28, 2025

SB 992: Corporations and Associations - Revisions

SB 992 removes the requirement for shareholder approval when corporations transfer assets used as collateral for mortgages, pledges, or security interests. It establishes two key pathways: (1) when lenders exercise rights under commercial law to transfer assets without corporate consent, or (2) when the board authorizes an "alternative sale" that reduces the secured debt, with the asset value not exceeding the debt amount. This primarily affects corporations with secured debt and their lenders by simplifying asset transfers during debt resolution. The bill also repeals outdated merger documentation requirements for business entities.

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 28, 2025

SB 925: Criminal Law - Controlled Dangerous Substances and Firearms

SB 925 allows individuals aged 21 or older to manufacture small amounts of cannabis products or concentrated cannabis for personal use or adult sharing at home, provided no volatile solvents (like butane) are used. It defines "personal use" as up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis, 12 grams of concentrate, or 750mg of THC in products, and prohibits manufacturing with volatile solvents. The bill also raises felony thresholds for cannabis offenses (e.g., 50+ pounds) and adjusts penalties for "volume dealers" and "drug kingpins" involving cannabis or cocaine. It does not change firearm laws but modifies existing penalties for certain drug-related crimes. The bill focuses on clarifying home manufacturing rules and adjusting sentencing for large-scale cannabis offenses.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill results