Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 819: Procurement - Employee Stock Ownership Plan Preference - Pilot

HB 819 creates a pilot program giving a price preference to bids from businesses using Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) for contracts with specific Maryland entities: the Maryland Stadium Authority, University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, St. Mary’s College, and Baltimore City Community College. It requires contractors to disclose if they use an ESOP in their bid and applies to procurements valued under $80 million. This means state entities must consider ESOP-based bids more favorably during contract awards, while still following standard procurement rules. The bill amends Maryland’s procurement code to establish this preference program as a new section (Subtitle 8) under state finance law.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Jamila Woods (D) Harry Bhandari (D) Deni Taveras (D) Teresa Woorman (D) Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D)

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 357: Prescription Drug Affordability Board - Authority and Stakeholder Council Membership (Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for All Marylanders Now Act)

SB 357 creates a process for Maryland's Prescription Drug Affordability Board to set price limits ("upper payment limits") on prescription drugs causing affordability challenges for Marylanders. The Board must consider costs like administration and delivery when setting limits, and must reconsider or suspend limits if a drug faces a shortage (defined as appearing on the federal shortage list or determined by the Board). The bill prohibits applying these limits to drugs on federal shortage lists, Medicare Part C/D reimbursements, or pharmacy dispensing fees. This directly affects all Maryland residents using prescription drugs, insurers, and health plans through changes to how drug costs are managed in the state.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 728: Opioid Restitution Fund - Authorized Uses

HB 728 redefines the allowable uses of Maryland's Opioid Restitution Fund to explicitly permit funding for the operating expenses and personnel costs of the Opioids Enforcement Unit within the Office of the Attorney General. This unit conducts investigations and enforcement actions related to recovering funds from opioid-related judgments and settlements. The bill specifically amends Section 7-331(f)(5) of the Maryland Annotated Code to add this provision, while maintaining the Fund's existing uses for prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction programs. It directly affects the Attorney General's Office and ensures enforcement activities can be supported using restitution funds.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1131: Public Health - Buprenorphine - Training Grant Program and Workgroup

HB 1131 establishes a grant program to help Maryland counties cover costs for training paramedics to administer buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid overdoses. The bill directs the Maryland Office of Overdose Response to create a workgroup to study state-wide access to buprenorphine. Funding for the program comes from the Opioid Restitution Fund, as explicitly added to the fund's authorized uses under Section 7-331(f)(5) of the State Finance and Procurement Article. This directly affects counties seeking to expand emergency medical services for opioid emergencies and paramedics receiving specialized training. The bill focuses on concrete policy changes: creating a dedicated grant stream and requiring a state-level access study.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1167: Montgomery County - Municipal Authority to Regulate Structures - Alterations MC/PG 116-25

HB 1167 modifies Montgomery County's authority to regulate residential structures by removing a restriction that previously limited building requirements to single-family homes only. The bill allows municipalities to apply their building rules - covering elements like fences, parking, structure dimensions, and lot coverage - to *all* residential structures (including multifamily housing) on land zoned for residential use, as long as the rules serve public health/safety or land preservation. Municipalities must still hold public hearings and provide waiver procedures before adopting such rules. This change takes effect October 1, 2025, and directly affects Montgomery County communities and their housing development regulations.

Topics ✓ Housing

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 636: Frederick County - Alcoholic Beverages - Tasting Permits

SB 636 modifies Frederick County's alcohol permit rules by renaming "consumption" permits to "tasting" permits for beer/wine (BWT) and beer/wine/liquor (BWLT). It sets specific serving limits: for BWT, individuals may taste up to 12 ounces of beer or 6 ounces of wine per serving (or three 2-ounce beer/1-ounce wine samples), while BWLT permits allow 1.5 ounces of liquor per serving (or equivalent samples). The bill affects businesses with Class A licenses in Frederick County, requiring them to pay an annual $200 fee for BWT or $400 for BWLT permits. Key restrictions include prohibiting open containers outside licensed premises, drive-through service, and allowing tasting only on-site.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1244: Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration Waiver Advisory Council - Establishment

HB 1244 establishes the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration Waiver Advisory Council to advise the Developmental Disabilities Administration on Medicaid waiver programs. The council provides recommendations on system design, service delivery, and quality improvements, prioritizing input from individuals with lived experience in these programs. It requires 18 voting members with direct experience in waiver programs (including self-directed and traditional models), plus representatives from providers, advocacy groups, and state agencies like Health, Disabilities, and Human Services. The council must operate using person-centered, equitable, and data-driven approaches to enhance services for Medicaid waiver participants.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 472: Baltimore City - Alcoholic Beverages - 45th Alcoholic Beverages District - Licenses

HB 472 authorizes Baltimore City's Board of License Commissioners to issue a Class C beer, wine, and liquor license for businesses operating in the 400 block of East Oliver Street within the 45th Alcoholic Beverages District. This license is only available under specific conditions: alcoholic beverages must be served outdoors only to seated patrons, off-premises sales are prohibited, service must begin no earlier than 10 a.m., and the applicant must sign a memorandum of understanding with the Greenmount West Community Association. The bill modifies existing licensing rules to create this new option in a specific downtown Baltimore location while maintaining stricter operating requirements than standard licenses. It does not affect other districts or existing license types outside this defined area.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 900: Maryland Behavioral Health Crisis Response System - Integration of 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Network and Outcome Evaluations

This bill updates Maryland's Behavioral Health Crisis Response System by requiring crisis communication centers to coordinate with the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Network to provide services like supportive counseling, suicide prevention, and crisis intervention. It mandates that these centers also work with local agencies, police, emergency services, and mental health providers to ensure comprehensive support for individuals in crisis. The legislation requires expanded evaluation of service outcomes, including tracking call volumes, resolution rates, mobile team response times, and discharge data, with results reported publicly by December 1 each year. These evaluations must be broken down by race, gender, age, and zip code to help identify disparities and improve crisis diversion programs while reducing criminal detentions. The bill aims to create a more integrated and data-driven approach to behavioral health crisis response across Maryland.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 507: State Contracts - Prohibited Provisions

HB 507 amends Maryland's state contracting law to prohibit specific clauses that could harm the State's financial interests. It explicitly bans contract terms preventing the State from recovering extra costs when replacing a non-performing contractor - ensuring the State can seek reimbursement if the combined cost of the original and replacement contractor exceeds the original contract price. This applies to all state contracts except those for racing facilities, affecting state agencies and contractors who enter into such agreements. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and voids any prohibited clause, treating contracts as if those terms were never included.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 987: Baltimore County - Alcoholic Beverages - Class B-OB-CRD (Office Building - Commercial Revitalization District) Beer, Wine, and Liquor License

HB 987 modifies Baltimore County's alcohol license rules by creating an exception to the 300-foot distance restriction from places of worship. It allows the Board of License Commissioners to issue beer, wine, and liquor licenses (for on- or off-premises consumption) to restaurants or similar establishments in designated Office Building - Commercial Revitalization Districts (like Towson), provided the building is at least 100,000 sq ft, has specific BM-D.T zoning, and the place of worship gives written consent. This directly affects commercial establishments seeking licenses in these revitalization zones, bypassing the usual distance rule. The change applies only to Class B licenses for restaurants/markets (not Class A), effective July 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 975: Health Insurance - Coverage for Specialty Drugs

SB 975 requires insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in Maryland to cover specialty drugs administered by in-network oncology providers meeting state regulations. It prohibits exclusions for specific specialty drugs (like infused, auto-injected, or complex oral medications) when dispensed by qualifying providers, defined as drugs costing $600+ for a 30-day supply, not stocked at retail pharmacies, and treating complex chronic conditions (excluding diabetes/HIV/AIDS drugs). The bill mandates reimbursement rates based on agreements between providers and insurers at non-hospital care levels. This directly affects patients needing these specialty drugs and the insurers/HMOs providing their coverage.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Bill results