Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 445: Employment Standards - Firefighters - Payment of Wages and Payroll Information

SB 445 requires counties and municipalities in Maryland to calculate overtime pay for firefighters based on hours worked over 168 hours in a 28-day period (instead of the standard 40-hour workweek). It also mandates that employers provide firefighters with detailed payroll statements at hiring, when pay rates change, and for each pay period, including hours worked, gross earnings, and deductions. If a county or municipality fails to provide required payroll information or pay due wages, firefighters or their representatives can file a grievance to recover missing wages plus increasing damages of 30% per pay period - capped at three times the amount due - until resolved. This bill directly affects firefighters employed by local governments and clarifies their entitlement to transparent payroll records and timely compensation.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentIncreases overtime threshold from 160 to 168 hours over 28 days, reducing overtime eligibility for firefighters.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 337: Correctional Officers' Retirement System - Membership - Clarifications

SB 337 clarifies membership requirements and retirement benefits for correctional officers and specific staff in Maryland's Correctional Officers' Retirement System (CORS). It requires certain employees - such as correctional officers, security attendants at Clifton T. Perkins Hospital, and related positions - to join CORS as a condition of employment. The bill also clarifies how unused sick leave accrued in previous retirement systems (like the Employees' Pension System) is counted toward CORS benefits for employees who transferred systems without transferring service credit. This ensures accurate calculation of retirement benefits based on service history and unused sick leave, directly affecting eligible CORS members in designated roles.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentClarifies retirement benefits and mandates CORS membership for correctional officers, expanding worker benefits through accrued sick leave integration and mandatory system enrollment.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 28, 2026

HB 532: Employment Standards - Firefighters - Payment of Wages and Payroll Information

HB 532 requires counties and municipalities in Maryland to calculate overtime pay for government-employed firefighters based on hours worked over 168 in a 28-day period (instead of the standard 40-hour workweek). It also mandates that these employers provide firefighters with specific payroll information at hiring, during pay rate changes, and with each paycheck - including pay rates, overtime rates, hours worked, and deductions. If employers fail to provide this information or pay due wages, firefighters or their representatives can file a grievance, triggering automatic damages that increase by 30% per pay period until resolved, capped at three times the missing amount. The bill directly affects all firefighters employed by Maryland local governments and aims to standardize overtime calculations and improve payroll transparency.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates accurate overtime calculation and detailed payroll transparency for firefighters, protecting wage rights and ensuring compliance with pay standards.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 74: Public Safety - Police Employees and Deputy State Fire Marshals - Repeal of Pay Rate Restriction on Promotion

SB 74 would remove a rule that sometimes required promoted police officers and deputy state fire marshals to accept a lower pay step than their previous position if others in the new rank had equal or more seniority. Currently, if a promoted employee’s prior step was higher than peers with equal or greater experience in the new rank, they were automatically placed in a lower step. The bill repeals this restriction, ensuring promoted employees retain their previous step’s pay rate upon advancement. This change applies to all future promotions starting July 1, 2026, directly affecting Maryland police and fire marshal personnel.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill repeals pay step restriction, ensuring promoted police/fire marshals retain prior pay rate, protecting wage rights upon promotion.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 14, 2026

HB 478: Income Tax - Subtraction Modification for Classroom Supplies Purchased by Teachers - Alteration

HB 478 modifies Maryland's income tax by expanding the existing $250 deduction for unreimbursed classroom supply expenses to include prekindergarten teachers. Previously, only K-12 classroom teachers qualified; this bill explicitly adds prekindergarten teachers employed full-time in state programs. The deduction remains limited to $250 per year for supplies used by students or for teaching preparation, excluding expenses already deducted federally. This change affects prekindergarten teachers statewide who purchase classroom supplies without reimbursement, effective for taxable years starting after December 31, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands income tax deduction for teachers, providing tax relief to prekindergarten educators without increasing government spending.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands tax deduction for preK teachers' classroom supplies, supporting educator financial relief and expanding access to teacher expense benefits.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands tax deduction for prekindergarten teachers' classroom supplies, providing financial support for work-related expenses under employment benefits.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 216: Unemployment Insurance - Confidentiality of Information

SB 216 updates Maryland's unemployment insurance confidentiality rules to align with federal requirements. It clarifies that claim details (including benefit amounts, address, and work refusal history), wage information, and other personal data are protected as "confidential unemployment insurance information." The bill allows limited disclosure to child support enforcement agencies when permitted under federal law, while adding penalties for unauthorized leaks by current or former Maryland Department of Labor employees. These changes directly affect unemployment claimants, employers, and child support agencies by defining how personal financial data may be shared.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProtects workers' personal data in unemployment claims, preventing unauthorized disclosure and aligning with federal privacy standards to safeguard sensitive information like benefit amounts and work history.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly protects personal data (confidentiality of unemployment info) under privacy safeguards, directly supporting data privacy within technology policy.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 14, 2026

HB 242: Unemployment Insurance - Confidentiality of Information

HB 242 updates Maryland's unemployment insurance confidentiality rules to align with federal requirements. It clarifies that personal details like benefit amounts, home addresses, and work refusal history (covered under federal income verification rules) are confidential, directly affecting claimants and the Maryland Department of Labor. The bill establishes specific exceptions allowing child support enforcement units to access certain claim information under federal guidelines, while adding penalties for unauthorized disclosure by department employees. These changes ensure compliance with federal regulations without altering benefit eligibility or payment processes.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentClarifies confidentiality of personal unemployment details (benefit amounts, addresses), protecting claimants' privacy and aligning with federal standards, advancing worker rights protection.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 136: Collective Bargaining - Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission - Police Officers

SB 136 extends collective bargaining rights under Maryland's state employee laws to police officers employed by the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission (ATCC) who are authorized to make arrests. It amends state law to explicitly include these officers under Section 3-102(a)(4) of the State Personnel and Pensions article, placing them in the same category as other covered state employees. This change applies to all full-time ATCC police officers at the rank of first sergeant and below, excluding supervisory or confidential roles as defined by regulations. The bill takes effect on October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends collective bargaining rights to ATCC police officers, strengthening workers' rights under state employee laws as explicitly stated in the bill summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 14, 2026

SB 262: Income Tax - Subtraction Modification for Classroom Supplies Purchased by Teachers - Alteration

SB 262 expands Maryland's income tax deduction for teachers by adding prekindergarten teachers to the list of eligible educators who can deduct up to $250 annually for unreimbursed classroom supply expenses. The bill amends tax code sections to include prekindergarten classroom teachers employed full-time in state programs as "eligible teachers," alongside existing K-12 teachers. This deduction applies only to supplies used by students or for teaching preparation, and excludes expenses already deducted federally. The change takes effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands tax deduction for teachers, providing tax relief to middle-income educators via $250 annual classroom supply deduction.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands tax deduction for teachers to include prekindergarten educators, providing financial relief for classroom supplies. Directly supports educators through tax benefit expansion.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands tax deduction for teachers' unreimbursed classroom supplies, enhancing financial support for educators as part of employment benefits.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

passed both · Maryland · Senate Apr 13, 2026

SB 672: Prince George's County - Expanding Access to Early Childhood Education and Child Care

SB 672 requires Maryland's State Department of Education to create a plan by December 1, 2026, to expand access to high-quality early childhood education and childcare for children from birth through age 3 in Prince George's County. The plan must analyze costs for parents, the county, and state; workforce needs for providers; current capacity to serve more children; and potential new revenue sources. It mandates consultation with Prince George's County and relevant state agencies during development. The bill directly affects infants and toddlers in Prince George's County, their families, and local childcare providers. The plan must be submitted to the Governor, state legislature, and Prince George's County delegation by the deadline, with implementation beginning July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates plan to expand early childhood education access for children birth-3 in Prince George's County, directly advancing educational access as defined in the topic description.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill requires analysis of workforce needs for childcare providers, directly addressing labor market access and supporting employment opportunities in early childhood sector.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Labor & Employment

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