SB 295 establishes Maryland's Income Tax Reconciliation Program to help people recently released from prison with unpaid income tax debts. It directly affects individuals who were incarcerated for 6 months to 10 years in state or federal facilities within the past two years. The program allows them to set up payment plans for income tax owed during their incarceration and automatically waives all accrued interest and penalties. The Comptroller administers the program, collaborates with correctional services to promote awareness, and must report annually on its impact starting in 2026.
SB 163 updates Maryland law by replacing all references to "mental hygiene" with "mental health" in specific health statutes, including funding mechanisms and administrative provisions. It directly affects existing laws governing mental health services, community-based funding (like the Mental Health Community-Based Services Fund), and facility management under the Behavioral Health Administration. The bill requires the Maryland Department of Health to review and revise regulations by October 2026 to ensure consistent terminology. This is a purely terminological change with no new policy or funding provisions, aimed at modernizing legal language. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.
SB 1013 extends the expiration date of a specific Class B-D-7 alcoholic beverage license for a business at 5700 Falls Road in Baltimore City until July 1, 2026. This temporary extension allows the license holder to complete an ownership transfer and renewal at the same location without immediate license expiration. The bill directly affects only this single business location and expires automatically on July 31, 2026, without requiring further legislative action. It does not change general licensing rules for other businesses or locations in Baltimore City.
SB 810 replaces Maryland's "Objective Criteria Committee" with a new "Compensation and Staffing Committee" for the State Retirement and Pension System's Investment Division. The bill requires this committee to recommend objective criteria for setting compensation and financial incentives for Investment Division staff, including performance benchmarks tied to investment results. It mandates that the Board of Trustees must consider these recommendations and prohibits raises during state employee furloughs or for positions not involving investment decisions. The law directly affects the Investment Division's leadership (like the Chief Investment Officer) and staff, focusing on how their pay and staffing levels are determined.
SB 407 requires Maryland's State Board of Nursing to discuss reciprocity agreements with nursing boards in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The goal is to create mutual recognition of advanced practice nursing licenses (like nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists), making it easier for these nurses to practice across state lines and improving telehealth access. The Board must report annually starting November 2025 to legislative committees on progress, challenges, and needed changes. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, but does not create new licensing rules - only establishes a process for future agreements.
HB 1502 renames Baltimore City's "AIDS Prevention Sterile Needle and Syringe Exchange Pilot Program" to the "HIV Prevention Syringe Services Program" and updates its operational structure. The bill revises key provisions to clarify that the program distributes syringes, exchanges used ones, and provides referrals for substance use treatment, HIV prevention education, and hepatitis risk reduction. It also updates the oversight committee composition (adding specific public health and community representation) and strengthens immunity protections for program staff and participants. The changes apply directly to Baltimore City residents who use injection drugs, the Baltimore City Health Department, and the program's oversight committee.
SB 849 increases annual funding for Maryland's Professional and Volunteer Firefighter Innovative Cancer Screening Technologies Program from $100,000 (2021-2024) to $3 million starting in fiscal year 2025. The bill directly affects firefighters by expanding access to advanced cancer screening technologies through this state-funded program. Key provisions authorize the Secretary to use up to 20% of program funds to support academic medical centers in analyzing screening data to improve the program's effectiveness. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and expires June 30, 2030, without requiring further legislative action.
SB 776 establishes a 15-member workgroup to study rising rates of denied healthcare claims (referred to as "adverse decisions") in Maryland's state health care system. The workgroup, including representatives from the legislature, health agencies, insurance commissioners, hospitals, insurers, and patient advocates, will review current reporting data on denied claims, recommend standardized definitions for medical services and denials, and develop strategies to reduce such denials. It must report its findings and recommendations to state legislative committees by December 1, 2025, with the bill itself expiring on June 30, 2026. This bill does not enact new policies but creates a process to gather data and inform potential future legislation.
SB 676 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. It directly affects all qualifying hospitals and birthing centers by linking compliance to their operating licenses. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, with no additional funding or enforcement mechanisms specified in the bill text.
HB 685 creates a new "Class BC-resort beer, wine, and liquor license" specifically for Garrett County. It allows license holders to operate multiple facilities (like hotels, motels, or restaurants) on a single contiguous property of at least 20 acres, with facilities separated by at least 150 feet. The license authorizes selling beer, wine, and liquor for on-premises consumption at these venues, and beer for off-premises sale, following standard hours for similar licenses. Annual fees are set at $3,000 for a 6-day license covering two facilities (plus $1,500 per additional facility), with a one-time issuing fee equal to the annual fee. This directly affects resort operators seeking to expand multi-venue alcohol service under new, defined conditions.
HB 714 corrects outdated references to the Comptroller of Maryland in Harford County's alcohol licensing rules for performing arts nonprofits. It removes the Comptroller as a mandatory recipient for record-keeping reports, changes license suspension from mandatory to discretionary for the Board, and updates reporting requirements to apply to the Board instead of the Comptroller. This bill affects Harford County-based performing arts nonprofits holding alcohol licenses, streamlining their compliance with record-keeping and reporting rules.
HB 619 expands Maryland's sales tax exemption to cover transactions between licensed cannabis businesses and registered cannabis nurseries. Previously, the exemption applied to medical cannabis sales and general business-to-business cannabis transactions, but not specifically to sales involving nurseries. The bill amends the tax code to explicitly exempt these nursery transactions from sales and use tax. This directly affects licensed cannabis businesses and registered nurseries operating under Maryland's cannabis regulations. The change takes effect July 1, 2025.
