Under this bill, November 14 of each year would be designated as “Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day” and the second Wednesday in October as “Maryland School Pedestrian Awareness Day.” The State Department of Education would be required to make resource materials publicly available to help local school systems plan a program of education for each day. For Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, those materials may include age-appropriate lesson plans, discussion guides, historical documents, and multimedia resources, and must include resources to assist teachers in engaging students in discussions about civil rights and social justice. For Maryland School Pedestrian Awareness Day, the materials may include pedestrian safety best practices, lesson plans, walk audit templates, and grant resources.

Rejecting MAGA’s Anti-DEI Attacks on School Curriculum by Ensuring Students Learn Civil Rights and Social Justice.

Under this bill, Maryland’s DECADE Act makes numerous changes to the state’s economic development programs, tax incentives, and grant programs. Among other provisions, it redesignates the Economic Development Opportunities Program Account as the new Strategic Closing Fund, authorizes the Governor to direct additional funding into the program, expands economic development subsidies and grants, extends several tax credit programs, provides additional benefits for targeted industries and businesses, and increases support for programs benefiting small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses.

Advancing Racial Justice by Putting Minority-Owned Businesses at the Center of Maryland’s Economic Growth.

Under this bill, Maryland would create the Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA) Grant Program within the Maryland Higher Education Commission. The program is intended to provide grants to minorities who reside in historically redlined neighborhoods and other “underrepresented communities” to pursue training as real estate appraisers, with the stated goals of addressing appraisal gaps and diversifying the appraisal profession.

Providing Funding to Black, LGBTQ+, and Underrepresented Marylanders to Break into the Real Estate Appraisal Industry.

Under this bill, charter counties would be authorized to exceed voter-approved charter limits on property tax rates and property tax revenues by a simple majority vote of the county council for the purpose of funding the county's approved public safety budget. The bill allows county councils to collect property tax revenues above existing charter caps and directs the additional revenues to public safety spending, notwithstanding local charter provisions that would otherwise limit such tax increases.

Eliminating Caps on Property Taxes so Counties Can Raise More Funds to Meet Community Needs and Safety.

Under this bill, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services would be required to help incarcerated individuals access both federal and state student financial assistance, and incarcerated individuals who otherwise qualify for Maryland student aid programs would be eligible to receive that assistance. The bill expands existing law, which currently focuses on access to federal Pell Grants, by extending access to state-funded financial aid programs as well.

Breaking the Prison-to-Poverty Pipeline by Funding College Education for Incarcerated Marylanders.

Under this bill, counties and municipalities would be authorized to create local suicide fatality review teams that review suicide deaths, collect data, obtain records from health care providers and government agencies, and make recommendations related to suicide prevention. The teams would specifically be tasked with identifying “systemic, service, and policy factors” associated with suicide risk and recommending changes to state and local laws, policies, and practices.

Saving LGBTQ+ Youth by Creating Local Suicide Fatality Review Teams to Drive Prevention Policy.

Under this bill, certain noncompete or conflict-of-interest agreements for licensed architects’ employees would be unenforceable if the employer had more than 30 employees but no longer has its main business presence in Maryland. In those cases, the employer could not stop a covered employee from taking a similar job or starting a similar business.

Breaking Corporate Noncompete Chains for Maryland Architects When Bosses Move Jobs Out of State.

Under this bill, Maryland would authorize approximately $1.847 billion in new state debt through the Maryland Consolidated Capital Bond Loan of 2026 to fund capital projects, grants, construction, renovations, equipment purchases, and other public and private projects across the state. The bill includes broad grant funding for universities, medical systems, libraries, cultural institutions, community organizations, and local projects, including funding for Johns Hopkins, the University of Maryland Medical System, and the Enoch Pratt Free Library.

Advancing a Progressive Budget That Combats Trump’s Culture War and Invests in LGBTQ Centers, Racial Justice, Abortion Access, and Gender-Affirming Care.

Under this bill, Maryland would create a new nonlapsing Aging Resilience Fund within the Department of Aging that can receive fees, investment earnings, and money from other sources to support departmental programs, services, activities, personnel, and partnership development. The fund would operate as a dedicated account outside the normal budget lapse process and could be used to finance a broad range of department initiatives.

Ensuring Equity for People of Color and LGBTQ+ Elders Through Maryland’s Aging Resilience Fund.

Under this bill, apprenticeship programs used for certain state procurement contracts, public works projects, and state-funded construction projects would generally be required to have at least a 25% completion rate as verified by the Maryland Department of Labor. The bill also expands and codifies apprenticeship program requirements across multiple procurement and contracting statutes that govern state-funded projects.

Protecting Union Apprenticeships by Holding Public Contractors Accountable for Completion Rates.

Under this bill, Maryland would expand the powers of the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority by removing existing grant limitations, authorizing additional grants for management activities, and increasing the amount of Program Open Space funding that may be transferred to the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority Financing Fund. Most significantly, the bill increases the additional annual transfer authority from $3 million to $9 million and authorizes those funds to be used for purposes administered through the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority grant and financing programs.

Rejecting MAGA’s Anti-DEI Attacks by Doubling Funding for Heritage Areas That Advance Social Justice.

Under this bill, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) would expand its business participation program beyond local small businesses to include additional categories of preferred businesses, including Maryland-based businesses and certain veteran-owned businesses. The bill also authorizes WSSC to adopt regulations promoting local hiring, apprenticeship participation, workforce engagement, economic-benefit reporting, and other procurement-related preferences in Commission contracts.

Keeping WSSC Contracting Dollars Local by Expanding Small Business Access and Worker Participation.

Under this bill, recipients of Maryland’s Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit who do not use the entire credit for student loan repayment within the required timeframe would only have to repay the unused portion of the credit rather than the full amount. The bill also allows the Maryland Higher Education Commission to extend the repayment period for borrowers affected by federal student loan repayment delays, forbearance periods, or administrative issues.  

Protecting Student Borrowers from Trump’s Federal Student Loan Chaos and Punitive State Clawbacks.

Under this bill, Maryland’s Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) program would be extended for an additional five years, from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2031, and would continue applying race- and sex-based procurement preferences across state contracting, public-private partnerships, offshore wind projects, cannabis licensing, video lottery operations, and sports wagering activities. The bill also expands reporting, compliance, certification, and oversight requirements related to the program.

Expanding Contracting Justice for People of Color, Women, and LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs in State Procurement.

Under this bill, Maryland would make numerous changes to state energy policy, including expanding utility demand management programs, requiring electric companies to promote government rebates and incentives for energy efficiency and non-fossil-fuel-powered appliances, and authorizing residential customers to install plug-in portable solar energy generating systems without utility approval. The bill also continues and expands various policies intended to encourage electrification, renewable energy adoption, and greater utility involvement in managing customer energy consumption.

Advancing a Maryland Green New Deal by Expanding Clean Energy, Lowering Utility Costs, and Holding Power Companies Accountable.

Under this bill, unaffiliated voters would be allowed to change their voter registration to affiliate with a political party during early voting or on primary election day and immediately cast a provisional ballot in that party’s primary election. Current law generally requires party affiliation changes to occur before the voter registration deadline for the election.

Protecting Democracy by Letting Unaffiliated Marylanders Join a Political Party and Vote in Primary Elections.

Under this bill, merchants selling certain essential consumer goods would generally be prohibited from refusing cash payments, requiring customers to use a credit or debit card, or charging higher prices for cash transactions during specified hours. Violations would be treated as unfair or deceptive trade practices and could result in state enforcement actions and civil penalties.

Defending Cash Access for Communities of Color Shut Out by Cashless Corporate Retail.

Under this bill, the Maryland Transportation Authority's maximum outstanding toll-revenue bond limit would increase from $4 billion to $5 billion, allowing the Authority to carry up to an additional $1 billion in debt backed by future toll revenues.

Rejecting MAGA Austerity Politics by Expanding Public Investment in Maryland Transportation Infrastructure.

Under this bill, Maryland would codify and expand various federal mental health parity requirements into state law, requiring health insurers to collect and analyze additional data, demonstrate that mental health and substance use disorder benefits provide “meaningful” coverage, submit extensive reports to regulators, and comply with new state regulatory standards enforced by the Maryland Insurance Administration.

Blocking Trump’s Mental Health Rollback by Codifying Biden-Era Parity Protections in Maryland.

Under this bill, licensed firearm dealers would be subject to new requirements for reporting lost or stolen firearms and could face civil penalties for failing to comply with the reporting deadlines established by the state. The bill expands regulatory obligations on firearm dealers even in situations where the dealer is the victim of a theft or robbery.

Cracking Down on Gun Dealers That Let Firearms Flow Into Maryland Communities.

Under this bill, the Attorney General would be given expanded authority to investigate and bring civil actions involving prevailing wage, living wage, workplace fraud, and worker-classification violations. The bill also increases penalties, authorizes license suspensions or revocations for certain violations, expands joint liability for contractors, broadens debarment provisions for state contractors, and creates new mechanisms for coordination between the Department of Labor and the Attorney General.

Making Corporations Pay by Defending Prevailing Wage, Living Wage, and Union Labor Standards.

Under this bill, landlords that use credit history as part of the tenant screening process would generally be prohibited from denying an applicant who receives a housing voucher or other income-based housing subsidy based on the applicant’s income, credit score, or certain adverse credit history that occurred before receiving the subsidy. The bill also imposes new requirements on larger landlords to offer tenants the option of having positive rental payment history reported to consumer reporting agencies.

Combating Voucher Discrimination by Protecting Poor Renters and Making Landlords Count Positive Rental History.

Under this bill, condominium associations and homeowners associations would be prohibited from maintaining governing documents, covenants, bylaws, or rules that prohibit or “unreasonably restrict” the installation of electric vehicle charging equipment in common or limited common-use parking areas. The bill also applies retroactively, affecting existing condominium and HOA agreements that were adopted before the law takes effect.

Breaking HOA Climate Obstruction by Protecting EV Charging Access in Maryland Communities.

Under this bill, Maryland state agencies, local governments, county sheriffs, and their employees would be prohibited from entering into agreements with the federal government to assist in the enforcement of civil immigration laws. The bill also requires any existing immigration enforcement agreements to be terminated.

Blocking Trump’s Deportation Machine by Ending Local Immigration Enforcement Agreements.

The Grammer amendment #2 to HB 444 would prohibit state and local governments from deploying or operating unmanned aircraft for surveillance, evidence collection, or other purposes except under limited circumstances, such as pursuant to a search warrant, during active search and rescue operations, in fresh pursuit of a suspect, or to prevent imminent serious bodily harm. The amendment also makes evidence obtained through unauthorized drone use inadmissible in criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings. In addition, the amendment repeals provisions authorizing no-knock search warrants, requires law enforcement officers executing search warrants to provide notice of their authority and purpose before entry, and expands restrictions on the use of arrests, investigations, citations, and warrants as performance metrics for law enforcement personnel.

Protecting Marylanders from Government Surveillance, No-Knock Raids, and Police Quota Abuse.

Under this bill, the duration of temporary protective orders would be extended from 7 days to 14 days, and final protective order hearings could be delayed for up to 14 days after issuance of the temporary order rather than 7 days. The bill also authorizes courts to order respondents to pay a wide range of expenses and damages through a final protective order proceeding, including medical costs, relocation expenses, property damage, transportation costs, court costs, and attorney’s fees.

Reducing Gun Violence by Disarming Domestic Abusers and Strengthening Protective Orders for Survivors.

Under this bill, Maryland’s workplace accommodation requirements would be expanded to cover temporary disabilities caused or contributed to by childbirth, menopause, and related medical conditions. Employers would be required to explore a range of possible accommodations, including modified duties, changed work hours, transfers, relocation of work areas, and leave, while also updating workplace policies and employee notices to reflect the expanded requirements.

Forcing Employers to Respect and Accommodate Childbirth, Menopause, and Women’s Health in the Workplace.

Under this bill, Maryland Medicaid and private health insurers would be prohibited from imposing copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles for services provided through the Collaborative Care Model, which integrates behavioral health services into primary care settings. The bill also requires health insurers to provide coverage for these services and expands state mandates governing health insurance benefits.

Fighting Trump’s Medicaid Attacks by Guaranteeing No-Cost Collaborative Mental Health Care.

Under this bill, Maryland would create a Workgroup on Behavioral Health Rate Methodology Modernization to develop new reimbursement methodologies for behavioral health providers, conduct cost studies, evaluate provider expenses, and make recommendations regarding future Medicaid reimbursement rates. The bill also requires additional studies, reporting, administrative coordination, and analysis related to behavioral health funding and payment systems.

Forcing Fair Mental Health Funding by Creating a Commission Workgroup to Modernize Behavioral Health Rates.

Under this bill, Maryland would create a new legal framework for cooperative limited equity housing corporations, restrict the resale value of cooperative ownership interests, require most members to be low- or moderate-income households, and authorize the Department of Housing and Community Development to establish a grant program to promote these housing cooperatives. The bill also provides special protections and benefits for qualifying residents and expands the state's role in facilitating and regulating this form of housing.

Taking Housing Back from Greedy Speculators by Expanding Limited-Equity Cooperative Ownership.

Under this bill, freight trains operating on rail corridors shared with high-speed passenger or commuter rail service would generally be required to have a crew of at least two individuals. Railroad companies that violate the mandate could face civil penalties of up to $10,000 for a first offense and up to $25,000 for subsequent violations.

Stopping Corporate Railroads from Reducing the Union Workforce and Jeopardizing Safety to Protect their Profits.

Under this bill, food retailers and third-party food delivery service providers would be prohibited from using personalized dynamic pricing or consumer data to charge higher prices for food based on an individual consumer’s personal information. The bill also imposes new pricing regulations, disclosure requirements, consumer protection enforcement provisions, and restrictions on certain business practices related to pricing and data use.

Stopping Grocery Giants and Delivery Apps from Using Surveillance Data to Price-Gouge Working Families.

Under this bill, the State Board of Elections would be authorized to investigate reports of election misinformation and disinformation, seek court orders to remove certain online content, issue subpoenas related to the dissemination of election-related information, and bring civil actions against individuals, campaigns, political committees, or other entities that disseminate election misinformation or disinformation. The bill also creates new civil and criminal penalties for creating, using, or disseminating certain election-related deepfakes and authorizes the state to seek damages, attorney’s fees, and other remedies in court.

Crushing MAGA Election Lies by Fighting Deepfakes, Disinformation, and Attacks on Democracy.

Under this bill, the Executive Director of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems would be required to coordinate minimum equipment, supply, and medication requirements for emergency medical services vehicles, including neonatal care equipment. The bill also requires counties and municipalities that operate or contract for EMS services to conduct regular reviews of ambulance performance data, certify those reviews, submit summaries to the state, and establish formal systems for receiving and investigating ambulance-related complaints.

Forcing Every Ambulance to Be Ready for Babies and Young Children in Emergencies.

Under this bill, Maryland would substantially restructure the required elements of county and local comprehensive land-use plans by creating new Equity, Resilience, Place, and Ecology elements and requiring local governments to incorporate state guidance, demographic data, environmental justice information, fair housing assessments, climate planning documents, and greenhouse gas emissions considerations into their planning processes. The bill also requires local jurisdictions to address the needs of “overburdened” and “underserved” communities, affirmatively further fair housing objectives, incorporate environmental justice considerations, and evaluate development patterns based on climate-related criteria.

Forcing Local Planning to Center on Racial Justice, Climate Justice, Housing Equity, and Community Power.

Under this bill, the State Superintendent of Schools would be authorized to declare a “prolonged state of emergency” that prevents regular in-person attendance at public schools for at least 14 consecutive school days due to a natural disaster, civil disaster, public health emergency, or certain security threats. Once such a declaration is made, affected school systems could transition schools to virtual education under previously approved virtual education plans.

Reducing Unnecessary Barriers to Shut Down Schools and Switch to Virtual Learning During Pandemics and Climate Disasters.

Under this bill, health insurers, nonprofit health service plans, health maintenance organizations, and certain managed care organizations that cover chemotherapy treatment would be required to provide coverage for scalp cooling systems used to prevent or reduce hair loss during chemotherapy. The bill adds another mandated health insurance benefit that insurers must include in covered plans.

Requiring Insurers to Cover Scalp Cooling and Expanding Cancer Care Equity for Black Women.

This bill makes the proposed appropriations contained in the State Budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027 in accordance with Article III, Section 52 of the Maryland Constitution, and authorizes the appropriated amounts to be disbursed for the several purposes specified for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. This vote is the third-reading vote in each chamber to advance the largest annual appropriations bill in state history before conference-committee resolution of differences between the chambers. The bill enacts general-fund and special-fund appropriations across every state agency, authorizes new and continuing spending programs, and contains contingent reductions tied to subsequent legislation enacted during the same session. Additionally, the bill papers over an approximately $3 billion structural deficit through one-time fund transfers and bond-swap maneuvers rather than recurring structural reforms. By advancing the largest budget in state history with no meaningful structural reforms while papering over a $3 billion deficit through fund shifts and bond swaps, the bill locks in spending commitments that will require significant tax increases in the years ahead to sustain.

Advancing a Record-Level Budget That Rejects Trump-Era Austerity and Ensures Maryland’s Economy Works for Everyone.

This bill makes the proposed appropriations contained in the State Budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027 in accordance with Article III, Section 52 of the Maryland Constitution, as adopted by the conference committee resolving differences between the House and Senate versions, and authorizes the appropriated amounts to be disbursed for the several purposes specified for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. This vote is the conference-report enactment vote in each chamber and was approved as Chapter 4 of 2026. The bill enacts general-fund and special-fund appropriations across every state agency, authorizes new and continuing spending programs, and contains contingent reductions tied to other legislation passed in the same session. Additionally, the bill papers over an approximately $3 billion structural deficit through one-time fund transfers and bond-swap maneuvers rather than recurring structural reforms — despite repeated warnings from outside good-governance groups about the fiscal trajectory. By enacting the largest budget in state history with no meaningful structural reforms while papering over a $3 billion deficit through fund shifts and bond swaps, the bill locks in spending commitments that will require significant tax increases in the years ahead to sustain.

Passing a Record-Level Budget That Rejects Trump-Era Austerity and Ensures Maryland’s Economy Works for Everyone.

Under this bill, Maryland would significantly expand juvenile court jurisdiction by repealing existing provisions that automatically place certain serious juvenile offenses in adult court. The bill removes automatic adult-court treatment for crimes such as robbery, attempted robbery, kidnapping, abduction, first-degree assault, certain firearm offenses, and other serious violent crimes, meaning many juveniles accused of these offenses would instead begin in the juvenile justice system. The legislation also limits the detention and confinement of juveniles in adult facilities and establishes new procedures governing juvenile detention and transfers between juvenile and adult courts.

Advancing Racial Justice Through Criminal Justice Reform That Keeps More Maryland Youth Out of Adult Court.

Under this bill, Maryland's Housing Certainty Act requires local governments and the Maryland–National Capital Park and Planning Commission to review housing development applications based on the laws and regulations in effect when a substantially complete application is submitted. The bill also grants developers vested development rights for at least five years after receiving approvals and restricts local governments from collecting certain development impact fees and excise taxes until a residential project is completed or near completion.

Providing Housing Certainty by Creating Clearer Rules for Local Permitting and Development Rights.

Under this bill, Maryland would prohibit the manufacture, sale, purchase, receipt, or transfer of any semiautomatic pistol classified as a "machine gun convertible pistol" beginning January 1, 2027. The bill defines these firearms as semiautomatic pistols with certain trigger-bar designs that state lawmakers believe could be readily converted into a machine gun through the installation of a conversion device using common household tools, and it authorizes the State Police to publish a list of prohibited pistols.

Banning Machine Gun Convertible Pistols Before the Gun Industry Floods Maryland With DIY Automatic Weapons.

Under this bill, Maryland would extend from December 31, 2025, to December 31, 2030, the deadline for community solar energy generating systems to qualify for favorable agricultural-use property tax assessments. The bill also establishes a process allowing solar developers to obtain preconstruction determinations confirming eligibility for agricultural-use assessments and continue receiving those preferential tax treatment benefits if certain conditions are met.

Advancing Green New Deal Farming by Subsidizing Community Solar and Agrivoltaics.

Under this bill, Maryland would extend the state's theatrical production tax credit program for an additional five years, from 2027 through 2032. The bill continues allowing qualified theatrical production entities to claim refundable state income tax credits for production activities in Maryland and permits up to $20 million in previously unused tax credits to be carried forward into future years.

Rejecting MAGA’s Attacks on the Arts by Subsidizing Theater Jobs, Creative Workers, and Maryland’s Cultural Economy.

Under this bill, state agencies would be required to structure their advertising procurement practices so that 50% of the total dollar value of print and digital advertising contracts is awarded directly to qualifying local Maryland news organizations. The bill also requires agencies to prioritize news organizations whose primary mission is reporting on and serving "underserved communities" and authorizes consultation with nonprofit organizations to identify eligible recipients.

Funding Minority-Serving Local News by Redirecting State Advertising Dollars Into Underserved Communities.

Under this bill, the Maryland Medical Assistance Program would be authorized to provide comprehensive obesity treatment coverage beginning January 1, 2027. The bill defines comprehensive coverage to include intensive behavioral therapy, bariatric surgery, and FDA-approved prescription medications for chronic weight management, and authorizes the state to seek federal approval to provide these benefits through Medicaid.

Expanding Medicaid Obesity Treatment So Poor Marylanders Can Access the Same Care as the Wealthy.

Under this bill, the Maryland Department of the Environment would be required to develop regulations and permitting standards for carbon dioxide capture, removal, and sequestration projects that utilize biochar or wood vault technologies. The bill directs the Department to consult with the Department of Agriculture when developing these standards and establishes a state regulatory framework for these carbon-removal technologies.

Confronting the Climate Crisis by Forcing Carbon Removal Projects to Meet Real Standards.

Under this bill, Maryland would allow individuals to obtain a new birth certificate with a different sex designation by submitting a written request or affidavit under penalty of perjury, eliminating the existing requirement for documentation from a licensed healthcare practitioner regarding sex-transition treatment or an intersex condition. The bill also permits birth certificates and state-issued identification documents to display a sex designation of male, female, or "X" for unspecified or another designation.

Rejecting MAGA’s Anti-Trans Attacks by Modernizing Birth Certificates, IDs, and Gender Markers.

Under this bill, Maryland would alter the process for obtaining a new birth certificate with a different sex designation by eliminating the current requirement for documentation from a licensed healthcare practitioner regarding sex-transition treatment or an intersex condition. Instead, an individual, or the parent or guardian of a minor, may request a new birth certificate with a different sex designation through a written request or affidavit submitted under penalty of perjury. The bill also allows birth certificates and state-issued identification documents to display a sex designation of male, female, or "X" for unspecified or another designation, while creating a confidential birth information history database maintained by the Department of Health.

