HB 1254 requires county school boards to justify service contracts (outsourcing school services) by submitting detailed cost comparisons showing at least 20% savings over using school employees, along with plans to assist affected staff. It mandates that boards demonstrate they considered alternatives like reorganizing services before contracting. The bill also directs the State Department of Education to develop a paid, in-person professional development system for paraeducators and support staff by July 2027, including training on collaboration, student safety, crisis prevention, and job skills. This new system must be provided during school hours and will directly affect all paraeducators and support professionals in Maryland public schools.
HB 299 prohibits employers from knowingly creating or using false records or statements that cause underpayment of unemployment insurance contributions or overpayment of benefits exceeding $15,000 annually. It requires civil penalties from fraud violations to be deposited into the Unemployment Insurance Fund and mandates the Labor Commissioner and Attorney General to enforce wage laws, including prevailing wage and living wage requirements. The bill also authorizes license revocation for workplace fraud violations and strengthens coordination between state agencies investigating fraud. This primarily affects employers, contractors, and licensed businesses subject to wage and unemployment insurance laws in Maryland.
HB 106 grants collective bargaining rights to nontenure track faculty at Maryland's public higher education institutions, specifically at the University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. It creates a separate bargaining unit for these faculty members - including full-time, part-time, and adjunct employees with academic responsibilities like teachers and researchers - who were previously excluded from collective bargaining under state law. The bill amends existing statutes to explicitly include nontenure track faculty in bargaining units, allowing them to negotiate wages, hours, and working conditions through union representation. This change takes effect July 1, 2026.
SB 389, the Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act, automatically designates transit-oriented development (TOD) areas near rail stations with hourly weekday service (8 a.m.-6 p.m.) as enterprise zones - bypassing normal limits on such designations. It requires Maryland’s development corporation to prioritize loans for projects redeveloping state-owned land near rail stations and delays development taxes/fees for qualifying residential projects. The bill also adds project labor agreements as a scoring factor for TOD funding and adjusts local land-use regulations to support transit-focused development. Directly affecting developers, local governments, and communities near transit hubs, it aims to accelerate housing and infrastructure near rail corridors.
HB 1325 authorizes licensed clinical social workers to evaluate permanent impairments involving behavioral or mental disorders in Maryland workers' compensation claims. It requires these social workers to meet specific qualifications, including training in mental/behavioral conditions, rehabilitation counseling registration, two years of post-licensure experience, and COMAR authorization. The bill directly affects workers seeking compensation for mental/behavioral impairments and licensed clinical social workers who wish to provide these evaluations. It amends Maryland’s workers’ compensation law (Article 9, Section 9-721) to expand evaluation eligibility beyond psychologists and physicians. The changes take effect October 1, 2026.
HB 194, the Incarcerated Job Training Act, requires Maryland's Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to create a paid apprenticeship program for incarcerated individuals in skilled trades. The bill mandates that participants earn at least the state minimum wage, with earnings deposited into their personal accounts for use after release. Employers - such as state agencies, local governments, or private businesses - can participate, but may reject assignments or withdraw from the program. Successful completers receive a certificate within 30 days of release, and the program must prioritize developing marketable job skills. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.
HB 536 expands Maryland's employment discrimination protections to require reasonable accommodations for temporary disabilities related to childbirth, menopause, and lactation. It classifies these conditions as temporary disabilities under existing leave and benefits policies, mandating that employers treat them the same as other temporary disabilities for leave, seniority, and reinstatement. The bill requires employers to explore specific accommodations like modified duties, flexible hours, or transfers to less strenuous roles when requested. It also mandates employers to provide clear information about these rights to employees and allows health care provider certifications for accommodations, effective October 1, 2026.
HB 1108 grants collective bargaining rights to workers in Maryland greenhouses (controlled-environment agricultural operations), allowing them to form unions and negotiate wages, hours, and working conditions with employers. The bill requires the state Labor Secretary to establish regulations for union elections, certification, and resolving bargaining disputes, while mandating greenhouse employers to provide rest breaks during extreme heat to prevent heat-related illness. This law directly affects greenhouse workers and their employers, creating a formal process for union representation and heat protection. It amends Maryland's labor code to include these specific protections for greenhouse workers, who previously lacked these rights under state law.
HB 1068 requires health insurance carriers in Maryland to provide a 60-day special enrollment period for individuals who become newly hired by small businesses that do not offer employer-sponsored health plans. This applies to people purchasing coverage through the state’s health insurance marketplace (Individual Exchange) or outside it. The special enrollment period begins on the first day of employment and allows new hires to enroll in health insurance without waiting for the standard open enrollment period. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, directly benefiting newly employed workers at small businesses without health benefits.
