HB 624 (Safe Staffing Act of 2026) requires most Maryland hospitals to establish clinical staffing committees with equal management and employee representation, including specific frontline staff like nursing assistants and dietary aides. These committees must develop annual staffing plans considering patient acuity, staffing gaps, and evidence-based standards, then post the plans publicly and update them yearly. Hospitals must implement these plans starting in 2028, allow staff to file complaints about violations, and report annually to the Maryland Health Care Commission beginning in 2030. The law directly affects licensed hospitals and frontline healthcare workers by mandating structured, transparent staffing processes to address patient care needs.
SB 439 prohibits Maryland fire and rescue public safety employers from taking negative employment actions (like firing or denying promotions) against employees who use medical cannabis, provided the employee has a valid medical cannabis certification under state law. It amends existing Maryland law to explicitly add this protection for public safety workers, aligning with current medical cannabis certification requirements. The bill does not change how medical cannabis is certified but ensures these employees cannot face discrimination solely for using cannabis legally under the state program. This applies to all fire and rescue employees who meet the state's medical cannabis eligibility criteria.
SB 449 extends workers' compensation benefits to Carroll County correctional deputies who develop heart disease or hypertension. It creates a legal presumption that these conditions are work-related (and thus compensable) if they result in partial disability or death, provided the condition is more severe than any pre-existing condition and the deputy had a medical exam before employment. The bill amends Maryland law to explicitly include "Carroll County Correctional Deputy" in the definition of "public safety employee" for these benefits. This change applies specifically to Carroll County deputies and requires meeting the severity and medical exam conditions to qualify.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
