Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 936: Health Insurance - Cancellation and Nonrenewal of Coverage - Required Notice

HB 936 requires health insurance carriers to provide written notice of cancellation or nonrenewal for small group health plans to affected small employers and employees at least 90 days in advance. Notices must be sent via certified mail (return receipt requested) and electronically, including information about alternative coverage options like COBRA or plans through the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange. The bill applies specifically to small group market plans and takes effect July 1, 2025. It mandates carriers to offer affected employers other available plans and prohibits discrimination based on health status.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Stephanie Smith (D) Jamila Woods (D) Harry Bhandari (D) Deni Taveras (D) Aletheia McCaskill (D)

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1026: Frederick County - Alcoholic Beverages - Tasting Permits

HB 1026 changes Frederick County's beer and wine tasting permit to a "beer and wine tasting permit" (BWT) and adds a separate "beer, wine, and liquor tasting permit" (BWLT). It sets specific serving limits: 12 ounces of beer, 6 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor per tasting, with restrictions on how servings can be combined. The BWT costs $200 annually, while the BWLT costs $400. These permits only allow tasting on licensed premises, prohibit open containers from leaving the location, and ban drive-through service. The bill directly affects businesses with Class A licenses in Frederick County seeking to offer alcohol tastings.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 902: Health Insurance - Access to Nonparticipating Providers - Referrals, Additional Assistance, and Coverage

This bill expands access to out-of-network mental health and substance use disorder specialists by requiring health insurers to establish referral procedures for members who cannot find in-network care. It mandates that carriers provide additional assistance to members in identifying and arranging coverage for nonparticipating specialists when standard referral processes fail to secure mental health or substance use disorder services. The legislation also prohibits insurers from requiring prior authorization for scheduling appointments with or reimbursing nonparticipating specialists, and requires the Maryland Health Care Commission to set reimbursement rates for these providers.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 346: Baltimore City - Alcoholic Beverages - 43rd Alcoholic Beverages District - Class B-D-7 Licenses

HB 346 allows Baltimore City to issue new Class B-D-7 alcoholic beverage licenses in three specific locations within the 43rd alcoholic beverages district: the 2600 block of Huntingdon Avenue (one license), the 2700 block of Huntingdon Avenue (three licenses), and the 300 block of West 29th Street. It directly affects businesses seeking to operate alcohol-serving establishments in these areas by requiring applicants to meet three key conditions: 51% of daily sales must come from non-package items (like food), they must sign a memorandum of understanding with the Greater Remington Improvement Association, and they cannot create a separate package goods department. The bill repeals a previous restriction that blocked new licenses in the 43rd district, specifically enabling these three locations to qualify for licenses under the new criteria. This is a targeted policy change for businesses in Baltimore's Remington neighborhood, not a broad expansion of licensing.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1172: Baltimore City – Alcoholic Beverages – Authorizations and Revisions

HB 1172 modifies Baltimore City's alcohol licensing rules. It requires the Board of License Commissioners to charge a $250 fee for expedited processing of temporary event licenses if applications are submitted less than two weeks before an event. The bill also mandates new regulations for processing these licenses, including grounds for denial or revocation. Crucially, it allows certain new licenses in Baltimore's previously restricted 40th alcoholic beverages district - specifically for restaurants meeting capital investment and seating requirements, or for events at locations like West North Avenue or North Howard Street, provided applicants sign community agreements and follow specific operational rules (e.g., limited drink offerings, indoor service hours). These changes directly affect businesses seeking temporary alcohol licenses in that district.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 773: Health Benefit Plans - Calculation of Cost-Sharing Contribution - Requirements

SB 773 requires Maryland health insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, and plan administrators to count all cost-sharing payments made by patients (or others on their behalf) toward their annual out-of-pocket limits and deductibles. It specifically prohibits "accumulator adjustment programs" that exclude patient assistance payments from counting toward these limits, which currently force patients to pay twice for medications after meeting their deductible. This affects patients enrolled in high-deductible health plans who rely on prescription drug cost assistance programs. The bill directly changes how insurers calculate cost-sharing by mandating that all patient payments count toward annual limits, not just those paid directly to the insurer.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1100: Public Health - Health Equity Dashboard

HB 1100 requires Maryland's Department of Health, working with the Commission on Health Equity, to create a public data dashboard showing health disparities. The dashboard must display age-adjusted health data broken down by race, ethnicity, and gender, covering specific areas like health insurance access, cardiovascular disease, mental health, cancer, and HIV/AIDS. The Department must update the dashboard at least every 30 days and post the latest version prominently on its website. This law directly affects Maryland residents by making health equity data more accessible to the public, researchers, and health officials.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 962: Municipalities - Legislative Audit - Exemption

SB 962 exempts small Maryland municipalities with annual revenues under $100,000 from annual financial audits, while allowing those with revenues between $100,000 and $250,000 to audit every four years instead of annually. It clarifies that this audit exemption does not remove the requirement for these municipalities to file annual financial reports with the state. The bill also grants the Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee authority to request a review or audit if financial reports reveal irregularities, even for exempt municipalities. This change directly affects small municipalities with limited revenue, reducing their audit burden while maintaining oversight mechanisms.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 617: Comptroller - Recording and Monitoring Telephone Calls - Clarification

This bill clarifies when Maryland's Comptroller may record or monitor telephone calls to their call centers. It requires a notice to callers stating "Your call may be recorded for training and quality control," restricts recordings to call center lines (not direct office lines), and prohibits using recordings in legal cases against taxpayers except for imminent threats to employees or state property. Recordings must be deleted after 60 days unless kept for employee training or as evidence of an imminent threat. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 420: Education and Health - Emergency Use Epinephrine - Alterations

HB 420 updates Maryland law to expand access to emergency epinephrine in schools. It changes the term "auto-injectable epinephrine" to "emergency use epinephrine" and broadens who can administer it - school nurses and other staff can now use it for any student showing anaphylaxis symptoms, regardless of prior allergy diagnosis or prescription. The bill requires schools to train staff on recognizing anaphylaxis and using the device, report incidents to the state, and store emergency epinephrine. These changes directly affect all public and nonpublic schools in Maryland, aiming to improve rapid response during severe allergic reactions.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 888: Anne Arundel County - Alcoholic Beverages - License and Permit Distance Requirements

SB 888 modifies Anne Arundel County's alcohol licensing rules by creating an exception for businesses near schools at Annapolis Mall. It allows the county liquor board to issue Class H beer/wine or beer/wine/liq licenses (for on-sale establishments) within 1,000 feet of schools located at Annapolis Mall - previously prohibited under general rules. This change specifically applies to the Annapolis Mall area, while maintaining distance restrictions for all other schools and places of worship. The bill amends Maryland’s Alcoholic Beverages Code to clarify this exception in Sections 11-1102(d)(4)(II) and 11-1603(b)(8).

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1243: Health Insurance - Coverage for Specialty Drugs

HB 1243 prohibits health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in Maryland from excluding coverage for certain specialty drugs administered or dispensed by in-network oncology providers meeting state regulations. The bill defines "specialty drugs" as those costing $600+ for a 30-day supply, treating complex/chronic conditions (excluding diabetes/HIV/AIDS), and requiring special handling or patient support. It requires insurers to reimburse these drugs at non-hospital rates and covers infused, auto-injected, or specific oral medications used with other therapies. This directly affects patients needing these drugs and providers administering them, ensuring coverage access without insurer-imposed pharmacy restrictions.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Bill results