This bill requires Maryland county school boards to create parent and family engagement policies by the 2027-2028 school year, and mandates that individual public schools develop Parent-School Compacts starting in the 2028-2029 school year. The policies must be created in consultation with parents and include frameworks for collaboration, technical assistance like translation services, staff training, and annual evaluations to ensure effectiveness. School compacts will define the specific roles and responsibilities of school staff, parents, and students, including curriculum standards, parental support duties, teacher qualifications, and communication requirements. The State Department of Education will provide guidance and technical assistance to help schools implement these policies. Existing policies may be amended to meet the new requirements rather than requiring entirely new documents.
This bill requires Maryland's Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Natural Resources to jointly convene a temporary workgroup by June 1, 2026, to examine challenges and opportunities in the state's seafood marketing sector. The workgroup must include two Senate members, two House members, agency representatives, seafood industry stakeholders, and other necessary stakeholders. The agencies must provide staff support, and the workgroup must submit findings and recommendations to the Governor and relevant legislative committees by December 1, 2026. The bill expires automatically on June 30, 2027, with no further legislative action required. It does not create new laws or funding but establishes a process for examining seafood marketing issues.
SB 574 requires the Charles County Board of Education to provide 45 days' written notice and hold a public hearing at least 10 years before replacing a private company that currently provides student bus transportation services. The bill defines "displacement" as replacing a private provider without contractual renewal, excluding cases like contract non-renewal for cause or provider breaches. It mandates the board notify affected providers in writing and publish hearing notices in a local newspaper for two weeks prior to the hearing. The board must also give displaced providers at least two years' written notice before implementing replacement, with specific compensation options if the timeline is shortened. This bill directly affects private bus transportation companies serving Charles County students.
SB 875 establishes a 5-year pilot program for rotating oyster harvesting in four designated areas of the Chesapeake Bay, managed by Maryland's Department of Natural Resources. The program requires the Department to open different oyster bars each season, collect baseline data before opening and monitor after closing, and mandate that harvested oyster shells be replaced in the same area to support habitat restoration. This directly affects oyster harvesters in those four areas by changing seasonal harvesting access and requiring shell recycling. The policy aims to promote sustainable oyster populations through data-driven management and habitat conservation.
SB 836 authorizes Carroll County Commissioners to divide the county into districts and establish district planning commissions. These commissions would develop land use plans, zoning regulations, and hold public hearings for their districts, operating with the same powers as the county’s main planning commission. The bill requires district plans to follow Carroll County’s standard land use rules unless specified otherwise in the district’s regulations. This directly affects Carroll County residents and local development decisions by enabling more localized planning processes.
HB 1044 prohibits the release of defendants after conviction but before sentencing or final appeals for specific crimes resulting in the death of a child under 14. It applies directly to individuals convicted of either a violent crime (as defined in Maryland’s Criminal Law §14-101) or a violation of child neglect law (§3-602.1) that caused the death of a victim under age 14. The bill amends Maryland’s Criminal Procedure Article to bar courts from granting pre-sentencing or pre-appeal release in these cases. The law would take effect October 1, 2026.
SB 959 creates a new "Class 1 Distillery On-Premises Consumption Permit" specifically for Carroll County distilleries holding a Class 1 license. This permit allows those distilleries to sell mixed drinks made from their own liquor (up to 7,750 gallons annually), along with food and nonalcoholic beverages, for on-site consumption. The permit replaces previous requirements under Section 2-202 and requires approval from the Carroll County Health Department for food sales. It also mandates compliance with alcohol awareness training and trade practice rules. The bill applies exclusively to Carroll County distilleries and takes effect July 1, 2026.
SB 545 prohibits land surveyors and property line surveyors from conducting surveys on private property during Maryland's deer firearms hunting season without the property owner's written permission. The bill amends Maryland law to require this written consent during the specific hunting season outlined in the Natural Resources Article. Violations could result in fines up to $500, imprisonment for up to six months, or additional penalties of up to $5,000 per violation imposed by the licensing board. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, directly affecting surveying professionals and property owners during hunting season.
SB 580 requires 12 specific Maryland state agencies - including the Motor Vehicle Administration, Department of Health, and Veterans Services - to offer walk-in public services on a first-come, first-served basis. Agencies must provide this service at least once weekly between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at reasonable locations. Agencies already offering in-person appointments must add walk-in service at those same locations, while others must establish at least one new walk-in location. The law applies to services like vehicle licensing, health records, and veterans programs, effective October 1, 2026.
SB 931 amends Maryland's Public Ethics Law to require officials and candidates to disclose holdings in virtual currency on financial disclosure forms and to include "domestic partner" and "registered domestic partner" in definitions treating them equally with spouses for ethics purposes. The bill updates key terms like "financial interest" and "immediate family" to explicitly cover domestic partners, ensuring their financial interests are assessed similarly to spouses under the law.
SB 595 changes how Maryland county school boards and Baltimore City’s school board fill vacant elected and appointed positions. If a vacancy occurs 55 or more days before the primary election filing deadline, the board must hold an election at the next general election. If a vacancy happens within 54 days of that deadline, or if no qualified candidates file, the board must appoint a replacement within 60 days through a public process: advertising the vacancy, reviewing candidate resumes, conducting livestreamed interviews, and holding a public vote. This bill directly affects school board members and residents in all Maryland counties and Baltimore City by standardizing vacancy procedures.
This bill establishes procedures for Maryland to appoint delegates and an advisory committee if an Article V constitutional convention is called. It sets specific qualifications for commissioners (e.g., 5 years Maryland residency, no federal lobbying in the past 5 years, no federal employment in the past 10 years), requires a formal oath, and outlines removal processes. The law would activate in the next General Assembly session after 34 states trigger the convention process under Article V. It is purely procedural and does not propose any constitutional amendments.
