Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 99: Anne Arundel County - Class A (Off-Sale) and Class D (Off-Sale) Licenses - Population Ratio Quota

HB 99 establishes a population-based quota for Class A (off-sale) and Class D (off-sale) alcohol licenses in Anne Arundel County, limiting new licenses to one per 4,000 residents in each tax assessment district. It prohibits the Board of License Commissioners from issuing new licenses or approving transfers that would exceed this ratio, using the 2005 official map to define districts. The bill exempts licenses issued before July 1, 2025, and the 6th tax assessment district from these restrictions. It also bans transferring licenses to locations outside the original district for licenses not existing by July 1, 2025. The policy directly affects businesses seeking new off-sale alcohol licenses in Anne Arundel County.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1519: Prior Authorizations of State Debt - Alterations

HB 1519 amends multiple prior state debt authorizations to update specific grant terms. It changes grantee names, alters permitted uses of funds (such as allowing real property as a matching fund for a parking garage project), and extends termination dates for certain projects (e.g., changing a grant's deadline from June 2023 to June 2032). These changes apply to grants originally authorized in laws from 2012 through 2023, including funding for the University of Maryland's Health and Human Sciences Building and a Hyattsville parking garage project. The bill adjusts existing agreements without creating new funding.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 474: Health Insurance - Adverse Decisions - Notices, Reporting, and Examinations

SB 474 requires Maryland health insurance carriers to submit quarterly reports to the Insurance Commissioner detailing denied coverage requests (e.g., for hospital stays, procedures). If a carrier’s denials for a specific service type rise by over 10% in one year or 25% over three years, they must explain the reasons for the increase. The Commissioner can use this data to trigger examinations of carriers and must publish an annual summary report for the Governor and legislature. The bill directly affects health insurers operating in Maryland, with compliance required starting October 1, 2025. It focuses on transparency around coverage denials without specifying outcomes for patients or insurers.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 486: St. Mary's County - Alcoholic Beverages - Civil Penalty for Sales Violations

HB 486 increases the maximum civil penalty for violating St. Mary’s County’s alcoholic beverage licensing laws from $1,000 to $2,500 per violation. It directly affects license holders (such as bars, restaurants, and retailers) who breach rules about sales hours, days, or underage sales. The bill amends county code to allow the Board of License Commissioners to impose this higher fine instead of the previous $1,000 limit. The change applies specifically to St. Mary’s County and takes effect July 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1143: Maryland Collaborative to Improve Children's Oral Health Through School-Based Programs - Establishment

HB 1143 allows dental hygienists to provide preventive dental services in Maryland schools and school-based health centers under general dentist supervision (without requiring a dentist to be physically present on-site). It creates a Maryland Collaborative composed of health, education, and community representatives to study and recommend improvements to school-based dental programs. The bill directly affects all Maryland school children, particularly those in underserved communities where 21% have untreated dental decay and pandemic-era access to preventive care dropped to 56.5% for Medicaid-covered children. The Collaborative will develop strategies to address these gaps, building on existing school dental initiatives.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 17: Anne Arundel County - Alcoholic Beverages Licenses - Veterans' Organizations

This bill allows veterans' organizations in Anne Arundel County to convert their existing Class C alcohol licenses (for clubs) to veterans-specific licenses. It reduces the annual license fee from $480 to $300 and permits these organizations to sell alcohol on Sundays without needing a separate Sunday permit. The bill also authorizes fee discounts for qualifying veterans' organizations applying for or renewing licenses. It specifically targets organizations with at least 100 military-member dues-paying members meeting federal veterans' group criteria. The changes take effect July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Veterans

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 869: Dorchester County - Alcoholic Beverages Licenses - Fees

SB 869 increases annual licensing fees for most alcohol businesses in Dorchester County, Maryland, while creating new application and transfer fees. It raises the annual fee for a Class A beer license from $200 to $250, a Class D beer and wine license from $275 to $350, and a Class B beer, wine, and liquor license from $1,000 to $1,250. The bill also establishes a $150 non-refundable application fee for new beer/wine licenses and $200 for beer/wine/liquor licenses, plus a $50 transfer fee for license changes. These changes affect bars, restaurants, and retailers holding alcohol licenses in Dorchester County, effective July 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1334: Garrett County - Bids and Contracts - Advertisement Exceptions

HB 1334 modifies Garrett County's procurement rules by removing the requirement to advertise for bids in two specific cases. It allows county officials to directly contract for goods or services procured on an as-needed basis over time (without a $50,000 spending limit) and for purchasing one or more vehicles up to $100,000. This change applies directly to Garrett County Commissioners and employees when making these types of purchases. The bill amends Section 30.21(A) of Garrett County's local laws, effective October 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1380: Health Care Facilities - Hospitals and Freestanding Birthing Centers - Perinatal Care Standards

HB 1380 requires Maryland hospitals providing obstetrical services and freestanding birthing centers to meet minimum perinatal care standards as a condition of licensure. The bill mandates the Maryland Department of Health to adopt regulations establishing these standards, which must meet or exceed existing Maryland Perinatal System Standards. Hospitals and birthing centers must comply with these standards to maintain their operating licenses. The law amends specific sections of Maryland's Health Code (19-319 and 19-3B-03) to implement this requirement, effective October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 156: Workgroup on Newborn Home Visiting Services - Establishment

SB 156 creates a statewide program requiring the Maryland Department of Health to provide voluntary nurse home visits to all families with newborns (including foster/adoptive families) within the first 12 weeks of life. The program, delivered by licensed nurses in homes or virtually, must be evidence-based, cover domains like infant health and maternal care, and include at least four visits per family. Insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations must cover these services under existing policies. The bill directly affects all Maryland families with newborns and requires the Department to collaborate with community agencies to implement the program uniformly across all communities.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 937: Electricity and Gas - Emissions Reductions, Rate Regulation, Cost Recovery, Infrastructure, Planning, Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, and Energy Assistance Programs (Next Generation Energy Act)

SB 937 requires Maryland's Energy Administration to coordinate with state agencies and neighboring states to advance new nuclear power projects, including cost-sharing agreements and federal site partnerships. It establishes a new process for approving nuclear energy generation projects and mandates that electric companies procure nuclear energy from a special fund. The bill prohibits electricity suppliers from selling power directly to large commercial/industrial customers (defined as those with 100+ megawatt demand) without using the state's transmission system. These changes directly affect electricity suppliers, nuclear developers, and large energy users by restructuring procurement, financing, and sales rules for nuclear power.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 996: Public Health - Phenibut Consumer Protection Act (JT Alvey Phenibut Consumer Protection Act)

HB 996, the Phenibut Consumer Protection Act, regulates the sale of phenibut products (containing beta-phenyl-gamma-aminobutyric acid HCL) by requiring retailers to disclose factual claims on product labels and prohibiting sales of unsafe or mislabeled products. It bans selling phenibut to anyone under 21, prohibits advertising therapeutic benefits or marketing to minors (including restrictions on cartoons, superheroes, or youth-targeted imagery), and bans products adulterated with dangerous substances. Retailers violating these rules face civil penalties up to $1,000 for labeling issues or criminal fines up to $5,000 for safety or age violations. The bill also mandates the Maryland Department of Health to report on adverse health events linked to phenibut use by the legislature.

Bill results