Labor & Employment (Workplace Safety)

SB 804 requires most Maryland employers with employees working in conditions of 80°F or higher (both indoors and outdoors) to create and maintain heat illness prevention plans. These plans must include provisions for providing sufficient shade, water, and rest opportunities; training workers to recognize and respond to heat-related illness; and implementing acclimatization procedures for new employees. Employers must monitor temperatures and establish emergency response protocols when heat thresholds are exceeded, with specific requirements for hydration, rest breaks, and symptom recognition. The law excludes certain emergency operations, short incidental exposures, and workspaces with mechanical cooling below 80°F.

HB 797 prohibits employers from discriminating against fire and rescue public safety employees who use medical cannabis, provided they have a valid written certification from a licensed healthcare provider under Maryland's medical cannabis program. The bill modifies existing law to clarify that an employer cannot take adverse employment actions (like termination or denial of promotion) solely due to medical cannabis use, as long as the employee meets the state's certification requirements. It updates definitions in Maryland law to ensure fire and rescue employees qualify for the same protections as other medical cannabis patients under the existing program. The law does not override workplace safety rules or require employers to accommodate cannabis use during work hours.