Maryland Bills

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 19, 2025

SB 270: Board of Trustees of the Maryland Teachers and State Employees Supplemental Retirement Plans - Automatic Enrollment

SB 270 requires Maryland's State Board of Trustees to automatically enroll new state employees hired on or after January 1, 2026, into supplemental retirement plans. Employees are enrolled by default, with employers deducting the minimum contribution amount from wages unless the employee opts out within 90 days of their first automatic deduction. The bill mandates that employees receive clear notice explaining their enrollment terms, contribution options, and rights to adjust or stop contributions within the 90-day window. It applies only to new hires starting in 2026, not current employees, and takes effect October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 19, 2025

SB 466: Criminal Law - Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable and Senior Adults

SB 466 prohibits caregivers, family members, or household members from knowingly taking property from vulnerable or senior adults with the intent to deprive them of it. The bill makes such exploitation a violation of Maryland’s Consumer Protection Act, allowing the Attorney General’s Senior and Vulnerable Adult Asset Recovery Unit to pursue civil cases for asset recovery. It also disqualifies convicted individuals from inheriting or benefiting from the victim’s estate, insurance, or property. This law directly protects vulnerable seniors and their families while strengthening enforcement through existing consumer protection and criminal justice mechanisms.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 19, 2025

SB 626: Frederick County - Sheriff - Salary

SB 626 would change Frederick County's sheriff salary to match the highest pay level for a Maryland State Police lieutenant colonel under the state's current pay plan. This applies only to the Frederick County sheriff, not other counties, and affects current and future officeholders. The bill ensures the sheriff's salary automatically aligns with the State Police lieutenant colonel's top pay step, but current sheriffs keep their existing salary during their term - changes would only apply to the next term. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 19, 2025

SB 586: Corporations and Associations - Methodist Church Trust Requirement Repeal and Disaffiliation Requirements

SB 586 repeals Maryland law requiring all Methodist churches (including former Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant, and Evangelical United Brethren churches) to hold their assets in trust for the United Methodist Church and be subject to its control. This directly affects local Methodist congregations in Maryland that previously had to manage assets under these trust requirements. The bill removes Sections 5-326 and 5-327 of Maryland's Corporations and Associations code, which mandated this trust structure. It becomes effective October 1, 2025, ending the legal obligation for these churches to hold assets under the United Methodist Church's control.

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 19, 2025

SB 179: Motor Vehicle Registration - Fee Exemption - Unemployable Disabled Veterans

SB 179 exempts one vehicle owned or leased by an unemployable disabled veteran with a service-connected disability from Maryland's motor vehicle registration fees. It adds this group to existing fee exemptions by amending Maryland's transportation code (Section 13-903(a)(11)). The exemption applies only to vehicles personally used by the veteran and requires the veteran to be declared unemployable due to a disability connected to military service. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, and directly affects eligible disabled veterans who qualify under this specific criterion.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Veterans

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 19, 2025

SB 449: Frederick and Washington Counties - Bow Hunting - Openly Carrying Handguns

SB 449 allows licensed bow hunters aged 21+ to openly carry a handgun for personal protection during deer hunting season in Frederick or Washington Counties, or in Deer Management Region A. It prohibits the Department of Natural Resources from banning this practice under these specific conditions. The bill does not permit using the handgun to kill wildlife already wounded by a bow or crossbow. This change directly affects bow hunters in those two counties during designated deer hunting periods. The law amends existing Maryland hunting regulations to clarify this exception.

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 19, 2025

SB 815: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Prohibited Disclosures

SB 815 prohibits the Maryland Department of Labor from requiring applicants for occupational licenses to disclose certain criminal history details, including arrests without conviction, deferred adjudications, diversion program participation, and some sealed or expunged convictions. It specifically bans asking about misdemeanor convictions without physical harm, convictions over 3 years old without imprisonment, and most other offenses after 7 years if no new charges occurred. The law requires the department to consider rehabilitation, job history, and public safety risks before denying a license, rather than automatically denying based on past criminal records. This directly affects individuals seeking state-licensed jobs (like cosmetologists, contractors, or healthcare workers) who have specific non-violent criminal histories.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Labor & Employment

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 19, 2025

SB 873: Workgroup to Study Adoption of a Statute for Assault in the Third Degree

SB 873 redefines "assault in the third degree" in Maryland law as a misdemeanor, replacing the previous "assault in the second degree." It defines "offensive contact" as nonconsensual physical touch a reasonable person would find offensive, excluding injuries, domestic crimes, or sexual offenses. The bill establishes District Court as the exclusive court for these cases, removes assault in the third degree as a lesser-included offense for other crimes, and adds it to the list of offenses eligible for expungement. It also repeals the existing "assault in the second degree" statute and clarifies that certain defenses (like bias based on race or gender) cannot be used in assault cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 19, 2025

SB 343: State's Attorneys - Reconstitution of Task Force to Study Transparency Standards for State's Attorneys

SB 343 establishes a permanent grant fund to help Maryland state's attorneys' offices improve or implement electronic case management systems that track arrests, charges, and case details. The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention will administer the fund, providing grants for new systems or upgrades that must supplement - rather than replace - existing funding. The bill also reconstitutes a task force (including legislators, community members, and state’s attorneys) to study transparency standards for these offices. The fund’s money comes from state budget allocations and interest earnings, and it is non-lapsing (permanent).

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 19, 2025

SB 927: Corporations and Associations - Cooperative Limited Equity Housing Corporations - Establishment

SB 927 allows Maryland nonstock housing corporations to convert into limited equity housing cooperatives (LEHCs), where residents own shares rather than renting units. It requires LEHCs to provide notice and reimburse moving expenses for low-income households displaced during conversion, and exempts LEHC-owned property from state property tax (with limitations). The bill also authorizes state grants to support LEHC establishment, prohibits local governments from restricting LEHCs, and sets rules for member voting and resale of housing shares. These changes aim to make cooperative housing more accessible while protecting current residents during transitions.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Housing

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 18, 2025

SB 578: Business Regulation - Home Improvement Guaranty Fund - Alterations

SB 578 modifies Maryland's Home Improvement Guaranty Fund rules to allow claimants to recover attorney fees from the Fund, up to the amount of their actual loss. It requires courts or arbitrators to explicitly state the "actual loss" value in final judgments or awards for claims to be processed. This affects homeowners who need to claim against contractors for unworkmanlike home improvements and the Maryland Home Improvement Commission that administers the Fund. The bill amends sections 8-405(e)(4) and 8-409(a) of the Maryland Annotated Code to clarify these requirements.

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 18, 2025

HB 1210: Workers' Compensation - Evaluation of Permanent Impairments - Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical

HB 1210 authorizes licensed certified social workers-clinical (LCSW-Cs) to evaluate permanent impairments involving behavioral or mental disorders for workers' compensation claims. It directly affects workers with mental/behavioral health claims, LCSW-Cs seeking to provide these evaluations, and the Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission. The bill amends existing law to require LCSW-Cs to follow Commission regulations for expert witnesses when conducting these evaluations. The change takes effect October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill results