Maryland Bills | MyRepTracker

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 10, 2026

HB 1028: Caroline County Board of Education - Member Compensation - Increase

HB 1028 increases annual compensation for members of the Caroline County Board of Education. It raises the president's pay from $4,000 to $6,000 per year and voting members' pay from $3,500 to $5,500 annually. The bill amends Maryland's Annotated Code to implement these changes, effective July 1, 2026. Current members serving before this date are not affected, but new appointees or elected members after the effective date will receive the higher rates. The policy change directly impacts the board's president and voting members.

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 10, 2026

HB 1168: State Department of Education - Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct Model Response Policy - Requirements

HB 1168 requires Maryland's State Department of Education to create a model response policy for schools handling sexual abuse and misconduct allegations. Local school systems must adopt this policy by July 2027, notify parents within 3 school days of credible allegations (without naming the accused employee), maintain related electronic records for 3 years, and post nonidentifying incident updates on public webpages. Schools must also conduct an after-action review within 45 days of resolving serious incidents - defined as events like credible abuse allegations requiring removal from student contact, physical assault, or weapon offenses - to analyze systemic issues and improve procedures. The bill directly affects all Maryland public school systems and their handling of student safety incidents.

passed both · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 10, 2026

HB 1441: Criminal Law - Public Consumption and Open Container - Prepayment of Citation

HB 1441 requires police and alcohol inspectors to include specific notice in citations for public alcohol violations (specifically § 6-321 or § 6-322 of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article), stating that fines can be prepaid online or by mail. Prepaying the fine is treated as a guilty plea, and the bill sets a maximum fine amount while allowing judges to create a prepayment schedule. People cited for public drinking or open containers in public spaces (like parks or streets) will now see this prepayment option on their citation. The law also authorizes courts to hold hearings for those who don’t pay the fine or appear in court, streamlining the process for these minor offenses.

passed both · Maryland · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 514: Criminal Law - Third-Degree Assault

SB 514 redefines third-degree assault in Maryland as a misdemeanor involving intentional non-consensual touch a reasonable person would find offensive, excluding cases involving physical injury, domestic violence, or sexual crimes. It creates a new offense with penalties of up to 90 days in jail or a $500 fine for causing "offensive contact," engaging in conduct that puts someone in fear of such contact, or attempting it. The bill also modifies expungement eligibility for certain convictions and clarifies court procedures for charging third-degree assault cases. It directly affects individuals committing non-injurious, non-domestic, non-sexual assault-like acts under this new standard.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

passed · Maryland · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 960: Maryland Public Charter School Program - School Facilities - Funding

SB 960 requires Maryland's Interagency Commission on School Construction to distribute state funds directly to public charter schools for maintaining and operating their facilities, rather than through local governments. The bill mandates that starting in fiscal year 2028, the state budget must include funding equal to $1,600 multiplied by the prior year's total enrollment across all public charter schools. This applies to facilities owned or leased by charter schools, or those they occupy for educating students. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and requires the Commission to establish regulations for implementation.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 10, 2026

HB 1214: Vehicle Manufacturers and Dealers - Dealer and Manufacturer Associations - Administrative Hearings

HB 1214 allows vehicle dealer associations to request administrative hearings to resolve disputes with manufacturers or to clarify laws governing dealership relationships. The bill defines a "Dealer Association" as a group owned by most franchised dealers in Maryland that represents their interests. It amends Maryland law to let these associations, alongside individual dealers, formally request hearings under transportation regulations for issues like contract disagreements or interpretation of dealer laws. This applies only when the manufacturer has at least one franchised dealer in Maryland, excluding cases where they do not operate in the state.

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 10, 2026

HB 1167: Department of Information Technology - Workgroup on the Medicaid Management Information System Mainframe System Replacement

HB 1167 requires Maryland's Department of Health to replace its outdated Medicaid computer system with a modern, flexible system by 2028. The new system must maintain all current Medicaid functions - including processing medical/dental/pharmacy claims, provider enrollment, and beneficiary inquiries - while meeting federal security and performance standards. The bill mandates integration with existing Medicaid systems by January 2027 and full replacement of the old system by January 2028, subject to federal approval. This change directly affects Medicaid beneficiaries and healthcare providers through more reliable service delivery.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Technology

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 10, 2026

HB 1604: Public School System Contracts - Prohibited Provisions

HB 1604 prohibits Maryland public school systems from including 10 specific provisions in contracts, such as requiring schools to pay for others' legal costs without funding, mandating binding arbitration, or limiting liability for negligence. If a contract contains any prohibited term, that term is void and the contract is treated as if it never existed. The law applies only to new contracts signed after July 1, 2026, and does not affect existing contracts or their renewals. This ensures school systems cannot be bound by unfair or legally problematic contract terms.

passed both · Maryland · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 823: Correctional Services - Maryland Parole Commission - Members

SB 823 changes how Maryland Parole Commission members are appointed. It replaces the current process where the Governor appoints members with Senate approval, requiring instead a new panel to submit at least three nominees per vacancy. The panel includes specific officials (like the Public Safety Secretary and Public Defender) plus representatives from mental health, education, social work, community organizations, prisoners' rights, victims' rights, and the general public. This bill directly affects the Commission's membership structure and takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 10, 2026

HB 817: Carbon Dioxide Capture, Removal, and Sequestration Projects - Regulations and Standards for Biochar and Wood Vault Technologies

HB 817 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to create permitting regulations for certified carbon removal technologies and practices by January 1, 2028. It mandates all state agencies to use existing funding to support carbon removal projects using technologies certified by internationally recognized third parties. The bill directly affects state agencies (which must allocate funds) and carbon removal technology providers (which must meet certification standards to qualify for permits). It aims to streamline regulatory processes by replacing outdated solid waste rules with new, technology-specific requirements.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

passed both · Maryland · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 515: Health Services Cost Review Commission - Health Facilities - Rate Setting

SB 515 requires Maryland's Health Services Cost Review Commission to consider all operational costs incurred by health facilities - including expenses for physicians and other providers without corresponding billing revenue - when setting hospital rates. This affects hospitals and health facilities operating under Maryland's all-payer model, as the Commission must now factor in full costs during rate reviews. The bill amends existing law to mandate that the Commission evaluate facility financial health and certify rates based on complete cost accounting, rather than excluding certain expenses. This change ensures rates more accurately reflect actual facility operations, including costs for professional services that previously weren't fully counted.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed both · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 10, 2026

HB 1312: Legal Tender - Specie - Establishment

HB 1312 defines "specie" as gold or silver coins (U.S. or foreign) or certified 99% pure gold/silver bars, and establishes it as legal tender for voluntary use. It allows private parties to pay debts using specie if both agree, and permits state/local governments to accept specie for taxes/fees if they choose, but prohibits anyone from being forced to accept it. The bill requires the state financial commissioner to issue regulations and submit annual economic impact reports starting in 2027. This directly affects private individuals entering mutual agreements, state/local governments deciding whether to accept precious metals, and financial institutions managing such transactions.