Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 858: State Public Transit Service and Stations - Exclusion for Assault and Bodily Injury

SB 858 would bar individuals alleged by a public transit operator to have committed assault or caused bodily injury on a state transit service (like buses, trains, or light rail) or at a transit station from using those services for specific periods. First offenses would trigger a 30-day exclusion, second offenses 180 days, and third offenses or offenses involving weapons would result in a lifetime ban. The exclusion period can be adjusted by the Secretary of Transportation, and the bill specifies that this does not prevent prosecution for trespassing or other state laws. The bill directly affects people accused of such acts while using Maryland's state-operated transit systems. It takes effect October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Transportation

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 13, 2025

HB 1230: Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission - System Development Charge - Exemptions MC/PG 107-25

HB 1230 mandates Montgomery and Prince George's County councils to automatically grant exemptions from the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission's system development charge for specific projects, including affordable housing, youth programs run by 501(c)(3) organizations, child care, after-school care, disability services, and certain elderly housing. It eliminates the requirement that applicants own the property for which an exemption is sought and requires Montgomery County to approve applications on a first-come, first-served basis until an annual limit is reached. The bill directly affects property owners and developers in these counties seeking exemptions for qualifying projects, with a $80,000 cap for youth program exemptions. Key changes clarify eligibility and streamline the exemption process for defined community and housing projects.

Topics ✓ Housing

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 13, 2025

HB 731: Wildlife - Protections and Highway Crossings

HB 731 establishes the Maryland Connectivity Coalition to coordinate wildlife protection efforts, creates a Wildlife Connectivity Fund for habitat projects, and requires the State Highway Administration to include wildlife data in transportation planning. It directly affects the State Highway Administration, county planners, and wildlife conservation efforts by mandating that counties consider habitat connectivity when updating local plans. Key provisions include prioritizing highway crossings in high-collision areas and locations dividing habitats of threatened/endangered species. The bill aims to reduce vehicle-wildlife collisions and protect species from habitat fragmentation through coordinated planning and funding.

Topics ✓ Environment ✓ Transportation

signed · Maryland · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 930: Environment - Managed Aquifer Recharge Pilot Program - Establishment

SB 930 establishes Maryland’s Managed Aquifer Recharge Pilot Program, allowing the Department of the Environment to issue permits for testing treated reclaimed water (from approved facilities) to replenish groundwater. It directly affects water treatment facilities seeking to test this method and the Department, which gains authority to review, permit, and regulate these projects. Key provisions require demonstration facilities to treat reclaimed water to meet strict standards (including pathogen reduction, PFAS limits, and EPA drinking water levels) and address specific groundwater issues like saltwater intrusion anticipated within 25 years. The program is strictly a pilot to test feasibility before potential full implementation, with applicants required to evaluate alternatives to aquifer recharge.

Topics ✓ Environment

signed · Maryland · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 160: Residential Property - Assignment of Contracts of Sale - Disclosure Requirements and Rescission

SB 160 requires specific disclosures in residential property sales involving "wholesale buyers" (who assign contracts for a fee) and "wholesale sellers" (who assign without holding title). It mandates that wholesale buyers disclose potential assignments to sellers and wholesale sellers disclose their equitable interest to buyers in writing. Buyers or sellers can rescind a contract without penalty before closing if required disclosures are missing, and buyers who rescind this way are entitled to a full deposit refund. The law applies only to properties with four or fewer single-family units (owner-occupied) and takes effect October 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 13, 2025

HB 744: Motor Vehicles - Reckless, Negligent, and Aggressive Driving (Sergeant Patrick Kepp Act)

HB 744 updates Maryland's traffic safety laws by increasing penalties for dangerous driving. It defines reckless driving as driving 30+ miles per hour over the speed limit (previously undefined), adds 2 points to a driver's record for negligent driving, and adds 6 points for speeding over 30 mph above the limit. The bill also redefines aggressive driving as committing two or more specific traffic violations (like tailgating or illegal passing) during a single driving period, with fines up to $1,000. These changes directly affect drivers convicted of these offenses, with the law taking effect October 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Transportation

signed · Maryland · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 265: Environment - Reservoir Augmentation Permit - Establishment

SB 265 establishes a Reservoir Augmentation Program under Maryland’s Department of Environment, requiring permits for projects that add treated reclaimed water to surface reservoirs used as drinking water sources. It directly affects water treatment facilities, municipalities, and operators of drinking water systems that wish to use reclaimed water (treated sewage meeting specific quality standards) for reservoir augmentation. Key provisions mandate that permits can only be issued if the treatment process meets department-established standards before water enters both the reservoir and the distribution system, and require permit holders to allow department inspections. The bill also specifies that certain revenues must fund program operations and oversight. This creates a regulatory framework to manage how reclaimed water is integrated into drinking water reservoirs.

Topics ✓ Environment

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 13, 2025

HB 783: Health Occupations - Implicit Bias and Structural Racism Training

HB 783 requires health professionals renewing certain licenses (such as physicians, nurses, and social workers) to complete training on both implicit bias and structural racism as part of their first license renewal after April 1, 2026. The training must be approved by Maryland's Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency Program, replacing prior requirements that only mandated implicit bias training. This change updates Maryland law to explicitly include structural racism - a system of institutional inequalities based on race - in the training standards for health occupation licenses. The bill applies to license renewals under the Health Occupations Article and amends related sections of Maryland's code to reflect this new requirement.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 13, 2025

HB 489: Maryland Department of Labor - Study on Building Code Requirements for Single-Staircase Buildings

HB 489 requires the Maryland Department of Labor to study building code requirements for single-staircase buildings (those with only one exit staircase) across Maryland and other U.S. states. The study must analyze safety factors like fire department response, water supply, and compliance with modern codes, while assessing impacts on housing costs and development feasibility for buildings up to six stories. It will consult fire safety experts and firefighter unions before making recommendations to potentially change building codes to allow such construction. The Department must submit findings and recommendations to the Governor and legislature by December 1, 2025, aiming to inform policies that could increase affordable housing supply.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 820: Municipalities - Enforcement of Ordinances and Resolutions

SB 820 increases the maximum criminal fine municipalities can impose for certain ordinance violations from $1,000 to $5,000. It directly affects municipalities (which enforce local rules) and residents or businesses cited for violations classified as misdemeanors or municipal infractions. The bill amends Maryland law to raise the fine limit in Sections 6-101 (for misdemeanor violations) and 6-102 (for municipal infractions like zoning or littering violations). This change allows local governments to levy higher penalties for specific offenses without creating new violations. The policy change takes effect October 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 349: Medical Debt - Complaints for Money Judgment and Real Property Liens

SB 349 prohibits medical debt from creating liens on a homeowner’s primary residence. It bans contracts or breach-of-contract actions by medical providers to place liens on owner-occupied homes for unpaid medical bills (defined as debt for medication, procedures, or services). If a lien is improperly placed, courts must remove it and may award economic damages to the homeowner. The bill applies prospectively from October 1, 2025, and does not affect cases filed before that date.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Housing

signed · Maryland · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 513: Real Property - Unlawfully Restrictive Covenant Modifications - County or Municipality Notice Requirements

SB 513 modifies notice requirements for counties and municipalities seeking to record changes to unlawfully restrictive covenants on property. These covenants are recorded restrictions that limit property ownership based on race, religion, or national origin. The bill requires government entities to provide written notice to property owners via first-class mail, newspaper publication for four weeks, courthouse posting, or official website posting at least 30 days before recording a modification. Property owners with an interest in the property can decline the change by notifying the county or municipality within 30 days of receiving the notice.

Topics ✓ Housing

Bill results