Labor & Employment

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 346: Workers' Compensation - Vocational Rehabilitation Services - Retroactive Compensation

HB 346 requires Maryland employers or insurers to pay retroactive temporary disability compensation to covered workers who reached "maximum medical improvement" but didn't receive compensation during the gap between that point and when vocational rehabilitation services began. This applies only if the worker later started vocational rehab services and was not compensated for the period between medical stabilization and rehab initiation. The bill caps retroactive payments at 60 days and mandates they be paid in addition to ongoing compensation under existing law. It directly affects injured workers in Maryland whose rehabilitation services started after their medical recovery stabilized but before they received temporary disability pay. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, and applies prospectively only.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates retroactive compensation for workers missing payments during rehab gap, directly protecting workers' financial rights and expanding benefits under workers' compensation.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

Track

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 417: Labor and Employment - Mandatory Meetings on Religious or Political Matters - Employee Attendance and Participation (Maryland Worker Freedom Act)

SB 417 (Maryland Worker Freedom Act) prohibits most private employers from firing, disciplining, or refusing to hire employees who decline to attend or participate in employer-sponsored meetings about religious or political matters. The bill requires employers to notify workers about these protections and allows employees to file complaints with the Maryland Commissioner of Labor and Industry within 180 days of a violation. If violations are found, the Commissioner may impose civil penalties up to $10,000 for first offenses or $25,000 for repeat violations, and issue cease-and-desist orders. Exemptions include religious organizations, political groups, schools, government entities, and mandatory compliance training.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits employer retaliation for refusing religious/political meetings, directly protecting workers' rights to decline participation without discipline or termination.90% confidence

failed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 13, 2026

HB 299: Fraud Prevention, Prevailing Wage, and Living Wage - Prohibitions, Penalties, and Enforcement

HB 299 prohibits employers from knowingly creating or using false records or statements that cause underpayment of unemployment insurance contributions or overpayment of benefits exceeding $15,000 annually. It requires civil penalties from fraud violations to be deposited into the Unemployment Insurance Fund and mandates the Labor Commissioner and Attorney General to enforce wage laws, including prevailing wage and living wage requirements. The bill also authorizes license revocation for workplace fraud violations and strengthens coordination between state agencies investigating fraud. This primarily affects employers, contractors, and licensed businesses subject to wage and unemployment insurance laws in Maryland.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill enforces prevailing/living wage requirements and prevents fraud depleting unemployment fund, protecting workers' wages and benefits.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage Unemployment

Track

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Jan 28, 2026

HB 473: Education - Collective Bargaining - Certificated Employees - Class Size

HB 473 repeals the current ban preventing public school employers in Maryland from negotiating class size limits with teacher unions. It removes the prohibition in Section 6-406(c)(3) that previously barred discussions about "the maximum number of students assigned to a class" during collective bargaining. This change directly affects certificated school employees (like teachers) and their unions, as well as public school employers (county school systems). The bill enables these parties to negotiate class size as part of their collective bargaining agreements, alongside other terms like salaries and working conditions.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRepeals ban on negotiating class size limits, enabling teacher unions to advocate for smaller classes and better working conditions, directly strengthening educator bargaining power in K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRemoves ban on negotiating class size limits, enabling collective bargaining for teacher working conditions (a core labor right under Labor & Employment policies).95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers Collective Bargaining

Track

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 28, 2026

HB 604: Arbitration Reform for State Employees Act of 2026

HB 604, the Arbitration Reform for State Employees Act of 2026, changes how state employees negotiate contracts at institutions like the University System of Maryland and the Maryland Environmental Service. It requires a neutral arbitrator to help resolve bargaining impasses if negotiations stall by September 1, with the arbitrator chosen from a national panel by September 15; the arbitrator’s recommendations would be advisory, not binding. The bill also mandates that each annual budget must include full funding for all terms in existing labor agreements, such as written contracts between the state and employee representatives. This directly affects state employees covered by collective bargaining and their representatives in negotiations.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires neutral arbitrator for contract negotiations, supporting collective bargaining resolution by preventing impasses without binding outcomes.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Public Employees

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 14, 2026

HB 234: Public Safety - Police Employees and Deputy State Fire Marshals - Repeal of Pay Rate Restriction on Promotion

