Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 983: Election Law - Local Boards of Elections - Language Assistance Program

HB 983 requires Maryland's State Board of Elections to determine if local election boards need to provide language assistance based on census data showing significant limited English proficiency among voters. Specifically, a county must provide assistance if either: (1) over 2% of its voting-age population (but at least 100 people) shares a non-English language and has limited English proficiency, or (2) over 4,000 people share a non-English language and have limited English proficiency. Local election boards must then provide translated voting materials, bilingual election judges where available, and multilingual signage at polling places in designated languages. This policy directly affects voters with limited English proficiency in qualifying counties, ensuring access to election materials and assistance.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 1443: Local Government - Hiring and Promotion Preferences for Veterans and Spouses of Service Members and Veterans (Families Serve Act)

HB 1443 allows Maryland counties and municipalities to create local laws granting hiring and promotion preferences to eligible veterans and specific family members. It authorizes a 10-point credit on selection tests for veterans, spouses of veterans with service-connected disabilities, spouses of active service members, and surviving spouses of veterans. The bill specifies that current government employees and veterans convicted of crimes after military service are excluded from these preferences. Local governments must adopt a formal local law before implementing these hiring or promotion options.

Topics ✓ Veterans

signed · Maryland · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 48: Department of General Services - Identification Cards - Veteran Status Notation

SB 48 allows Maryland's Department of General Services to add a "veteran status" notation on state-issued identification cards when veterans provide documentation like a DD-214 form. It requires the Department to obtain explicit consent from cardholders before sharing veteran status information with other state agencies. The bill prohibits the Department from transmitting veteran status details without this consent, except as required by law. This affects veterans who hold state-issued ID cards for purposes like employment or contractor access.

Topics ✓ Veterans

signed · Maryland · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 175: Public Safety - Fuel Gas Piping Systems and Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing - Prohibitions and Study

SB 175 prohibits the sale, transfer, or distribution of corrugated stainless steel tubing for fuel gas systems that doesn’t meet the LC1027 standard from the International Fuel and Gas Code or pass a 36-coulomb electrical arcing test. It requires that such tubing must meet these standards for new gas systems in homes or businesses, major renovations (over 50% of building square footage), or when adding new gas lines. The law applies to buildings not covered by federal gas piping codes and imposes $1,000 civil penalties for violations. It takes effect October 1, 2027, directly affecting contractors, suppliers, and building owners installing gas systems.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 325: Adult Education - High School Diploma by Examination - Requirements and Study

HB 325 allows adults seeking a high school diploma through the GED exam to take all test components in either English or Spanish, directly affecting adult learners, particularly English language learners with interrupted education. The bill requires Maryland's Department of Labor to study offering the exam in additional languages and submit a report to legislative committees by December 2026. It amends existing law to expand language options for the exam while maintaining other eligibility requirements, such as not having previously earned a diploma. The policy change focuses on improving access to the diploma pathway through language flexibility.

Topics ✓ Education

signed · Maryland · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 511: Public Senior Higher Education Institutions - Pregnant and Parenting Students - Plan Requirements (Pregnant and Parenting Student Support Act)

SB 511 requires Maryland's public senior higher education institutions (University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, and St. Mary's College) to create and post online plans supporting pregnant and parenting students by August 2026. The plans must include referrals to existing government programs like WIC, child care scholarships, Medicaid, and health insurance; information about adoption services; and accommodations such as priority class registration and flexible scheduling. These institutions must align their plans with federal anti-discrimination law (Title IX) and provide clear access to campus and community resources. The bill directly affects students enrolled at the covered institutions who are pregnant or have childcare responsibilities. It takes effect July 2025.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 318: Higher Education - Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program - Eligibility

SB 318 expands eligibility for Maryland's Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program to include veterinary practitioners and veterinary technicians. It adds two new pathways: (1) working as a state-employed veterinarian for at least 5 years, or (2) volunteering at qualifying animal shelters for 100+ hours yearly over 3 years (shelters owned by local governments, contracted animal control providers, or spay/neuter grant recipients). The bill directly affects graduates of accredited veterinary schools who provide services in these specific roles. This change modifies existing program criteria under Maryland Code, Education Article § 18-1502, without creating new funding.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 643: Higher Education - Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program - Eligibility

HB 643 expands Maryland's Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program to include veterinarians and veterinary technicians. It allows these professionals to qualify for student loan repayment if they work as state employees for at least 5 years or volunteer at qualified animal shelters for 100+ hours yearly over 3 years. Qualifying shelters must be owned by local governments, animal control contractors, or organizations that received Maryland's spay/neuter grants. The bill updates existing eligibility criteria without changing the program's core structure or funding.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 46: Public Health - Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council - Membership

HB 46 modifies the membership of Maryland's Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council. It adds specific new members, including the Motor Vehicle Administration Administrator and representatives from historically Black colleges, healthcare providers, pharmacists, substance use disorder experts, and cannabis researchers. The bill also changes how members are appointed, requiring the Governor to select nine new positions with defined expertise areas. These changes directly affect the council's composition and its ability to advise on cannabis public health policies. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 354: Maryland Inventory of Cemeteries and Burial Sites Workgroup - Establishment

SB 354 establishes a Maryland Inventory of Cemeteries and Burial Sites Workgroup to study how to create a statewide cemetery inventory system. The workgroup, including representatives from historical trusts, cemetery oversight, cultural commissions, preservation groups, and local communities, will standardize cemetery definitions, review current documentation practices, and study systems in other states. It will evaluate existing local inventories, recommend data categories and maintenance methods, identify the best entity to manage the system, and propose funding options for a state system starting in 2027. The workgroup must submit its recommendations to the Governor and legislature by December 1, 2025, and the bill expires June 30, 2026.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 844: Somerset County - Salaries of Local Officials - Increase

HB 844 increases annual salaries for specific Somerset County officials by raising their pay rates: the Sheriff from $85,000 to $105,000, County Commissioners from $10,000 to $12,000, the President of Commissioners from $11,000 to $13,000, County Roads Board members from $10,000 to $12,000, and the President of the Roads Board from $11,000 to $13,000. These changes apply only to terms beginning after October 1, 2025, and do not affect current officeholders serving terms starting before that date. The bill amends existing Maryland law sections governing county salaries and explicitly states it does not apply retroactively to current terms. The adjustments take effect at the start of the next elected term following the October 2025 effective date.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 1098: Insurance - Automobile Insurance - Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund and Affordability Study

HB 1098 requires the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund (MAIF) to calculate and report its risk-based capital (RBC) level annually, and to maintain total adjusted capital above specific thresholds starting December 2026. It also mandates the Insurance Commissioner to review MAIF’s RBC plans if capital levels fall below requirements and ensures certain rate-making rules apply to MAIF during financial stress periods. Additionally, the bill creates a workgroup to study auto insurance affordability and submit a report to the Governor and General Assembly by a specified deadline. This directly affects MAIF’s financial operations, the Insurance Commissioner’s oversight role, and the process for evaluating auto insurance costs for Maryland drivers.

Bill results