Maryland Bills

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 1134: Pharmaceutical Drugs and Devices - Gifts to Health Care Professionals - Prohibition

HB 1134 prohibits pharmaceutical and medical device sellers from giving healthcare professionals gifts exceeding $50 in total retail value per calendar year. It directly affects drug/device manufacturers and healthcare professionals who prescribe or recommend products, including their organizations and employees. The bill defines "gifts" broadly to include payments, food, travel, and entertainment (excluding peer-reviewed medical literature) and sets a clear annual $50 limit. Violations are punishable as misdemeanors with fines up to $5,000 or six months in jail. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 1414: Nursing Homes - Direct Care Wages and Benefits and Cost Reports

HB 1414 requires Maryland nursing homes to spend at least 75% of their nursing and residential care revenue on direct care staff wages and benefits, including nurses, dietary workers, and therapists. It also mandates that nursing homes submit detailed annual cost reports by September 1 (starting in 2027) to the Maryland Department of Health, including proof of wage payments and other required data. Failure to comply could lead to enforcement actions such as corrective plans or suspension from the Maryland Medicaid program. The bill directly affects all nursing homes operating in Maryland and takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 1516: Human Services - Energy Assistance Programs - Administration and Funding

HB 1516 transfers administration of Maryland's electric universal service program from the Public Service Commission to the Office of Home Energy Programs within the Department of Human Services. It also expands the Strategic Energy Investment Fund to cover fuel assistance programs, including weatherization for low-income households. The bill directly affects low-income residents with annual incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level who receive energy bill assistance. Key provisions include requiring the new Office to implement the electric universal service program and continuing the weatherization component previously managed by the Department of Housing and Community Development. The changes aim to streamline administration under one agency while maintaining existing eligibility and service mechanisms.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Energy ✓ Housing

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 1522: Traffic Control Signal Monitoring and Speed Monitoring Systems - Exemptions From Liability - Vehicle Rental Companies

HB 1522 removes a legal exemption that previously protected vehicle rental companies from liability for traffic violations captured by traffic control signal or speed monitoring systems. The bill repeals specific sections of Maryland law (21-202.1 and 21-809) that excluded rental companies and special plate holders from receiving citations for red-light running or speeding violations recorded by these systems. As a result, rental companies will now be directly liable for such violations, facing the same civil penalties as individual vehicle owners. This change affects all vehicle rental companies operating in Maryland, requiring them to address violations recorded by municipal or state monitoring systems. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Transportation

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 1556: Business Regulation - Sugary Beverage Advertisements - Warning Labels

HB 1556 requires businesses to include a specific health warning label on advertisements for sugary beverages placed on state, county, or municipal property. The label, which must be in bold, boxed, and highly visible, states: "WARNING: DRINKING BEVERAGES WITH ADDED SUGAR CAN CONTRIBUTE TO OBESITY, TYPE 2 DIABETES, AND TOOTH DECAY. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN. MARYLAND STATE HEALTH WARNING." This applies to beverages containing added sugars or nonnutritive sweeteners (like aspartame or sucralose), excluding plain sugar. Violations could result in daily civil penalties up to $1,000, effective October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 1561: Electricity Generation and Storage - Investor-Owned Electric Companies and Front-of-the-Meter Storage (Affordable Energy Act)

HB 1561 requires Maryland's Public Service Commission to mandate investor-owned electric utilities to develop resource adequacy plans if the state faces insufficient power supply capacity or experiences severe price spikes in the PJM electricity market. The bill directs utilities to prioritize renewable energy investments in these plans and allows them to recover reasonable costs (including stranded investments) through regulated surcharges. It modifies how utilities can recover expenses for building power generation facilities and transmission infrastructure, ensuring cost recovery aligns with federal rate base approvals. This directly affects Maryland's major electric utilities (like Potomac Electric Power Company) and their ratepayers through potential cost adjustments.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 1534: Data Centers - Standards for Operation and Siting

HB 1534 establishes new operational and siting standards for data centers in Maryland, directly affecting data center owners and operators. It requires data centers within 2,500 feet of schools to maintain 1,000-foot setbacks from high-voltage power lines, fund school air filtration systems, and install public air quality sensors monitoring pollutants like particulate matter. The Department of the Environment must create regulations limiting sound levels (to 45 DBA or 55 DBC near schools), requiring backup generators to meet strict emissions standards, and banning non-emergency testing during school hours. Violations incur a $10,000 civil penalty per offense, with repeated violations risking permit revocation for the data center.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Environment ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 1560: Forest Conservation - Incentives - Pilot Program and Fund

HB 1560 establishes a pilot program to incentivize Maryland’s nonindustrial private forest landowners (who manage 75% of the state’s 2.4 million forest acres) to adopt ecosystem-focused forest management plans. It creates the Forest Ecosystem Value Incentives Fund - a permanent, interest-earning fund - to finance the program, replacing current permanent conservation agreements with flexible management commitments. The bill requires the Department of Natural Resources to design plans that maximize public benefits like carbon sequestration, water quality, and biodiversity, without requiring perpetual land conservation. This shifts incentives toward active forest management rather than permanent land retirement.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 1525: Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, EmPOWER Energy Efficiency Programs, and Community Solar Energy Generating Systems

HB 1525 would require Maryland to withdraw from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) by January 1, 2027, ending the state's participation in a regional program that sets carbon emission limits for power plants. The bill eliminates a surcharge utilities used to recover costs for energy efficiency programs (EmPOWER), directly affecting how these programs are funded. It also limits the amount of electricity that can be purchased or credited under community solar programs. Maryland could rejoin RGGI if all other PJM Interconnection states become full members or if the state becomes a net electricity exporter.

Topics ✗ Energy ✗ Environment

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 1535: Natural Resources - Recreational Fishing - Mobile Reporting Application

HB 1535 requires Maryland's Department of Natural Resources to develop a mobile application for anglers holding licenses for nontidal waters (under § 4-604) or Chesapeake Bay/coastal fishing (under § 4-745) to submit required reports. It directly affects all licensed recreational fishermen who currently must submit reports under existing regulations. The bill mandates the app be created by July 1, 2026, but does not change what reports are required or who must submit them - only the submission method. The app will allow license holders to report via mobile device instead of traditional methods.

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 1496: Vehicle Laws – Causing Serious Injury or Death of Vulnerable Individual

HB 1496 amends Maryland's vehicle laws by removing motorcycle riders from the legal definition of "vulnerable individual" under Section 21-901.3. This change specifically affects motorcycle riders, excluding them from the category protected under penalties for causing serious injury or death through traffic violations. The bill deletes motorcycle riders (previously listed in subsection (a)(iii)(v)) from the definition, meaning drivers who hit motorcycle riders while violating traffic rules will no longer face the enhanced penalties tied to "causing injury or death to a vulnerable individual." The law retains protections for pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users as defined in the amended section. The change takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ Transportation

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 1451: Public Health - Women's Health Care Data - Report

HB 1451 requires Maryland's Department of Health to create a standardized system for collecting and reporting annual data on the costs of specific women's health services. It mandates hospitals, licensed health providers, and other entities to submit aggregated, anonymized data on prenatal care, birth, postpartum care, pregnancy care, abortion services (excluding procedure-level details), and menopausal care. The bill explicitly prohibits collecting patient-identifiable information or violating privacy laws, focusing only on budgetary and expenditure data. This data will be used to analyze costs, evaluate funding effectiveness, and identify gaps in women's health care services, without specifying policy outcomes.

Topics ✓ Technology

Bill results