HB 756 allows petitioners seeking guardianship of an alleged disabled person's property to request a temporary halt (stay) of six specific civil lawsuits against that person, including rent non-payment cases, eviction proceedings, foreclosure, and property-related claims. The stay remains in effect until a guardian is appointed or the petition is denied, and requires legal notices to be served on the appointed guardian instead of the disabled person. This bill directly affects individuals facing property-related lawsuits while a guardianship petition is pending, as well as courts and guardians handling these cases. It amends Maryland’s Estates and Trusts code (§ 13-223) to create this procedural mechanism, effective October 1, 2025.
HB 1156 changes the Maryland Parole Commission by increasing its size from 10 to 15-20 members and altering how members are appointed. It requires the Governor to select members from a list of nominees provided by a panel of eight stakeholders, including law enforcement, public defense, social work, and community representatives, though this panel process applies only to initial appointments. The bill also removes the Commission's authority to appoint hearing examiners, transferring that responsibility to the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services. These changes directly affect the Commission’s structure and the process for conducting parole hearings in Maryland.
SB 523 provides Maryland state employees with paid leave for cancer screenings. It entitles all state employees - including temporary and part-time workers across executive, judicial, and legislative branches - to up to 4 hours of paid leave annually for cancer screenings, subject to approval from their supervisor. Employees must request and obtain approval before using the leave, and the leave is limited to 4 hours per 12-month period. The bill establishes this as a new benefit under state personnel law, effective July 1, 2025. It directly affects all state employees who need time for preventive cancer screenings during work hours.
SB 62 establishes a 10-member Task Force on Education Funding and Student Population Growth in Maryland. The Task Force, appointed by legislative leaders and the Governor, includes education officials, school administrators, and public representatives to examine how delays in student enrollment counts affect school funding and how growing student populations connect to funding needs. It must analyze these issues and submit recommendations to the Governor and Legislature by December 15, 2025, before the task force dissolves on June 30, 2026. This bill creates a study group to inform future education funding decisions, with no direct policy changes enacted by the bill itself.
HB 1363 lowers the screen threshold requiring motion picture houses to provide open movie captioning from eight to four screens. It mandates that qualifying theaters (with four or more screens) provide open captioning for at least two weekly screenings during a film’s first three weeks of release, and report monthly to the Commission on Civil Rights and Attorney General on captioning usage. The bill affects all Maryland movie theaters with four or more screens that show films available with captions under federal law. It updates existing requirements by clarifying captioning types, adding reporting obligations, and adjusting the screen count trigger for open captioning mandates.
HB 1239 strengthens Maryland's fair housing laws by explicitly prohibiting housing discrimination based on discriminatory *effects* - not just intent. It amends Section 20-702(b)(2) and Section 20-705(A) to state that housing providers cannot discriminate "regardless of intent" in practices like refusing rentals, setting unequal terms, or using biased advertisements. The bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to adopt regulations supporting "affirmatively furthering fair housing" and mandates that housing authorities submit fair housing assessments as part of their comprehensive plans. This directly affects landlords, housing authorities, and any entity involved in residential housing transactions across Maryland.
SB 580 adds Washington County to Maryland's list of counties where existing agricultural buildings used for agritourism (like farm tours or seasonal activities) do not require a building permit for that use. It directly affects farmers and agritourism businesses in Washington County by exempting them from permit requirements under specific conditions: agritourism must not exceed 200 people per building, and exit paths must meet standard egress width requirements. The bill maintains that these buildings need not comply with bathroom, sprinkler, or elevator codes, but must remain structurally sound. The exemption takes effect June 1, 2025.
SB 264 increases fees for nursery inspections, certification, and broker/dealer licensing to fund plant disease control efforts. It raises annual inspection fees for nurseries based on acreage (e.g., $20 for 1 acre or less, up to $1,500 for over 10 acres) and sets a $150 certification fee for nurseries (up from $100). Brokers and dealers must pay a $150 annual license fee, while producers of strawberries ($50 per acre) and grapes/fruit trees ($70 per acre) face new certification fees. All collected fees will fund the Plant Protection Fund to cover inspection, certification, and disease control costs. The changes take effect October 1, 2025.
SB 797 exempts Dorchester County from standard notice requirements when leasing county property for terms of five years or less. Specifically, it amends Maryland law to allow the county to enter such short-term leases without publishing weekly notices in local newspapers for three weeks, as required for other property dispositions. This change applies only to Dorchester County and only to leases with five years or fewer remaining on the term. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.
SB 771 clarifies insurance and liability rules for Maryland's peer-to-peer car sharing programs (like Turo or Getaround). It changes how insurance coverage applies during shared vehicle use, making program insurance secondary for replacement vehicles and clarifying that the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund does not cover non-replacement vehicle incidents. The bill also allows programs to charge drivers for tolls/fines incurred during sharing, excludes programs from being considered "vehicle owners" for traffic camera violations, and sets minimum insurance requirements when claims occur in states with higher coverage limits. These changes directly affect car sharing platforms, drivers using shared vehicles, and insurance providers operating in Maryland.
HB 1257 requires landlords renting five or more residential units to fully disclose all mandatory fees (like pet or parking fees) when advertising rental rates and providing written information to prospective tenants. Landlords must clearly state the fee's purpose, amount, type (mandatory vs. optional), and payment schedule in advance, and cannot charge any mandatory fee that wasn’t disclosed. The Department of Housing and Community Development will assist tenants with understanding the law and can impose penalties of up to $2,000 for repeat violations. This law excludes utility charges and minor lease violations from disclosure requirements, directly affecting landlords and prospective tenants in Maryland.
HB 1151 allows sellers of residential property to request a second appraisal if an initial appraisal values the property below its current market value. The bill requires lenders to provide a written copy of this additional appraisal to the seller at no cost. It directly affects residential property sellers who disagree with an initial appraisal, giving them a formal process to seek a revised valuation. The key provision ensures sellers receive a free, written copy of the second appraisal, addressing concerns about appraisal discrepancies during sales transactions. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.
