HB 503 Maryland House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Baltimore City Sheriff's Office - Collective Bargaining - Compensation

HB 503 allows full-time sworn deputy sheriffs (at lieutenant rank or below) and court security officers in Baltimore City to collectively bargain over compensation - including salary, wages, and city-managed benefits - as well as leave, hours, working conditions, and job security. It requires these officers to negotiate jointly with both the Sheriff and Baltimore City (not just one entity) for these matters, removing previous restrictions that excluded salary from bargaining. The bill excludes captains, appointed staff, civilian employees, part-timers, and temporary workers from these collective bargaining rights. This changes existing law to expand bargaining scope for eligible officers while specifying the joint negotiation process.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Jan 27, 2026 Signed May 12, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Baltimore City Sheriff's Office - Collective Bargaining - Compensation Third - Baltimore City Sheriff's Office - Collective Bargaining - Compensation · 2 edits
MINOR
The bill was advanced from its first reading to a favorable committee report and adopted by the House, moving it closer to becoming law. The text includes minor formatting adjustments to the header and explanatory notes, while the core legal provisions regarding collective bargaining rights for the Baltimore City Sheriff's Office remain substantively unchanged.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it still applies only to full-time sworn deputy sheriffs and court security officers in Baltimore City.
TECHNICAL

The header was updated to reflect the bill's new status (Committee Report: Favorable, House action: Adopted, Read second time: March 7, 2026) and added a chapter number placeholder.

Formatting and line breaks were adjusted throughout the document to align with standard legislative markup conventions.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 27, 2026 · House of Delegates Mar 8, 2026

How they voted

450
Passed · 4 other
Total votes 49
Mar 27, 2026
D Democratic36
35 Yea 1
97% Yea
R Republican13
10 Yea 3
76% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
10
Committee
6
May 12, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 568
executive
Apr 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
Returned Passed
lower
Apr 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Third Reading Passed
upper
Apr 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable Adopted
upper
Apr 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable Report by Judicial Proceedings
upper
Mar 27, 2026
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (45-0-4)
senate
Mar 23, 2026
Committee
Referred Judicial Proceedings
upper
Mar 20, 2026
Lower · Passed
Third Reading Passed
lower
Mar 20, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
lower
Mar 20, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable Report by Government, Labor, and Elections
lower
Mar 8, 2026
House Of Delegates · Passed
House of Delegates Vote: pass (105-26-11)
house of delegates
Jan 27, 2026
Committee
First Reading Government, Labor, and Elections
lower
4 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors