HB 1256 creates an Angel Investor Tax Credit in Maryland, allowing investors to claim a credit against their state income tax for qualifying investments in Maryland companies. The credit applies to investments in companies operating in specific economic sectors (to be designated by the Department of Commerce), with the Department required to maintain an online portal for applications and evaluate additional qualifying sectors. Investors must make their investment within a set timeframe after receiving a tax credit certificate, and the bill establishes a reserve fund for the credit program that earns interest. The credit directly affects angel investors who fund qualifying Maryland businesses and the state's economic development efforts, with provisions for recapturing credits if requirements aren't met.
HB 1273 (Maryland Homeowner Protection and Homestead Tax Credit Portability Act of 2026) modifies Maryland's homestead tax credit system by reducing the maximum credit percentage from 110% to 105% for state and bicounty property taxes. It creates a new "homestead credit portability" feature allowing homeowners who move to a new residence to carry forward a portion of their previous home's tax credit. The portability adjustment calculates a credit based on the difference in taxable assessments between the previous and new dwelling, capped at $500,000 of the new property's assessment. This bill directly affects homeowners who relocate within Maryland and change their primary residence.
HB 1343 would authorize Maryland to offer licensed online gambling by allowing the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission to issue licenses to qualified operators. It requires licensees to verify users' age and location before permitting play and establishes a fund to support displaced video lottery employees. Crucially, the bill changes how internet gaming revenue funds public schools: starting in fiscal year 2028, counties must directly allocate gaming proceeds to school budgets instead of counting them toward existing education funding calculations. This affects online gambling companies, state regulators, county governments, and public school systems across Maryland.
HB 1308 modifies Maryland's homeowners' property tax credit program by raising eligibility thresholds. It increases the assessed value cap for qualifying homes from $300,000 to $480,000, raises the income threshold for the first tax credit bracket from $8,000 to $12,500, and raises the combined gross income limit from $60,000 to $95,000. The bill also raises the net worth limit for eligibility from $200,000 to $320,000. These changes will directly affect more middle-income homeowners who previously exceeded the lower limits, expanding access to the credit starting June 1, 2026.
HB 1337 requires Frederick County's local health department to automatically approve well and septic service plans for properties on lots subdivided between 1976 and 2019, if prepared by certified professionals. Specifically, it mandates approval for plans certified by a professional engineer (for complex systems) or a licensed environmental health specialist (for traditional systems), without changes or comments. The health department may only deny a plan if it issues a written finding of "imminent threat" to public health/safety, which property owners can appeal within 30 days. This bill directly affects property owners in Frederick County seeking to install or modify wells or septic systems on qualifying lots, effective October 1, 2026.
HB 1302 removes a requirement that disabled public safety/judicial officers, their surviving spouses, or cohabitants must have been domiciled in Maryland for 5 years before a disability or death event to qualify for a property tax credit. The bill directly affects disabled officers (e.g., law enforcement, firefighters) who became disabled on duty, surviving spouses who haven’t remarried, and cohabitants who lived with a fallen officer for 180+ days. Key changes eliminate the 5-year residency rule while keeping other eligibility criteria, such as the dwelling being their primary residence and acquired within 10 years of the qualifying event. This makes the credit more accessible to qualifying residents without requiring long-term Maryland residency prior to the qualifying incident.
SB 779 exempts professional employer organizations (PEOs) from certain health benefit plan requirements when offering coverage to small employers in Maryland. It directly affects small businesses that use PEOs for employee benefits and the PEOs themselves. The bill requires PEOs to provide written disclosure of plan details to small employers before offering coverage, while removing the need for PEOs to comply with standard health plan mandates like offering plans through the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange. This change simplifies access to health benefits for small employers using PEOs.
SB 837 prohibits Maryland insurance companies, health plans, and managed care organizations from requiring prior authorization, step therapy, or coverage restrictions for prescription drugs reviewed by the Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB). It specifically blocks these requirements if the PDAB has not determined the drug causes an affordability challenge, has made a policy recommendation about it, or has set an upper payment limit. The bill directly affects patients needing covered medications and insurers that must comply with these new coverage rules. It aims to streamline access to PDAB-reviewed drugs by removing common insurance barriers without altering the drugs' clinical use.
This bill requires Maryland nursing homes to spend at least 75% of their total nursing and residential care revenue on direct care staff wages and benefits (including nurses, dietary, therapy, and social workers). Nursing homes must annually submit detailed cost reports by September 1 starting in 2027, including proof of wage payments and other data determined by the Maryland Department of Health. Failure to comply may result in enforcement actions, including suspension from the Maryland Medical Assistance Program. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, directly affecting all nursing homes operating in Maryland.
SB 921 removes an exemption that previously shielded vehicle rental companies and holders of special registration plates from liability for traffic violations recorded by traffic control signal monitoring systems (like red light cameras) and speed monitoring systems. Currently, these entities were not subject to citations for violations captured by such systems, but the bill changes that by amending Maryland’s transportation code. The law now requires vehicle rental companies and special plate holders to be held responsible for fines when violations - such as running red lights or speeding - are recorded. This change applies to all relevant violations captured by these systems and takes effect October 1, 2026.
SB 953 requires Charles County to set annual rent increase limits for rental units occupied by seniors (age 62+), based on the Washington metro Consumer Price Index. It establishes a specific "rent increase limit" tied to inflation, preventing landlords from raising rents beyond this threshold each year. The law applies only to Charles County and takes effect October 1, 2026. This directly affects seniors renting in Charles County by limiting annual rent hikes to inflation rates.
SB 914 amends Maryland's vehicle laws by removing motorcycle riders from the legal definition of "vulnerable individual." This change specifically excludes individuals operating or riding motorcycles on roads from being considered "vulnerable" under the statute that prohibits causing serious injury or death to such individuals through traffic violations. The bill modifies Section 21-901.3 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, deleting motorcycle riders from the list of protected groups (which previously included pedestrians, cyclists, and others). The amendment does not alter penalties for causing injury or death but narrows the scope of who qualifies under this specific legal provision. It takes effect October 1, 2026.
