SB 674 creates three new regional transportation authorities for the Baltimore, Capital, and Southern Maryland regions. It imposes new sales, hotel, and transfer tax surcharges to fund these authorities, directing 70% of the revenue from these surcharges to dedicated regional transportation funds. These funds are designated as nonlapsing (permanent) and require interest earnings to be added back to the funds. The bill also establishes specific allocation rules, such as sending 30% of Baltimore region surcharge revenue to local counties and municipalities based on their sales activity. The legislation amends Maryland tax and transportation codes to implement these changes.
HB 1205 establishes a minimum wage of $25.00 per hour for non-certified, non-supervisory school support staff (such as aides, clerks, and cafeteria workers) beginning July 1, 2028. It requires all Maryland county school boards to pay these employees at least this rate, directly affecting over 20,000 education support professionals statewide. The bill also mandates the State Department of Education to submit a cost report by December 1, 2026, with detailed estimates broken down by school system to implement this wage change.
HB 1162 requires Maryland correctional facilities in specific counties (starting with Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and St. Mary’s) to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for incarcerated individuals with opioid use disorder. It mandates facilities to conduct assessments, offer FDA-approved MAT options, and provide behavioral health counseling, with special provisions for pregnant individuals. The bill establishes funding mechanisms: the Special Secretary of Overdose Response must annually reimburse counties for MAT costs, and the Opioid Restitution Fund’s authorized uses expand to support this. This applies to local detention centers and the Baltimore Pre-trial Complex by 2023, with implementation schedules for additional counties.
SB 496 would authorize Maryland's Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid) to cover comprehensive obesity treatment starting January 1, 2027. This includes intensive behavioral therapy, bariatric surgery, and FDA-approved weight management medications for eligible Medicaid recipients. The bill requires the Department of Health to notify program recipients if it chooses to implement this coverage and mandates a report to legislative committees by November 2027 on whether coverage has begun. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, but coverage for obesity treatment becomes available the following year.
HB 1019 creates a grant program and dedicated fund to help Maryland school districts transition from diesel school buses to either propane-powered or zero-emission buses. The program provides grants to cover the extra costs of purchasing or operating these cleaner buses, as well as for infrastructure installation (for zero-emission buses), planning, and pilot programs. Funding comes from state appropriations, interest earnings, donations, and legal settlements specifically earmarked for this purpose. The bill updates existing law to explicitly include propane-powered buses in the transition program, which previously only covered zero-emission vehicles.
HB 809 establishes funding requirements for Maryland's Walter Sondheim Jr. Public Service Internship Scholarship Program. The bill mandates that starting in fiscal year 2028, the Governor must include in the annual budget an appropriation for the program equal to at least 150% of the fiscal year 2026 level, with specific requirements for University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) funding. The program provides scholarships ($2,000-$5,000) to Maryland college and graduate students pursuing public service internships, prioritizing residents with demonstrated interest in careers serving low-income or underserved communities through legal, social work, nursing, or other public/nonprofit sectors. It directly affects eligible students and administers through the Shriver Center, ensuring sustained funding for three specific internship tracks: Governor’s Summer Internship, Sondheim Nonprofit Leadership, and Sondheim Public Service Law Fellowships.
HB 813 authorizes Maryland's Medicaid program (Maryland Medical Assistance Program) to cover comprehensive obesity treatment, including intensive behavioral therapy, bariatric surgery, and FDA-approved weight management medications, starting January 1, 2027. The bill requires the Maryland Department of Health to notify Medicaid recipients if it chooses to provide this coverage and mandates a report to the legislature by November 1, 2027, on implementation progress. This directly affects Medicaid recipients with obesity by expanding covered treatments beyond current scope. The program may use standard utilization management processes (like for other conditions) to assess medical necessity but is not required to offer the coverage.
SB 651 establishes a legal framework for "transfer-on-death deeds" in Maryland, allowing property owners to designate beneficiaries who automatically inherit real estate upon the owner's death without probate. The bill directly affects Maryland homeowners and their named beneficiaries, providing standardized forms for creating or revoking these deeds and exempting them from property transfer taxes. Key provisions simplify recording requirements (removing tax certification needs) and allow retroactive application to certain existing life estate deeds. This change streamlines property transfer, reduces administrative hurdles, and avoids court involvement for qualifying real estate.
SB 765 creates an "Heirs Protection Program" administered by Maryland's State Tax Sale Ombudsman to protect heirs who inherit homes from property tax sales. It allows heirs (including those not yet recorded as title holders) to become the legal owner of an inherited dwelling, preventing tax sales and enabling them to remain in their homes. The bill establishes an Heirs Protection Fund financed by state and county governments to support the program, including outreach, grants, and information dissemination. It also expands eligibility for homeowner and homestead tax credits to include qualifying heirs who haven’t yet updated land records, under specific conditions. These changes aim to prevent displacement of families after a homeowner’s death.
HB 1379 temporarily reduces vehicle registration fees for residents in Maryland's Sixth Legislative District who own eligible vehicles (passenger cars, motorcycles, and certain trucks) until a replacement bridge for the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge opens to traffic. It lowers standard fees: passenger cars under 3,500 lbs pay $30.50 instead of $80.50 annually, motorcycles pay $15.00 instead of $65.00, and qualifying trucks have fees reduced by $50. The bill applies only to vehicles registered to an address in the Sixth District and expires upon the bridge's reopening. This is a targeted, temporary cost relief measure tied to a specific infrastructure event.
