Maryland Bills

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 18, 2026

HB 312: Correctional Officers' Retirement System - Redeposit of Accumulated Contributions - Alterations

HB 312 allows correctional officers who previously withdrew retirement contributions to regain service credit by redepositing those funds plus interest. Specifically, it expands eligibility to include members who withdrew from the Employees’ Pension System or Teachers’ Pension System (previously only Employees’ Retirement System was covered). To qualify, members must redeposit the withdrawn contributions in a single payment plus regular interest. This change directly affects former correctional officers seeking to restore prior service credit toward retirement benefits. The bill amends Maryland’s Correctional Officers’ Retirement System rules to include these additional pension systems.

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 17, 2026

HB 1597: Health - Unregulated Space in Hospital Operating Suites - Pilot Project

HB 1597 establishes a 3-year pilot project (2026-2029) allowing up to five Maryland hospitals to create unregulated operating room space within regulated facilities. Participating hospitals must follow specific criteria: maintain charity care, charge comparable rates to regulated services, reduce costs for Medicaid/Medicare, and avoid duplicating services in regulated spaces. The Health Services Cost Review Commission administers the pilot, requires annual reports on procedures, costs, and impacts on healthcare efficiency, and mandates data sharing from associated surgical centers. This directly affects participating hospitals, patients using unregulated space, and payers (including Medicaid/Medicare), with no changes to existing regulated hospital services.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 16, 2026

HB 1631: Agriculture - Hemp Manufacturing License - Establishment

This Maryland bill requires the Department of Agriculture to create a new hemp manufacturing license that allows businesses to legally produce, store, and transport hemp extracts. The legislation mandates strict tracking through chain of custody documentation and requires finished products to undergo independent testing with certificates of analysis. It also establishes rules to separate hemp manufacturing from cannabis operations and provides legal protection for those who possess hemp products in compliance with the new regulations.

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 16, 2026

HB 1628: Higher Education - Academic Program Approval - Objections

This bill modifies Maryland's higher education regulations by removing the requirement that a proposed new academic program must be a graduate program for the Maryland Higher Education Commission or other institutions to file objections. The change allows objections to be raised for any type of new academic program, not just graduate-level ones, based on criteria such as mission consistency, regional need, program duplication, or violations of equal educational opportunity. Directly affected parties include the Maryland Higher Education Commission, public and private nonprofit institutions of higher education, and students who may be impacted by program approvals. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026, and does not alter the existing grounds for objections, only expanding the scope of programs eligible for review.

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 16, 2026

HB 1644: Property Management Services - Licensing and Requirements

This Maryland bill requires property managers handling residential properties with four or more rental units to hold a state real estate broker license, expanding the definition of real estate brokerage services to include certain property management activities. The legislation mandates that landlords cannot use unlicensed property management services for qualifying residential properties and requires licensed property managers to complete continuing education on property management topics. Additionally, the bill establishes penalties for violations and creates a process for the State Real Estate Commission to investigate inadequate property management services after receiving a formal notice. These changes directly affect property management companies, landlords managing multi-unit residential properties, and the regulatory oversight provided by the State Real Estate Commission.

Topics ✓ Housing

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 13, 2026

HB 1607: Community Solar Energy Generating Systems - Prohibited Locations - Adjacent Parcels

HB 1607 removes a restriction preventing community solar projects from being placed on adjacent parcels if their combined capacity exceeded 5 megawatts. It allows such projects on adjacent land if the total capacity stays under 10 megawatts, provided at least 75% of the energy serves low- or moderate-income subscribers, or the site uses agrivoltaics (combining solar with agriculture). This directly affects community solar developers and property owners seeking to expand solar installations on connected properties. The bill maintains existing exceptions (like rooftop or industrial sites) while adding new conditions to support equitable access for underserved communities.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

in committee · Maryland · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 985: Correctional Services - Immigration Detention Facilities - Minimum Mandatory Standards

SB 985 requires Maryland's Secretary of Public Safety to establish minimum mandatory standards for immigration detention facilities, directly affecting people held for immigration violations (civil detainees) and the facilities housing them. The bill mandates standards covering security, safety, food, housing, sanitation, and individual rights, while creating new reporting obligations for health care workers and security guards who must report violations to the Commission on Correctional Standards. It grants the Commission expanded authority to inspect facilities, enforce compliance, shut down life-threatening facilities, and require disciplinary action against non-reporting staff. The law also updates reporting requirements for facility operators and authorizes the Attorney General to sue private facility operators for violations.

Topics ✓ Immigration

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 10, 2026

HB 1586: Protective Orders - Coercive Control

HB 1586 adds "coercive control" to Maryland's definition of abuse for protective order petitions, specifically for adults experiencing psychological manipulation. It defines coercive control as patterns of behavior including isolating victims from support networks, depriving them of basic needs, controlling finances or movements, or using threats (including about immigration status) to force compliance. This allows individuals in abusive relationships - where physical violence may not occur - to seek protective orders based on these non-physical tactics. The bill updates existing Family Law sections (4-501 and 4-504) to include these specific examples of coercive control as grounds for relief.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 10, 2026

HB 1608: Public Safety - Firearms - Storage Requirements

HB 1608 requires firearm owners (defined as "authorized users") to store firearms in a locked, tamper-resistant container ("secure storage depository") when not carrying the firearm or under direct control. It directly affects individuals who store firearms in locations accessible to minors, including parents or guardians. The bill amends Maryland law to mandate this secure storage, defining a "secure storage depository" as a fire- and impact-resistant container requiring a key, keypad, or combination to open. Violating this requirement - resulting in a minor accessing the firearm and causing serious injury or death - carries misdemeanor penalties with fines up to $1,000. The law does not apply during lawful self-defense, law enforcement duties, or when a minor has a valid firearm safety certificate.

in committee · Maryland · Senate Mar 6, 2026

SB 969: Health Insurance - Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Illnesses - Long-Term Antibiotic Treatment

SB 969 requires Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations to cover the full duration of long-term antibiotic treatment (over 4 weeks) for Lyme disease and related tick-borne illnesses when ordered by a licensed physician for treatment purposes. It prohibits these entities from imposing limits on treatment length or denying coverage solely because the treatment is labeled "unproven," "experimental," or "investigational." The law applies to all health insurance policies issued, delivered, or renewed in Maryland on or after January 1, 2027, directly affecting patients diagnosed with these conditions and their insurers. This ensures consistent coverage for extended antibiotic therapy without arbitrary restrictions based on treatment classification.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Maryland · Senate Mar 6, 2026

SB 976: Wicomico County - Orphans' Court Judge - Annual Salary

SB 976 increases the annual salary for the judge of Wicomico County's Orphans' Court from $11,600 to $16,000, effective July 1, 2026. The bill amends Maryland's Annotated Code (Article - Estates and Trusts, Section 2-108(v)(1)) to set this new salary amount, paid quarterly. It applies only to judges serving terms beginning after the effective date, not to current judges in office before July 1, 2026. This is a direct compensation adjustment for one specific judicial position in Wicomico County.

in committee · Maryland · Senate Mar 6, 2026

SB 988: Judicial Facilities - Stops, Detentions, and Arrests - Limitations

SB 988 prohibits law enforcement from stopping, detaining, or arresting individuals for civil offenses (such as traffic tickets or unpaid fines) within judicial facilities (like courthouses) or within one mile of them while traveling to attend a court proceeding. Police must notify the judge beforehand and avoid disrupting court activities to stop someone for a civil matter in these areas. Evidence obtained from violating this law is inadmissible in court, and affected individuals can sue for damages or seek court orders. The Attorney General may also file lawsuits to stop ongoing violations of the law.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill results