Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 854: Health Occupations - Licensed Direct-Entry Midwives - Revisions

SB 854 revises Maryland's laws governing licensed direct-entry midwives, making their practice independent without requiring oversight by other healthcare providers. It removes the requirement for midwives to report certain information to the Direct-Entry Midwifery Advisory Committee and updates disciplinary procedures for license holders. The bill also clarifies that midwives can provide care directly to patients and newborns during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum periods, including emergency procedures like administering medications or performing episiotomies. These changes directly affect licensed midwives and the patients they serve in Maryland, streamlining their scope of practice under existing licensure. The bill extends the Maryland Licensure of Direct-Entry Midwives Act through a specified sunset date.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1036: Public Utilities - Generating Stations - Generation and Siting (Renewable Energy Certainty Act)

HB 1036, the Renewable Energy Certainty Act, streamlines approval for solar energy projects in Maryland by changing how the Public Service Commission reviews applications. The bill requires the Commission to consider climate change impacts when reviewing projects and prohibits local governments from blocking solar installations through certain regulations or delaying site development plans. It also mandates that local governments expedite reviews for qualifying solar projects and establishes rules for community solar programs and residential rooftop solar systems. This directly affects renewable energy developers, local governments, and homeowners installing solar equipment.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1474: State Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists - Temporary Telehealth Licenses - Establishment

HB 1474 allows out-of-state licensed professional counselors to provide temporary telehealth counseling services to specific students enrolled at Maryland colleges. It directly affects out-of-state counselors and students who are out-of-state residents living near a Maryland institution of higher education (not established Maryland residents). Key provisions require an existing therapeutic relationship between counselor and student, limit services to 5 days per month or 15 days annually, and exclude students with in-state health insurance plans restricting coverage to local providers. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, and will be superseded if the Interstate Counseling Compact begins issuing cross-state licenses.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1344: Department of General Services - Assessment of State-Owned Facilities - Child Care Centers

HB 1344 requires Maryland's Department of General Services to assess all state-owned facilities to determine if they could be leased to child care centers (as defined in Maryland law). The department must report by December 1, 2026, including a full inventory of facilities and details on each facility's suitability and leasing availability for child care centers. The report must be submitted to the General Assembly and published online. The bill expires automatically on June 30, 2027, after a two-year term.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 294: Maryland Cybersecurity Council - Alterations

SB 294 changes how the Maryland Cybersecurity Council is led and who serves on it. Starting October 1, 2025, the Council will elect its own chair every two years instead of the Attorney General serving as chair. The bill adds specific membership requirements, including five cybersecurity company representatives (with at least three from small companies under 50 employees), four business association representatives, and up to ten higher education representatives. This directly affects small cybersecurity firms, business associations, and educational institutions that will now have formal representation on the Council.

Topics ✓ Technology

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 664: Business Regulation - Enforcement for Miscellaneous State Business Licenses - Study

SB 664 strengthens enforcement for Maryland’s business licenses by requiring each license application to designate a Maryland resident as a "license representative" responsible for penalties. The Comptroller gains authority to issue citations for violations, and penalties apply to business owners, designated representatives, corporate officers, and managers of LLCs or partnerships. Violations are classified as misdemeanors punishable by up to $300 fines or 30 days in jail. The bill amends specific sections of Maryland law and takes effect October 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 838: Health Occupations - Licensed Direct-Entry Midwives - Revisions

HB 838 revises Maryland's regulations for licensed direct-entry midwives, making their practice independent without requiring oversight from other healthcare providers. The bill removes the requirement for midwives to report certain information to the Direct-Entry Midwifery Advisory Committee and updates disciplinary procedures for license holders. It also extends the validity of the Maryland Licensure of Direct-Entry Midwives Act through a sunset provision. These changes directly affect licensed midwives and the pregnant people and newborns they serve by increasing midwives' autonomy in providing low-risk maternity care.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 663: Earned Income Tax Credit - Notice of Eligibility - Alteration

Maryland's SB 663 updates how the Comptroller notifies employers about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). It requires the Comptroller to send the annual income eligibility notice to all employers via mail or electronic means (previously only mail). Employers must then provide written or electronic notice to eligible employees by December 31 each year, informing them about potential federal and state EITC eligibility. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and clarifies that employees cannot sue employers for failing to provide this notice.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1010: African American Heritage Preservation Program and Grant Fund - Noncapital Grants and Donations

HB 1010 modifies Maryland's African American Heritage Preservation Program to allow funding for noncapital projects, such as cultural preservation and education initiatives, rather than capital projects like building construction. The bill establishes that the AAHP Grant Fund may accept grants and donations, requires an annual $5 million state appropriation, and limits individual or organizational grants to $500,000. It directs the Trust and Commission to competitively review applications for projects that preserve or share African American history and culture, considering factors like public urgency and geographic diversity. This change directly affects nonprofits, local governments, and community groups seeking funding for cultural programs, not physical infrastructure. The bill does not alter the program's existing administration by the Trust and Commission.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 26: Davis Martinez Public Employee Safety and Health Act

SB 26 creates a new Assistant Commissioner for Public Employees’ Safety and Health and establishes a dedicated unit within Maryland’s Labor and Industry Division to oversee workplace safety for all public employees, including government workers in schools, hospitals, and public works. It requires new regulations to prevent workplace violence in government settings, removes a ban on applying safety penalties to public bodies, and redirects civil penalty revenues to fund the state’s apprenticeship program. The bill modifies existing safety laws to specifically apply to public employers, ensuring government workplaces must meet the same safety standards as private businesses. This directly affects all public employees across Maryland’s state and local government agencies.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 32: Real Property - Holding Over - Expedited Hearing and Service of Summons for Active Duty Service Members

SB 32 modifies Maryland's property law to provide expedited procedures for landlords who are active-duty military members or their spouses. If the landlord or spouse is on active duty (and meets specific relocation/occupancy conditions), the court must schedule a hearing within 45 days of the landlord's complaint, instead of standard timelines. The bill also allows private process servers to deliver court documents if sheriff's offices fail to serve summons within 10 days. This directly affects military-connected landlords seeking to evict tenants who remain in property after lease expiration and their tenants.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 200: Board of Trustees of the Maryland Teachers and State Employees Supplemental Retirement Plans - Renaming

SB 200 renames the "Board of Trustees of the Maryland Teachers and State Employees Supplemental Retirement Plans" to the "Board of Trustees of the Maryland State Employees Supplemental Retirement Plans." This procedural bill updates the board's name throughout Maryland law but does not change retirement benefits, eligibility, or operational procedures. The renamed board serves as the legal successor to the previous board, ensuring all existing terms, records, and obligations remain valid under the new name. The change affects only official references in statutes and documents, with no impact on retirement plan participants or benefits. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.

Bill results