Under this bill, any federal firearms licensee or law enforcement agency operating a gun buyback program would be required to destroy every firearm surrendered through the program, including all attached components and parts, unless the firearm is determined to be stolen or evidence of a crime. The bill imposes fines of up to $10,000 for violations, creates criminal penalties for operating a noncompliant buyback program, and requires revocation of a firearms dealer's license for certain violations.

Strengthening Gun Control by Ensuring Firearms Collected through Buyback Programs are Destroyed and Not Return to Maryland Streets.

The Fisher amendment #2 to a bill that broadly revises Maryland energy law by expanding clean energy programs, changing utility regulations, extending environmental surcharge authority, and modifying net metering policies. Under the amendment, gas and electric companies would be prohibited from imposing surcharges, taxes, or fees to recover costs associated with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), congestion and capacity charges, investments related to electrification and clean energy goals, renewable energy portfolio standard compliance requirements, offshore wind mandates, and certain utility taxes. The amendment also repeals the environmental surcharge on electricity customers and bars electricity suppliers from recovering renewable energy compliance costs through customer charges. These changes would require utilities to bear a greater share of the costs associated with state energy mandates rather than automatically passing those costs on to ratepayers.

Ending Corporate Greenwashing by Blocking Utilities from Enriching Themselves on the Backs of Ratepayers.

Under this bill, Maryland would prohibit state and local correctional facility employees and law enforcement officers from taking a wide range of actions related to federal immigration enforcement, including investigating immigration status, honoring certain immigration detainers, notifying federal immigration authorities about individuals in custody, transferring individuals to federal immigration authorities in many circumstances, and sharing certain information obtained during the course of their duties. The bill also authorizes individuals to bring civil lawsuits seeking damages and injunctive relief for violations of these restrictions.

Blocking Trump’s Deportation Machine by Protecting Immigrant Families from Local Law Enforcement Collaboration.

The Buckel amendment #3 to a bill that prohibits state and local officials and agencies from partnering with the federal government to enforce civil immigration law. Under the amendment, the Attorney General would be required to monitor whether Maryland is designated by the federal government as a sanctuary jurisdiction, whether federal funding is withheld because of that designation, and whether the withholding of funds is upheld by a court of competent jurisdiction. If all three conditions are met, the Attorney General must notify the Department of Legislative Services, and the Act would automatically be abrogated and cease to have any force or effect without further action by the General Assembly. The amendment therefore creates an automatic termination mechanism tied to the loss of federal funding resulting from sanctuary jurisdiction policies.

Automatically Ending Immigrant Protections If Trump Withholds Federal Funding from Maryland.

Under this bill, Maryland would require the Health Services Cost Review Commission to develop and publish a model policy addressing immigration enforcement actions at hospitals. Hospitals would be required to adopt an immigration-enforcement policy consistent with guidance issued by the Attorney General, make the policy available to staff, and provide annual training to all hospital employees on the policy and its implementation.

Keeping Trump’s Deportation Machine Out of Maryland Hospitals to Protect Immigrant Patients.

Under this bill, individuals who qualify for Maryland's existing special enrollment period for pregnancy would be allowed to choose whether their health insurance coverage becomes effective retroactively to the first day of the month in which the pregnancy was confirmed or on the first day of the month following plan selection. If the individual does not select an effective date, the carrier would be required to make the selection.

Forcing Insurers to Give Pregnant Marylanders More Control Over When Health Coverage Begins.

Under this bill, Maryland would make a series of changes to the parole process, including requiring the Maryland Parole Commission to publish parole statistics disaggregated by race, provide additional records and hearing materials to incarcerated individuals, publicly disclose commissioners' reasoning for parole decisions, record parole hearings, and guarantee future parole hearings by prohibiting the Commission from permanently denying parole. The bill also shortens certain reporting deadlines and expands procedural requirements surrounding parole reviews and hearings.