Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 9: Maryland Higher Education Commission - Academic Program Approval - Revisions

SB 9 requires nonpublic (private nonprofit) Maryland colleges to submit a letter of intent to the Maryland Higher Education Commission before proposing new graduate-level programs. It repeals a previous restriction that limited which institutions could propose certain graduate programs, expanding this process to all nonpublic institutions. The bill updates the State Plan for Higher Education to explicitly include specific academic programs that could fulfill current or emerging workforce needs. This change aims to improve coordination between institutions and the Commission regarding graduate programs aligned with state workforce goals.

Topics ✓ Education

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 1039: Alcoholic Beverages - Class 5 Breweries - On-Premises Consumption

SB 1039 increases the allowable percentage of beer a Class 5 brewery can sell for on-premises consumption from 25% to 35% of annual sales, provided the beer is brewed under contract or by an affiliate. It directly affects small craft breweries holding Class 5 licenses, allowing them to sell more beer they did not brew themselves at their own locations. The bill revises licensing rules to set the 35% limit based on either annual on-premises sales volume or 1.2% of the brewery’s total production. The change takes effect July 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 286: Domestic Partnership and Marriage - Required Information

SB 286 requires applicants for domestic partnerships or marriage licenses in Maryland to provide the Social Security number of each partner or spouse who has one. This applies to both domestic partnership declarations filed with a register of wills (under Estates and Trusts law) and marriage license applications (under Family Law). The bill specifies that these Social Security numbers must be included in the application but cannot be disclosed as part of the public record. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, directly affecting individuals seeking domestic partnership registration or marriage licenses in Maryland.

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 19: Estates and Trusts - Compensation of Guardians of Property and Trustees

SB 19 clarifies compensation rules for guardians of property and trustees in Maryland. It establishes specific tiered commission rates for guardians (e.g., 6% on real estate income, 6.5% on first $10,000 of other income) and allows trustees to charge "reasonable" compensation based on circumstances. The bill also sets a $50 monthly cap for guardians of disabled individuals receiving Medicaid services, unless a court approves higher fees for unusual circumstances. These changes update existing Maryland law (amending sections 13-218, 14.5-708, and others) to standardize payment structures for estate and trust administrators.

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 238: Department of Housing and Community Development - Maryland Housing Rehabilitation Program - Local Rehabilitation Program Administration

SB 238 expands eligibility for administering Maryland's Housing Rehabilitation Program to include qualified nonprofit organizations as administrators, alongside existing political subdivisions. It updates the definition of "nonprofit sponsor" (Section 4-901(e)) to explicitly allow nonprofits to manage local rehabilitation programs, including those operating through limited partnerships under specific ownership rules. The bill also revises allocation rules (Section 4-911) to permit the Department to distribute funds to counties for use by nonprofit sponsors, and sets standards (Section 4-914) for certifying nonprofits' capability to administer the program. This change directly affects nonprofits seeking to administer housing rehabilitation loans and the Department of Housing and Community Development, which will now certify these new administrators under updated guidelines.

Topics ✓ Housing

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 502: Property Tax - Credit for Law Enforcement Officer or Rescue Worker - Expansion to Judicial Officer

SB 502 expands Maryland's existing property tax credit program to include judicial officers, their surviving spouses, and cohabitants - previously, the credit only covered law enforcement officers and rescue workers. The bill modifies the law to define "public safety officer" to include judicial officers and requires counties or municipalities to establish by law who qualifies as a judicial officer. It allows disabled judicial officers, their surviving spouses (if unmarried), and cohabitants to claim the credit against property taxes on their primary residence, with specific residency and disability criteria. The credit applies retroactively to qualifying individuals who met the requirements before the bill's enactment.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 126: Estates and Trusts - Resignation of Trustee - Notice

SB 126 clarifies that Maryland trustees must provide 30 days' written notice to beneficiaries, the trust creator (if living), other trustees, and anyone who can appoint a successor when resigning. This amendment to Maryland's Trust Act (Section 14.5-705) removes ambiguity about the notice requirement, ensuring clarity for all parties involved. The bill directly affects trustees in Maryland who choose to step down from managing a trust. It takes effect October 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 81: Criminal Law - Interference With a Public Safety Answering Point - Penalties

SB 81 prohibits intentional interference with public safety answering points (PSAPs), which are emergency call centers like 911 dispatch systems. It makes it a felony to intentionally disrupt PSAP operations (with penalties of up to 5 years in prison or $25,000 fines) or to actually cause disruption (up to 10 years or $50,000 fines). The law specifically targets actions that impair emergency call services, such as blocking 911 access, and applies to anyone who causes such disruption without authorization. It does not cover authorized security testing or legitimate uses like ransomware for authorized security research. This bill directly affects individuals who intentionally interfere with emergency call systems, strengthening penalties for threats to public safety infrastructure.

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 84: Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services - Study on Location of Individuals Prior to and Following Incarceration

SB 84 requires Maryland's Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to study where people lived before entering state prison and where they are released after incarceration. The study must collect data on pre-incarceration residence counties, release locations, transfer details during incarceration, and compare release locations to pre-incarceration, conviction, and incarceration counties. The department must report findings annually to four legislative committees starting October 1, 2026. This bill directly affects the department's data collection processes for individuals in the state prison system.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 186: Natural Resources - Invasive Blue Catfish Pilot Program

SB 186 creates a new commercial license for fishing blue and flathead catfish using trotlines in the Chesapeake Bay. It specifically prohibits the Department of Natural Resources from banning license holders from fishing in the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The license requires a $15 annual fee, is valid from September 1 to August 31, and does not require a separate tidal fishing license. This bill directly affects commercial fishermen seeking to target invasive catfish species in that specific Bay area, removing regulatory barriers to their fishing activities.

Topics ✓ Environment

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 622: Courts - State Reporter - Publication of Cases

SB 622 repeals a requirement that the State Reporter secure copyright for published court opinions in Maryland. It removes the specific language from existing law (Section 13-203(D)) that previously mandated the Reporter to "secure copyright for the State of Maryland as its property." The bill does not change how court opinions are published (still required within six months), who prepares the reports (State Reporter under Supreme Court supervision), or funding for clerical work. This is a procedural update to administrative requirements for the State Reporter's publication process.

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 814: Local Government - Development Impact Fees, Surcharges, and Excise Taxes - Reporting

SB 814 requires specific Maryland counties (charter counties imposing development fees by law, code counties with such fees in public local laws, and commission counties authorized to impose them) to annually report to the Governor and General Assembly by July 1. The report must detail total fees collected from new construction, how funds are distributed to specific districts (legislative, councilmanic, or commissioner), and how funds were used for capital projects like transportation, schools, or other infrastructure. Counties must also make these reports publicly available on their websites or through other reasonable means. The bill focuses on transparency around how local governments collect and spend development impact fees, surcharges, and excise taxes.

Bill results