Maryland Bills

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 16, 2026

HB 1542: Public Health - Goods, Services, or Technologies Used in Death Sentences - Prohibition

HB 1542 prohibits businesses in Maryland from knowingly manufacturing, selling, distributing, or supplying drugs, medical devices, or other goods/services intended for use in carrying out a death sentence. It directly affects pharmacies, medical suppliers, and healthcare providers who may be asked to provide such items for executions. The bill imposes a $10,000 civil penalty for violations and requires health licensing boards to deny or revoke licenses for offenders. These provisions apply when sellers know or should know the items will be used in an execution, aiming to limit medical involvement in capital punishment.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 16, 2026

HB 1361: Criminal Law - Controlled Dangerous Substances and Criminal Organizations

HB 1361 modifies Maryland’s criminal law regarding controlled substances and criminal organizations. It specifies that conspiring to violate controlled substance laws (including cannabis distribution) carries the same penalty as the underlying crime, and expands venue rules for prosecutions. Specifically, cases involving controlled substances or criminal organizations can now be tried in any county where acts occurred, operations were based, proceeds were held, or the defendant resides. This primarily affects prosecutors, defendants, and conspirators in drug-related and organized crime cases by clarifying where trials can be held. The bill does not change substance prohibitions but adjusts penalties and jurisdiction for related offenses.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 16, 2026

HB 1390: Public Schools - Veterans' Day - Excused Student Absence

HB 1390 requires Maryland public schools to excuse student absences for observing Veterans' Day, directly affecting all public school students and their families. The bill amends Maryland's education code to explicitly add Veterans' Day to the list of excused absences, alongside existing holidays like Thanksgiving and Memorial Day. Schools must now excuse absences for Veterans' Day observance without requiring a specific reason or documentation. This change takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies uniformly across all Maryland public school districts.

Topics ✓ Veterans

in committee · Maryland · Senate Feb 16, 2026

SB 801: Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, EmPOWER Energy Efficiency Programs, and Net Energy Metering

SB 801 requires Maryland to withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) by January 1, 2027, with conditions allowing rejoining if other states join RGGI or Maryland becomes a net electricity exporter. It eliminates the utility surcharge funding EmPOWER energy efficiency programs, shifting cost recovery away from customer bills. The bill also modifies net energy metering rates, altering how customers with solar panels are compensated for excess electricity fed back to the grid. These changes directly affect the state government, utilities, ratepayers, and residential/commercial solar customers. The policy focuses on restructuring energy cost recovery and emissions program participation without endorsing specific environmental outcomes.

Topics ✗ Energy ✗ Environment

in committee · Maryland · Senate Feb 16, 2026

SB 834: Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programs, Services, and Plans - Moratorium

SB 834 imposes a moratorium starting July 1, 2026, prohibiting state government from implementing or enforcing energy efficiency and conservation programs tied to greenhouse gas reduction goals. It requires the Public Service Commission to let electric and gas companies continue recovering costs incurred before July 1, 2026, for programs established under prior law until all such costs are fully recovered. The Commission must report to the legislature within three months of full cost recovery, including a recommendation on whether to lift the moratorium. This bill directly affects utilities, the Public Service Commission, and state agencies overseeing energy programs, with no new program requirements after the moratorium date.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes ✗ Energy ✗ Environment

in committee · Maryland · Senate Feb 16, 2026

SB 929: Home Improvement Contractors - Disaster Mitigation Services - Regulation and Prohibition

SB 929 updates Maryland's home improvement law to explicitly include specific disaster mitigation services - such as boarding windows, tarping roofs, securing walls, and setting water mitigation equipment - under the definition of "home improvement" for licensing purposes. This change requires contractors performing these services to hold a valid home improvement license, directly affecting contractors and homeowners seeking disaster-related repairs. The bill also grants homeowners the right to cancel contracts for disaster mitigation services under certain conditions and allows counties to restrict in-person solicitation of disaster victims by contractors. These provisions aim to enhance consumer protection and ensure proper licensing during disaster recovery efforts.

