Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1072: State Retirement and Pension System - Administrative Fees - Repeal

HB 1072 repeals a requirement that state employers pay an administrative fee per retirement system participant. Instead, it directs the Board of Trustees to fund the State Retirement Agency's operating expenses using the main retirement accumulation fund, rather than charging employers directly. This changes how the system covers administrative costs without altering employer contribution rates. The bill updates Maryland's pension law to reflect this funding shift, affecting how state retirement system expenses are covered.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 768: Correctional Officers' Retirement System - Membership - Clarifications

SB 768 clarifies how unused sick leave credits count toward retirement benefits for certain correctional staff at Maryland Department of Health facilities, including correctional officers, security attendants at Clifton T. Perkins Hospital, and other specified positions. It modifies pension code sections to specify that when these employees transfer between retirement systems or retire, their unused sick leave is calculated based on total service in both systems, with effective dates ranging from 2016 to 2025 for different job classifications. The bill ensures consistent application of this calculation method for staff who retired or transferred after specific dates, preventing gaps in benefit eligibility. This directly affects members of Maryland’s Correctional Officers’ Retirement System employed in designated roles under Section 25-201(a).

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 729: Public Health - Use of Opioid Restitution Fund and Training Under the Overdose Response Program

HB 729 modifies Maryland's Overdose Response Program training requirements and clarifies restrictions on the Opioid Restitution Fund. It requires the Maryland Department of Health to emphasize "restoration of breathing" and "compassionate postoverdose support" in training on opioid overdose response, including administration of reversal drugs. The bill also explicitly restricts fund use to settlement agreement purposes, adding requirements to address racial disparities in access to prevention and treatment services. This directly affects the Department of Health's program administration and how the Opioid Restitution Fund - funded by opioid industry settlements - is allocated for evidence-based substance use disorder programs.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 594: Public Health - Use of Opioid Restitution Fund and Training Under the Overdose Response Program

SB 594 modifies Maryland’s Overdose Response Program training requirements and clarifies restrictions on the Opioid Restitution Fund. It mandates that training on opioid overdose response must emphasize "restoration of breathing, avoiding withdrawal, and compassionate postoverdose support" (Section 13-3103(b)). The bill specifies that fund dollars must be used exclusively for settlement-aligned purposes, including expanding naloxone access in public buildings, supporting peer recovery services, addressing racial disparities in care, and funding evidence-based prevention/treatment programs. These changes directly affect the Maryland Department of Health and organizations receiving fund allocations for overdose response initiatives.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 39: Public Health - Repeal of Prohibition on Transfer of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Carlton R. Smith Act)

This bill repeals Maryland's Section 18-601.1 of the Health-General Article, which previously prohibited individuals with HIV from knowingly transferring the virus to others and imposed criminal penalties (fines up to $2,500 or up to 3 years in jail). It directly affects individuals living with HIV who might have been subject to this specific criminal provision. The key mechanism is the removal of the legal prohibition and associated penalties from Maryland's code, effectively eliminating this criminal charge. This change focuses solely on repealing the existing law, not altering broader HIV transmission policies or public health approaches.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1281: Anne Arundel County - Alcoholic Beverages - Limited Special Event Permit

HB 1281 creates a new one-day "Limited Cultural Event Permit" for businesses in Anne Arundel County with certain alcohol licenses (Class B, BLX, C, D, or H). This permit allows license holders to provide cultural music, cultural dancing, and related entertainment for a single specific date, with a $15 fee for beer-and-wine license holders. The permit does not apply to establishments within 1,000 feet of schools or places of worship if they hold a Class BLX or H license, and applicants must provide event details like date and entertainment type to the Board of License Commissioners. It updates existing alcohol licensing rules to specifically authorize these temporary cultural events.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 910: Caroline County - Alcoholic Beverages - Special Event Venue License and Multiple Event Licenses

SB 910 creates a new "rural special event venue" license in Caroline County for selling beer, wine, and liquor at on-premises events. It allows license holders (including volunteer fire companies and multiple event license holders) to store alcohol between events in locked, secured locations for future event use, subject to strict record-keeping requirements. The license fee ranges from $250 for up to 10 events annually to $1,000 for up to 40 events, and requires alcohol awareness training. This bill directly affects venue operators hosting events in Caroline County, modifying existing Maryland Code sections 15-1309 and 15-1310 (effective July 1, 2025).

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 862: State Retirement and Pension System - Administrative Fees - Repeal

SB 862 repeals a requirement that state employers pay an administrative fee per retirement system participant. Instead, it directs the Board of Trustees to fund the State Retirement Agency’s administrative costs using the main retirement fund (accumulation fund), rather than charging employers directly. The bill modifies contribution rates to include these administrative expenses, ensuring they’re covered through employer payments to the accumulation fund. This change affects all state employers participating in Maryland’s retirement systems and shifts how operational costs are financed.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 855: Workgroup on Establishing a Science and Technology Best Practices and Innovation Network - Alterations

HB 855 amends Maryland's existing Workgroup on Establishing a Science and Technology Best Practices and Innovation Network by reducing the number of appointed members. Specifically, it cuts the Governor-appointed representatives from five to two in sections (5) and (6), and reduces private/nonprofit sector representatives from two to one each. The bill extends the workgroup’s deadline for reporting recommendations from December 1, 2024, to December 1, 2026, and extends the workgroup’s active period to three years and one month (ending June 30, 2027). This procedural bill modifies membership structure and timelines without creating new policy.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 20, 2025

SB 788: Baltimore City - Alcoholic Beverages - 43rd Alcoholic Beverages District - Class B-D-7 Licenses

SB 788 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, the 2700 block of Huntingdon Avenue (for three licenses), and the 300 block of West 29th Street. To qualify, applicants must earn at least 51% of daily sales from non-liquor items (like food), sign an agreement with the Greater Remington Improvement Association, and not operate a separate liquor package sales department. This bill amends Baltimore City’s licensing rules to permit these specific licenses in areas previously restricted under the 43rd district. It directly affects businesses seeking to operate alcohol-serving establishments in those precise West Baltimore neighborhoods. The changes take effect July 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 515: Anne Arundel County - Alcoholic Beverages Licenses - Veterans' Organizations

HB 515 allows qualifying veterans' organizations in Anne Arundel County to convert their existing Class C beer, wine, and liquor licenses to Class C (veterans’ organization) 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 license. The bill also authorizes the county Board of License Commissioners to offer application and administrative fee discounts to eligible veterans' organizations. This directly affects veterans' clubs meeting specific criteria, including having at least 100 members with military service history and annual dues of $5 per member.

Topics ✓ Veterans

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 20, 2025

HB 1351: Health Insurance - Provider Panels - Credentialing for Behavioral Health Care Professionals

HB 1351 requires health insurance carriers in Maryland to accept or reject applications from specific behavioral health professionals within 30 days of receiving a complete application. It directly affects licensed graduate social workers, counselors, therapists, and psychology associates who practice within their licensed scope, prohibiting carriers from rejecting them solely based on their license type. The bill shortens the decision timeline for clinical professionals (like Licensed Clinical Social Workers) to 30 days, compared to the previous 120-day window for others, and mandates written notice of decisions. Carriers failing to comply face penalties under Maryland insurance law. This change aims to streamline access to behavioral health services by reducing delays in provider panel enrollment.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Bill results