HB 234 repeals a provision that sometimes required police employees or deputy State fire marshals to accept a lower pay step upon promotion if other employees in the same rank had equal or more service time but a higher pay step. The bill directly affects current and future police employees and deputy State fire marshals in Maryland. It removes the restriction that forced promoted officers to move to a lower pay step in their new rank, instead allowing them to retain the pay step they held in their previous rank. This change ensures promotions align with the employee's prior pay step without automatic reduction, streamlining pay progression. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRepeals restriction forcing promoted police/fire marshals to accept lower pay, allowing retention of previous pay step. Strengthens compensation for public safety workers.95% confidence

died · Maryland · Senate Feb 16, 2026

SB 97: Reentry and Reintegration Support Program - Establishment

SB 97 establishes a voluntary program to help individuals released from Maryland state prisons access essential benefits more smoothly. It requires the Departments of Human Services, Public Safety, and Health to create a coordinated system where correctional facilities assist "returning citizens" (those expected to be released within 90 days) in applying for SNAP, Temporary Cash Assistance, and Maryland Medical Assistance *before* release. Key provisions include a standardized prerelease application process, help obtaining required documents (like birth certificates and Social Security cards), and secure data sharing to ensure benefits are active upon release. The program must be implemented by October 1, 2026, with departments required to finalize a data-sharing agreement by April 2027. This directly affects people transitioning from incarceration to community life in Maryland.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeSB 97 creates pre-release assistance for SNAP, TCA, and Medicaid access, directly improving reintegration and reducing recidivism risk through essential support coordination.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires pre-release assistance for Maryland Medical Assistance enrollment, directly expanding healthcare access for returning citizens through coordinated application support.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill facilitates access to SNAP, cash assistance, and medical aid for returning citizens, removing barriers to reemployment and aligning with labor support indicators like expanding worker benefits.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Probation & Parole

Track

in committee · Maryland · Senate Jan 19, 2026

SB 63: State Procurement - Construction and Services - Contract Modification

SB 63 requires state contracts for construction or security services exceeding $2 million in value and lasting three or more years to include a clause allowing cost adjustments when new laws increase required pay or benefits for workers. This directly affects contractors working on large-scale state projects, such as building infrastructure or providing security services. The bill mandates that any contract modification for these cost increases must be approved by Maryland’s Chief Procurement Officer. The law aims to ensure fair adjustments to contracts without requiring renegotiation for every statutory change.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires state contracts to include cost adjustments for new labor laws increasing pay/benefits, ensuring contractors absorb costs to maintain compliance with worker protections.95% confidence

Track

passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 26, 2026

SB 84: State Personnel - Collective Bargaining - Graduate Assistants

SB 84 would grant graduate assistants at Maryland's public universities (including the University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland) the right to form a separate collective bargaining unit. The bill amends state law to explicitly include "all eligible graduate assistants" as a distinct bargaining group, meaning they would negotiate contracts separately from other university employees like faculty or staff. This change takes effect on July 1, 2026, and directly affects graduate students working as teaching, research, or administrative assistants in these institutions. The policy creates a formal structure for graduate assistants to collectively address employment terms like pay, benefits, and working conditions.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationGrants graduate assistants collective bargaining rights at public universities, strengthening educator support within higher education.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentGrants graduate assistants collective bargaining rights, directly advancing workers' rights under labor policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Collective Bargaining

Track

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates May 26, 2026

HB 141: State Personnel - Collective Bargaining - Graduate Assistants

HB 141 grants collective bargaining rights to graduate assistants at Maryland's public universities (including the University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland). It directly affects graduate students working as teaching, research, or administrative assistants in these institutions by creating a separate bargaining unit for them. The bill amends state law to explicitly include graduate assistants in eligible bargaining units, allowing them to negotiate wages, work conditions, and benefits as a distinct group. This change takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to all graduate assistants not previously excluded under the law.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationGrants collective bargaining rights to graduate assistants (educators in higher ed), strengthening their employment conditions and aligning with support for educational staff.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentGrants collective bargaining rights to graduate assistants, explicitly strengthening workers' rights in employment settings per bill's summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Collective Bargaining