in committee · Maryland · Senate Feb 16, 2026

SB 840: Maryland Stadium Authority - Electricity Generating Facilities - Site Planning

SB 840 requires Maryland’s Power Plant Research Program to identify 5-10 suitable sites for new electricity generating facilities (over 3,000 megawatts total capacity) by October 2027, prioritizing locations with the highest potential generation. The Governor’s Energy Subcabinet must then assess these sites and recommend specific locations to the Maryland Stadium Authority by December 2027. The Authority must complete feasibility studies for those sites by June 2028, evaluating how each facility would provide affordable, clean energy meeting Maryland’s environmental goals and emissions standards below the PJM regional average. This bill directly affects the Stadium Authority, the Power Plant Research Program, and the Energy Subcabinet by establishing a structured planning process for future electricity infrastructure.

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 16, 2026

HB 751: Victims of Communism Memorial Day

HB 751 requires Maryland's governor to annually proclaim November 7 as "Victims of Communism Memorial Day." The bill directs the Department of Legislative Services to send a copy of the law to the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington, D.C. It does not create new programs, funding, or legal obligations for citizens or government agencies. The bill is purely ceremonial, aligning Maryland with a national observance previously recognized by the U.S. Congress and President Trump. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

in committee · Maryland · Senate Feb 16, 2026

SB 850: Electric and Gas Companies - Energy Efficiency, Conservation, and Demand Response Programs - Alterations (Utility Affordability and Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026)

SB 850 requires Maryland electric and gas companies (including midsize cooperatives after 2026) to design energy efficiency, conservation, and demand response programs that demonstrably lower residential customer bills. It mandates the Public Service Commission to establish caps on certain assessments and set deadlines for eliminating unpaid utility costs. The law ensures programs must include measurable bill savings for households, not just energy reductions, and requires annual reports tracking energy savings and emissions reductions from these programs. This directly affects all residential utility customers in Maryland by linking program requirements to tangible cost savings.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Energy ✓ Environment ✓ Housing

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 16, 2026

HB 1103: State Designations - Symbol of Remembrance for September 11 - Freedom Flag

HB 1103 designates the Freedom Flag, created by Richard Nicholas Melito, as Maryland's official symbol of remembrance for the September 11 attacks. The bill amends the Maryland Annotated Code to add a new section (7-320) formally recognizing this flag for commemorating the 2001 attacks. The designation takes effect on September 11, 2026, and serves as a symbolic state recognition without altering existing laws or programs.

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 16, 2026

HB 825: Brain Health - Guidelines, Grant Fund, and Commemorative Month (Tahjai's Law)

HB 825 (Tahjai's Law) requires Maryland's Governor to annually proclaim May as "Brain Health and Chronic Headache Awareness Month," aligning with national brain tumor awareness efforts. It establishes a permanent Maryland Brain Health Grant Fund to provide financial support to nonprofits, healthcare providers, and community programs for brain health awareness, screening, prevention, and services like treatment for brain tumors, chronic headaches, and traumatic brain injury. The Maryland Department of Health must develop guidelines for incorporating brain health evaluations into routine physical exams and recommend insurance coverage parity for necessary diagnostic tools. Additionally, the Department must submit annual reports on brain tumor prevalence, emergency visits related to brain conditions, access to diagnostic imaging, and barriers to care.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Maryland · Senate Feb 16, 2026

SB 906: Criminal Law - Distribution of Heroin or Fentanyl Causing Death or Serious Bodily Injury (Victoria, Scottie, Ashleigh, and Yader's Law)

This bill creates a new criminal offense in Maryland for distributing heroin, fentanyl, or their chemical analogues when such distribution results in death or serious bodily injury to another person. It applies to anyone convicted of distributing these substances that cause harm, regardless of whether the victim used the drugs alone or mixed with other substances, and whether the distribution was direct or involved multiple transfers. The law establishes this as a separate felony carrying up to 20 years of consecutive prison time in addition to any other penalties, and allows prosecutions in either the county where the distribution occurred or where the death or injury happened.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

Bill results