Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 491: Law Enforcement Officers' Pension System - Military Service Credit Eligibility - Helicopter Pilots

This bill clarifies how Maryland law enforcement officers in the state pension system can earn retirement credit for military service. It allows credit only if military service wasn't already counted in another retirement system (with exceptions for Social Security, railroad retirement, or certain federal programs). The bill caps total military credit at 5 years, specifies 4 months of credit per year for National Guard/reserve service (max 36 months total), and limits service academy credit to 16 months. It also prohibits individuals from receiving military credit more than once.

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 163: Income Tax - Addition Modification for Federal Tax-Exempt Income - Study

SB 163 modifies Maryland's income tax calculation by removing a requirement to include certain foreign earned income in taxable income. It specifically exempts income that qualifies for exclusion under federal law (IRS Section 911), such as earnings from work abroad that are already excluded from federal taxes but would otherwise be added to Maryland taxable income. This change directly affects Maryland residents earning qualifying foreign income who currently face state taxation on that income. The bill amends Maryland tax code sections 10-204(a) and 10-204(c)(1)(I) and takes effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 413: State Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors - Board Operations and Regulation of Crematories and Reduction Facilities

This bill transfers regulatory oversight of crematories and natural organic reduction facilities from Maryland's Office of Cemetery Oversight to the State Board of Morticians, Funeral Directors, and Crematories. It renames the board to explicitly include crematory oversight and modifies board procedures, allowing the governor to remove members with fewer restrictions and requiring only a simple majority vote for decisions. These changes affect cremation facilities and natural organic reduction businesses operating in Maryland, which previously fell under cemetery oversight. The bill also updates related sections of Maryland law to reflect these structural and procedural shifts.

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 337: Correctional Officers' Retirement System - Membership - Clarifications

SB 337 clarifies membership requirements and retirement benefits for correctional officers and specific staff in Maryland's Correctional Officers' Retirement System (CORS). It requires certain employees - such as correctional officers, security attendants at Clifton T. Perkins Hospital, and related positions - to join CORS as a condition of employment. The bill also clarifies how unused sick leave accrued in previous retirement systems (like the Employees' Pension System) is counted toward CORS benefits for employees who transferred systems without transferring service credit. This ensures accurate calculation of retirement benefits based on service history and unused sick leave, directly affecting eligible CORS members in designated roles.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 28, 2026

HB 532: Employment Standards - Firefighters - Payment of Wages and Payroll Information

HB 532 requires counties and municipalities in Maryland to calculate overtime pay for government-employed firefighters based on hours worked over 168 in a 28-day period (instead of the standard 40-hour workweek). It also mandates that these employers provide firefighters with specific payroll information at hiring, during pay rate changes, and with each paycheck - including pay rates, overtime rates, hours worked, and deductions. If employers fail to provide this information or pay due wages, firefighters or their representatives can file a grievance, triggering automatic damages that increase by 30% per pay period until resolved, capped at three times the missing amount. The bill directly affects all firefighters employed by Maryland local governments and aims to standardize overtime calculations and improve payroll transparency.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 419: Health Occupations - State Board of Massage Therapy Examiners - Revisions

SB 419 revises Maryland's licensing requirements for massage therapists by phasing out registration in favor of licensure, effective November 1, 2026. It increases the required training from 600 to 750 hours for licensure, repeals outdated registration standards, and removes a requirement for hearings before imposing administrative penalties. Current registered massage therapists can continue practicing until October 31, 2026, after which they must obtain a license. This affects all practitioners seeking to practice massage therapy in Maryland, including current registrants and new applicants.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 14, 2026

HB 975: Health Occupations - Massage Therapy - Advertising

HB 975 prohibits licensed massage therapists, registered massage practitioners, and third parties acting on their behalf from advertising massage services that imply sexual activity, suggest prostitution services, or appear on sites known for such ads. It requires all advertising for massage therapy to include the full name and license or registration number of the specific practitioner. The bill also sets standards for permissible advertising, such as allowing business-level ads without listing individual therapists, and mandates that trade names not be deceptive. These changes directly affect massage therapy practitioners and their marketing practices in Maryland, effective October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 492: Health Occupations - Massage Therapy - Advertising

SB 492 regulates advertising by licensed massage therapists and registered massage practitioners in Maryland. It bans advertisements that suggest sexual services are available, appear on websites known for such services, or imply sexual activity is part of massage therapy. The bill requires all ads to include the provider’s full name and license number, with an exception for business ads (which must display the business name but still require the provider’s name on billing and records). Violations of these advertising rules, including online ads visible each day, are subject to separate penalties.

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 861: Environment - Stormwater Management for Agritourism

SB 861 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to create regulations and a model ordinance for local stormwater management programs to enforce rules on agricultural land. It directly affects farmers and local governments by mandating that programs consult with soil conservation districts before enforcing stormwater regulations on farms. Key provisions include defining agricultural uses (like on-farm processing) separately from commercial development in the stormwater manual and allowing flexibility in enforcement for agricultural land. The bill updates existing law to clarify how stormwater rules apply to farms, avoiding overly rigid standards that could conflict with farming operations. It takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Environment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 756: Baltimore City – Economic Development Project in Downtown RISE District – Payment in Lieu of Taxes

SB 756 creates a tax exemption for certain new or rehabilitated commercial or residential developments in Baltimore City's Downtown RISE District (specifically Wards 4 and 22 precincts), replacing property taxes with annual "payment in lieu of taxes" agreements. Property owners must enter a formal agreement with Baltimore City by June 30, 2036, after demonstrating the project's economic necessity through a city-approved analysis. The bill requires annual reporting on job creation, estimated tax revenue, and other economic benefits of qualifying projects. This applies only to developments including hotels, offices, retail, multifamily housing, or mixed-use facilities within the defined district.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 14, 2026

HB 1071: Environment - Stormwater Management for Agritourism

HB 1071 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to create regulations and a model ordinance for local stormwater management programs to enforce rules on agricultural land. It mandates that local programs must work with soil conservation districts to implement these rules and specifies that farm-related uses (like on-farm processing) must be clearly distinguished from commercial development in stormwater regulations. The bill also adds flexibility for enforcing stormwater management on agricultural land, rather than applying standard commercial development rules. This directly affects farmers, local governments, and soil conservation districts by changing how agricultural land is regulated under stormwater management.

Topics ✓ Environment

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 14, 2026

HB 1232: Baltimore City - Economic Development Project in Downtown RISE District - Payment in Lieu of Taxes

HB 1232 allows developers to avoid Baltimore City property taxes for new or renovated commercial or multifamily projects in the Downtown RISE District (specifically wards 4, 21, and 22 precincts) by entering a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement with the city. To qualify, the project must include at least one facility like a hotel, office building, or retail space, and the city must first confirm the project’s financial necessity through an economic analysis. Developers must apply for the agreement by June 30, 2036, with building permits secured and financing conditions met. The city must annually report job creation, estimated tax impacts, and other economic benefits to city council and the state legislature. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes

Bill results