Maryland Bills

signed · Maryland · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 96: Environment - Water Bottle Filling Stations - Requirement

SB 96 requires new buildings and certain renovations to install water bottle filling stations (replacing or adding to drinking fountains) starting October 1, 2025. It directly affects developers and builders of new construction or renovations where drinking fountains are required under plumbing codes. The bill defines these stations as fixtures for filling personal containers (10+ inches tall), including filtered/cooling options, and directs the Maryland Department of Labor to create regulations. The law applies prospectively to projects under contract after July 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 13, 2025

HB 962: Public Health - Pediatric Hospital Overstay Patients and Workgroup on Children in Unlicensed Settings and Pediatric Overstays

HB 962 addresses pediatric hospital overstay cases where children under 22 remain hospitalized after being medically cleared for discharge. It requires hospitals to place these patients in the least restrictive setting possible, allowing concurrent exploration of both in-state and out-of-state placement options. The bill establishes a Pediatric Hospital Overstay Coordinator within the Governor’s Office for Children to oversee this process and mandates a state study on residential treatment center and respite facility rates. This law directly affects hospitals, pediatric patients, and state agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 696: Public Health - Pediatric Hospital Overstay Patients and Workgroup on Children in Unlicensed Settings and Pediatric Overstays

SB 696 addresses pediatric hospital overstay patients - children under 22 who remain in hospital beds for over 24 hours after being medically cleared for discharge or transfer. It requires hospitals to place these patients in the least restrictive setting possible, allows concurrent exploration of both in-state and out-of-state placements, and creates a Pediatric Hospital Overstay Coordinator position within the Governor’s Office for Children. The bill also mandates the Maryland Department of Health to study residential treatment center and respite facility rates and expands the state’s mental health registry to include both private and public services. These changes directly affect pediatric patients, hospitals, and child welfare systems by streamlining placements and improving access to appropriate care.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Maryland · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 1030: Baltimore County and Baltimore City - Vehicle Laws - Lighting on Privately Owned Vehicles

This bill allows up to five top-ranking officers in Baltimore County and Baltimore City nonprofit volunteer emergency medical services organizations (with commercial ambulance licenses) to equip their personally owned vehicles with red or red-and-white lights. These lights may only be used while traveling to or at the scene of an emergency. The law modifies Maryland vehicle code to permit this specific use, replacing existing restrictions on non-emergency vehicle lighting. The change takes effect October 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 13, 2025

HB 1126: Unemployment Insurance - Child Support Arrearage to Work Pilot Program - Established

HB 1126 establishes a one-year pilot program in Maryland's Department of Labor to connect unemployed individuals with overdue child support payments (arrears) to employment opportunities, including state government jobs. The program requires the Department of Labor to collaborate with the Departments of Human Services and Budget and Management to securely share participant information and implement procedures. It mandates a final report to the Governor and General Assembly by July 1, 2026, evaluating the program's effectiveness before its automatic expiration on June 30, 2026. The bill directly affects unemployed residents with child support arrears and state agencies managing workforce and social services. This policy change creates a structured pathway to address both unemployment and child support obligations through job placement.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 497: Residential Child Care Programs - Transportation Companies - Regulation (Preventing Abduction in Youth Transport Act of 2025)

HB 497 prohibits youth transportation companies from using physical restraints (like handcuffs or blindfolds) or visual impairments when moving children to residential child care programs, except in emergencies with no less restrictive alternatives. It also bans pickups between 9 PM and 6 AM. The law directly affects companies transporting children to facilities such as wilderness programs, therapeutic boarding schools, or behavioral modification programs (excluding hospitals, foster homes, or secure facilities). Violations allow the Attorney General to seek injunctions or up to $1,000 in damages per offense.

signed · Maryland · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 685: Election Law - Local Boards of Elections - Language Assistance Program

SB 685 requires Maryland local election boards to provide language assistance to voters with limited English proficiency in counties meeting specific census-based thresholds. If a county has more than 2% of its voting-age population (with at least 100 people) sharing a non-English language and having limited English proficiency, the State Board of Elections must mandate assistance in that language. Local boards must then provide translated voting materials (forms, ballots, notices), multilingual signage at polling places, and recruit bilingual election judges. This applies to all elections starting January 1, 2026, and requires materials to be of equal quality and available simultaneously with English versions. The law does not require assistance for languages without sufficient voter demand as defined by the thresholds.

Topics ✓ Immigration

signed · Maryland · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 529: Business Occupations and Professions - Professional Engineers - Examination

SB 529 requires engineering license applicants in Maryland to pass a basic "Fundamentals of Engineering" exam administered by the State Board before taking the main "Principles and Practice of Engineering" exam. This change affects individuals seeking to become licensed professional engineers in Maryland. The bill modifies existing licensure rules to mandate this two-step exam sequence, while also clarifying how college engineering coursework may count toward the required work experience. The new requirement takes effect October 1, 2025.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 541: Department of Commerce - Nonprofit Organizations Navigator - Established

HB 541 establishes a Nonprofit Organizations Navigator within Maryland's Department of Commerce to directly assist nonprofits in accessing state grant programs. The navigator provides technical help with grant applications, resolves bureaucratic delays, shares federal/state grant opportunities, and represents nonprofits on the Maryland Efficient Grant Application Council. This bill amends the council's structure to include the navigator as a nonvoting member and updates membership rules for the council.

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 102: Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program - Revisions

HB 102 creates an optional enrollment program allowing self-employed individuals (like sole proprietors or small business owners with no employees) to join Maryland’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program. It repeals current requirements for self-employed people to pay contributions and be subject to benefit rules, instead requiring the Department of Labor to adopt regulations by July 2027 outlining contribution amounts, benefit levels, and enrollment steps. Self-employed participants must enroll for a minimum 3-year period initially, with options to renew annually. This bill directly affects self-employed Maryland residents seeking leave benefits, expanding program access beyond traditional employees.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 6, 2025

HB 793: University System of Maryland - Academic Facilities Bonding Authority

HB 793 authorizes the University System of Maryland to issue $30 million in bonds ($5 million for University of Maryland, College Park's campus building systems project and $25 million for systemwide academic facility renewals across all institutions). The bonds will finance construction, improvements, and refinancing of academic facilities but are explicitly stated not to create state debt or obligation. This bill directly affects all University System of Maryland institutions by providing funding for campus infrastructure upgrades. The financing mechanism is limited to specific approved projects and does not pledge the state's credit or require state repayment.

Topics ✓ Education

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 333: Criminal Procedure - Victims and Witnesses - Out of Court Statement of Child to Forensic Interviewer

SB 333 allows child victims or witnesses under age 13 to have their out-of-court statements to qualified forensic interviewers admitted as evidence in criminal or juvenile court cases involving specific offenses, including child abuse, sexual assault, or crimes of violence. The bill expands existing rules to include statements made to trained forensic interviewers (not law enforcement) employed by child advocacy centers, subject to strict conditions. For admissibility, the statement must be offered by a qualified professional, the child must testify (except in child in need of assistance cases), and the prosecutor must provide advance notice of the statement’s use. This directly affects child victims in cases under Maryland’s Criminal Law Article sections covering abuse, sexual offenses, or violent crimes. The bill does not change the standard of proof but modifies how such statements may be used in court proceedings.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill results