Labor & Employment (Workers' Compensation) in Maryland

in committee · Maryland · Senate Feb 19, 2026

SB 993: Workers' Compensation - Exemption From Exclusivity of Remedy - Action for Wrongful Death by Nondependent Child

SB 993 amends Maryland law to allow a nondependent child (such as an adult child not financially supported by the deceased parent) of a covered worker to file a wrongful death lawsuit if the worker dies from a work-related incident. Previously, the workers' compensation exclusivity rule prevented such lawsuits, but this bill explicitly removes that barrier. The law now states that workers' compensation benefits do not bar nondependent children from seeking damages under Maryland’s wrongful death statute (Title 3, Subtitle 9). This directly affects adult children who are not considered dependents under current workers' compensation rules.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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

HB 1486: Workers' Compensation - Average Weekly Wage - Multiple Employers

HB 1486 changes how Maryland calculates workers' compensation for employees injured while working multiple jobs. It requires combining wages from all concurrent employers at the time of injury to determine the average weekly wage for compensation claims. This replaces current rules and also directs the Subsequent Injury Fund to reimburse employers for certain permanent disability payments. The bill directly affects injured workers with multiple jobs and their employers in wage calculation scenarios.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 28, 2026

HB 878: Workers' Compensation - Heart Disease and Hypertension Presumption and Permanent Partial Disability - Carroll County Correctional Deputies

HB 878 extends Maryland's workers' compensation presumption for heart disease and hypertension to Carroll County correctional deputies. It adds "Carroll County Correctional Deputy" to the list of public safety employees eligible for this presumption, meaning they can automatically qualify for benefits if these conditions result in partial disability or death while on duty. The bill requires deputies to undergo a pre-employment medical exam to establish any pre-existing heart conditions, and benefits only apply if the condition is more severe than prior to their employment. This change modifies specific sections of Maryland's workers' compensation law to apply these provisions exclusively to Carroll County correctional deputies.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

in committee · Maryland · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SB 522: Workers' Compensation - Evaluation of Permanent Impairments - Licensed Social Worker-Clinical

This bill allows licensed clinical social workers to evaluate permanent impairments related to behavioral or mental disorders in workers' compensation claims, expanding beyond current requirements that limited this role to psychologists or physicians. To qualify, social workers must meet specific training standards in mental health conditions, hold rehabilitation counselor registration, have two years of relevant experience, and be authorized providers. It directly affects workers seeking compensation for mental health-related impairments and the social workers providing these evaluations. The law amends Maryland's workers' compensation code to include these requirements, effective October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Mental Health Workers' Compensation

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 23, 2026

HB 1325: Workers' Compensation - Evaluation of Permanent Impairments - Licensed Social Worker-Clinical

HB 1325 authorizes licensed clinical social workers to evaluate permanent impairments involving behavioral or mental disorders in Maryland workers' compensation claims. It requires these social workers to meet specific qualifications, including training in mental/behavioral conditions, rehabilitation counseling registration, two years of post-licensure experience, and COMAR authorization. The bill directly affects workers seeking compensation for mental/behavioral impairments and licensed clinical social workers who wish to provide these evaluations. It amends Maryland’s workers’ compensation law (Article 9, Section 9-721) to expand evaluation eligibility beyond psychologists and physicians. The changes take effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing Professional Licensing Workers' Compensation

signed · Maryland · Senate Apr 28, 2026

SB 449: Workers' Compensation - Heart Disease and Hypertension Presumption and Permanent Partial Disability - Carroll County Correctional Deputies

SB 449 extends workers' compensation benefits to Carroll County correctional deputies who develop heart disease or hypertension. It creates a legal presumption that these conditions are work-related (and thus compensable) if they result in partial disability or death, provided the condition is more severe than any pre-existing condition and the deputy had a medical exam before employment. The bill amends Maryland law to explicitly include "Carroll County Correctional Deputy" in the definition of "public safety employee" for these benefits. This change applies specifically to Carroll County deputies and requires meeting the severity and medical exam conditions to qualify.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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

HB 366: Workers' Compensation - Exemption From Exclusivity of Remedy - Action for Wrongful Death by Nondependent Child

HB 366 allows a nondependent child (such as an adult child or a child not financially supported by the parent) of a covered worker to file a wrongful death lawsuit against an employer following a work-related death. The bill amends Maryland law to explicitly state that the workers' compensation exclusivity rule - typically preventing other lawsuits - does not apply to nondependent children in these cases. This change directly affects nondependent children who would otherwise be barred from seeking damages beyond workers' compensation. The bill does not alter the general rule that workers' compensation remains the primary remedy for most workplace injuries and deaths.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

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 & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

passed · Maryland · Senate Apr 8, 2026

SB 90: Workers' Compensation - Occupational Disease Presumptions - Hypertension

SB 90 adds hypertension to Maryland's list of occupational diseases presumed to be work-related for specific emergency responders. It makes firefighters, fire fighting instructors, rescue squad members, advanced life support unit members, and State Fire Marshal personnel eligible for workers' compensation benefits if they have hypertension diagnosed by a provider, experience it for at least 90 consecutive days, have at least 2 years of cumulative service in those roles, and are currently employed in those positions. This creates a legal presumption that the hypertension is work-related, eliminating the need to prove direct causation, while clarifying that individuals cannot receive both workers' compensation and disability retirement benefits for the same hypertension condition. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 28, 2026

HB 347: Workers' Compensation - Occupational Disease Presumptions - Hypertension

HB 347 adds hypertension to the list of occupational diseases presumed work-related for specific emergency responders in Maryland. It creates a legal presumption that firefighters, firefighting instructors, rescue squad members, advanced life support unit members, and State Fire Marshal staff with hypertension are entitled to workers' compensation benefits if they meet four conditions: diagnosed by a provider, prescribed hypertension medication for 90+ consecutive days, completed 2+ years of cumulative service in the state, and are currently employed in that role. This bill modifies Maryland’s workers’ compensation law (specifically Sections 9-502 and 9-503) to expand eligibility for these occupations without requiring separate proof that hypertension resulted from their job duties. It directly affects these emergency personnel seeking compensation for hypertension-related disability or death.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

All labor & employment bills