Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 443: Local Boards of Elections - Board Counsel - Qualifications

SB 443 changes the qualifications for legal counsel serving on Maryland's local election boards. It replaces a requirement that counsel must be a registered voter in their specific county with a statewide requirement that counsel must be a registered voter in Maryland. The bill also maintains the existing requirement that counsel must be licensed to practice law in Maryland. These changes apply directly to county election boards statewide, affecting who can serve as their legal counsel.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 28, 2026

HB 640: Mandated Reports, Boards, and Commissions - Revisions

HB 640 repeals outdated or unnecessary government reporting requirements, boards, and commissions to improve administrative efficiency. It specifically eliminates obsolete entities like the Renewable Fuels Incentive Board, Two-Generation Family Economic Security Commission, and the requirement for the Department of Health to report on hepatitis B/C virus activities. The bill also removes redundant reporting mandates, such as those for the Criminal Justice Information Advisory Board and several working groups under the Commission on Climate Change. These changes streamline state operations by removing duplicative or obsolete structures without creating new policies or obligations.

Topics ✗ Energy

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 423: Research Facilities and Testing Facilities That Use Animals - Prohibitions and Adoption Requirements (Animal Research Modernization and Best Practices Act of 2026)

SB 423 prohibits Maryland research and testing facilities from using dogs and cats for research or testing, banning specific procedures on these animals. It requires facilities to adopt alternative methods - such as in vitro testing, computational models, or high-throughput screening - when scientifically valid options exist, rather than relying on traditional animal testing. The bill applies to facilities testing chemicals, drugs, or products, mandating that animal testing only occur when no alternatives are available and adhering to humane minimization standards. This directly affects Maryland-based facilities conducting biomedical research or product safety testing involving live animals.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 28, 2026

HB 698: State Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors – Board Operations and Regulation of Crematories and Reduction Facilities

HB 698 transfers regulatory authority for crematories and "reduction facilities" (natural organic reduction of human remains) from the Office of Cemetery Oversight to the State Board of Morticians, Funeral Directors, and Crematories. The bill renames the board to explicitly include crematories, alters procedures for removing board members, and changes quorum requirements to allow action with a simple majority vote. This transfer affects cremation and reduction facility operators by shifting their oversight to the new board, while also updating related code sections in Maryland’s Business Regulation and Health Occupations articles. The bill makes organizational and procedural changes without introducing new operational requirements for these facilities.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 28, 2026

HB 678: Correctional Officers' Retirement System - Membership - Clarifications

HB 678 clarifies membership requirements for the Correctional Officers' Retirement System, specifically affecting correctional officers and security staff at certain Maryland Department of Health facilities (including Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center). The bill amends retirement system rules to ensure that employees transferred between pension systems automatically join the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System as a condition of employment. Key provisions establish how unused sick leave credit is calculated for retirement benefits when employees move between systems, requiring proportional inclusion based on service in each system. This affects current and future employees in designated correctional roles at participating facilities, ensuring consistent retirement benefit calculations.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 449: Workers' Compensation - Heart Disease and Hypertension Presumption and Permanent Partial Disability - Carroll County Correctional Deputies

SB 449 extends workers' compensation benefits to Carroll County correctional deputies who develop heart disease or hypertension. It creates a legal presumption that these conditions are work-related (and thus compensable) if they result in partial disability or death, provided the condition is more severe than any pre-existing condition and the deputy had a medical exam before employment. The bill amends Maryland law to explicitly include "Carroll County Correctional Deputy" in the definition of "public safety employee" for these benefits. This change applies specifically to Carroll County deputies and requires meeting the severity and medical exam conditions to qualify.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 487: Motor Vehicles - Speed Monitoring Systems - Safety Corridors (Vulnerable Road User Protection Act of 2026)

SB 487 authorizes Maryland’s State Highway Administration and local jurisdictions to install speed monitoring systems in designated "safety corridors" - areas identified as high-risk for pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users. It updates existing traffic laws to clarify that penalties from speed monitoring citations (e.g., for speeding in these corridors) must be paid directly to local political subdivisions for uncontested cases or to District Courts for contested cases. The bill amends multiple sections of Maryland’s Transportation and Courts codes to integrate these systems into standard traffic enforcement procedures. It directly affects drivers receiving citations in monitored corridors, local governments implementing the systems, and courts handling related cases. The law focuses on operational details of speed monitoring, not broader safety outcomes.

Topics ✓ Transportation

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 28, 2026

HB 672: Public Health - Maryland Pediatric Cancer Fund - Entities Eligible for Grants

HB 672 amends the Maryland Pediatric Cancer Fund to specify that only nonprofit hospitals, educational institutions, and other nonprofit organizations may receive grants for pediatric cancer research, removing previous eligibility for physicians, laboratories, and individuals. The bill requires grant funds to be used exclusively for direct research costs, prohibiting use for administrative overhead or community-based services. It also mandates annual reporting to the General Assembly on fund administration, promotional efforts, and detailed fund usage.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 28, 2026

HB 735: Earned Income Tax Credit - Assistance Program Implementation Delay and Study

HB 735 delays Maryland's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Assistance Program implementation until 2029 (from 2024) and requires two key studies. The Comptroller's Office must study outreach methods to help eligible low-income residents claim the state EITC by December 31, 2030. The Department of Service and Civic Innovation must also recommend ways to assist low-income residents in claiming tax credits and accessing support. This bill directly affects Marylanders who qualify for the EITC but may not have claimed it, without changing the credit amount or eligibility rules.

Topics ✗ Housing ✗ Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 453: Horse Racing - Laurel Park - Arabian Breed Racing Authorization

SB 453 authorizes Laurel Park racetrack to host live Arabian breed horse races under specific conditions. It limits races to one per day and three per race meet, requires them to occur alongside (not replace) thoroughbred races, and mandates that purses be funded separately from thoroughbred accounts. The bill also requires licensees to pay all applicable taxes and fees, and obtain approval from the State Racing Commission for each Arabian race. This directly affects Laurel Park's operations and the Arabian horse racing community in Maryland.

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 480: Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle Recreation Oversight Board - Establishment

SB 480 establishes the Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle Recreation Oversight Board to advise Maryland's Secretary of Natural Resources on trail management. The board consists of five members appointed by the governor: representatives from the Maryland Off-Highway Vehicle Alliance, Maryland Motorcycle Dealers Association, American Motorcyclist Association District 7, ATV/UTV drivers, and on/off-road vehicle drivers - all Maryland residents serving staggered 4-year terms. The board must meet quarterly to provide guidance on the operation, regulation, and oversight of off-highway vehicle trails across the state. The board takes effect October 1, 2026.

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 445: Employment Standards - Firefighters - Payment of Wages and Payroll Information

SB 445 requires counties and municipalities in Maryland to calculate overtime pay for firefighters based on hours worked over 168 hours in a 28-day period (instead of the standard 40-hour workweek). It also mandates that employers provide firefighters with detailed payroll statements at hiring, when pay rates change, and for each pay period, including hours worked, gross earnings, and deductions. If a county or municipality fails to provide required payroll information or pay due wages, firefighters or their representatives can file a grievance to recover missing wages plus increasing damages of 30% per pay period - capped at three times the amount due - until resolved. This bill directly affects firefighters employed by local governments and clarifies their entitlement to transparent payroll records and timely compensation.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

Bill results