Employment - Harassment and Intimidation - Reporting [HB-1548]
Establishing requirements related to the reporting of incidents of employee harassment and intimidation, including provisions regarding the reporting of incidents by employers to the Commissioner of Labor and Industry, the creation of a reporting form, and the establishment of an electronic tip program; establishing that certain information shared in the reporting of incidents of employee harassment or intimidation is confidential; etc.
HB-1548: Employment - Harassment and Intimidation - Reporting
Sponsored by: Rep. Frank Conaway
First Reading House Rules And Executive Nominations on 02/25/2025
Natural Gas - Strategic Infrastructure Development and Enhancement (Ratepayer Protection Act) [SB-998]
Altering the required contents of a certain plan that a gas company may file with the Public Service Commission for proposed eligible infrastructure replacement projects to include certain descriptions, demonstrations, analyses, and notifications; and altering the required findings of the Commission in considering whether to approve a certain infrastructure replacement plan.
SB-998: Natural Gas - Strategic Infrastructure Development and Enhancement (Ratepayer Protection Act)
Sponsored by: Sen. Benjamin Brooks
Hearing 3/13 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/27/2025
Labor and Employment - Disclosure of Employee's Immigration Status - Prohibition [HB-1476]
Prohibiting an employer from disclosing or threatening to disclose an employee's immigration status to a public body for the purpose of concealing an employer's violation of certain labor, benefit, or tax laws; authorizing the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to investigate a violation of the Act on the Commissioner's own initiative or on receipt of a written complaint; and authorizing an alleged violator to request an administrative hearing.
HB-1476: Labor and Employment - Disclosure of Employee's Immigration Status - Prohibition
Sponsored by: Rep. Terri Hill
First Reading Economic Matters on 02/07/2025
Cyber Maryland Program – Revisions [HB-1468]
Transferring the Cyber Maryland Program from the Maryland Technology Development Corporation to the Maryland Department of Labor; altering the duties of the Program; requiring the Program to issue certain competitive grants and contracts beginning in fiscal year 2026; altering the purposes for which the Cyber Maryland Fund may be used; altering certain funding requirements related to the Program; requiring that certain unused balances from certain programs and funds be transferred to the Program at the close of the fiscal year; etc.
HB-1468: Cyber Maryland Program – Revisions
Sponsored by: Rep. Catherine Forbes
Hearing Canceled on 03/08/2025
Labor and Employment - Unpaid Parental Leave - Definition of Employer [HB-1340]
Altering the definition of "employer" to exclude employers who are covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act for the current year from being required to provide to employees a certain unpaid parental leave benefit in the State.
HB-1340: Labor and Employment - Unpaid Parental Leave - Definition of Employer
Sponsored by: Rep. Jason Buckel
Hearing Canceled on 02/26/2025
Labor and Employment - Exemptions From Overtime Pay - Administrative, Executive, or Professional Capacity [HB-1438]
Altering the exemption from overtime pay for individuals who are employed to work in an administrative, executive, or professional capacity; increasing, except under certain circumstances, the exempted compensation rate in effect for certain periods of time based on the annual growth, if any, in the Consumer Price Index; requiring the Commissioner of Labor and Industry, beginning March 1, 2026, and each subsequent year, to determine and announce the new exempted compensation rate; etc.
HB-1438: Labor and Employment - Exemptions From Overtime Pay - Administrative, Executive, or Professional Capacity
Sponsored by: Rep. Dylan Behler
Hearing Canceled on 02/20/2025
Declaration of Rights - Right to Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers [HB-1458]
Establishing that every person, as a central component of an individual's right to liberty and equality, has the fundamental right to be paid at a wage rate that is at least equal to the State minimum wage rate set by law without regard to tips that the individual receives; and prohibiting the State from, directly or indirectly, denying, burdening, or abridging the right unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.
HB-1458: Declaration of Rights - Right to Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers
Sponsored by: Rep. Anne Kaiser
Hearing Canceled on 02/24/2025
No Tax on Tips Act [HB-1400]
Establishing consumer protections related to service fees charged by food service facilities; specifying the State minimum wage rate; prohibiting, beginning July 1, 2028, employers of tipped employees from including a tip credit amount as part of the employees' wages; allowing a subtraction under the State income tax for certain qualified tips received by certain individuals; and allowing a person a credit against the State income tax for certain amounts paid to an employee based on the payment of certain wages and tips.
HB-1400: No Tax on Tips Act
Sponsored by: Rep. Anne Kaiser
First Reading Economic Matters And Ways And Means on 02/07/2025
Labor and Employment - Employer Communications During Nonworking Hours - Right to Disconnect [HB-1413]
Requiring employers to establish a policy that provides employees a certain right to ignore communications from the employer during nonworking hours and establishes nonworking hours by written agreement; and prohibiting, except under certain circumstances, an employer from requiring that an employee communicate with the employer during nonworking hours.
HB-1413: Labor and Employment - Employer Communications During Nonworking Hours - Right to Disconnect
Sponsored by: Rep. Jazz Lewis
Hearing Canceled on 02/25/2025
Fraud Prevention and Worker Protections - Prohibitions, Penalties, and Enforcement [HB-1096]
Prohibiting a person from knowingly making or using, or causing to be made or used, a false record or statement resulting in underpayments of unemployment insurance contributions or payment of unemployment insurance benefits of more than a certain amount; altering the enforcement mechanisms of the Maryland Wage and Hour Law, the Maryland Wage Payment and Collection Law, workplace fraud laws, living wage laws, and prevailing wage laws; etc.
HB-1096: Fraud Prevention and Worker Protections - Prohibitions, Penalties, and Enforcement
Sponsored by: No sponsors
Hearing Canceled on 02/10/2025
Fraud Prevention and Worker Protections - Prohibitions, Penalties, and Enforcement [SB-938]
Prohibiting a person from knowingly making or using, or causing to be made or used, a false record or statement resulting in underpayments of unemployment insurance contributions or payment of unemployment insurance benefits of more than a certain amount; altering the enforcement mechanisms of the Maryland Wage and Hour Law, the Maryland Wage Payment and Collection Law, workplace fraud laws, living wage laws, and prevailing wage laws; etc.
SB-938: Fraud Prevention and Worker Protections - Prohibitions, Penalties, and Enforcement
Sponsored by: No sponsors
Hearing 3/05 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/06/2025
No Tax on Tips Act [SB-823]
Establishing consumer protections related to service fees charged by food service facilities; specifying the State minimum wage rate; prohibiting, beginning July 1, 2028, employers of tipped employees from including a tip credit amount as part of the employees' wages; allowing a subtraction under the State income tax for certain qualified tips received by certain individuals; and allowing a person a credit against the State income tax for certain amounts paid to an employee based on the payment of certain wages and tips.
SB-823: No Tax on Tips Act
Sponsored by: Sen. Cory McCray
Hearing 3/05 At 1:00 P.m. (finance) on 02/06/2025
Railroads - Safety Requirements (Maryland Railway Safety Act of 2025) [SB-855]
Establishing requirements and prohibitions related to the operation of railroads in the State, including provisions related to the size of the crew, blocking of railroad and highway grade crossings, the length of trains operating on a main or branch line, wayside detectors, and investigations by railroad labor union representatives; and requiring the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to establish and maintain a reporting system regarding the transportation of hazardous materials and waste by rail in the State.
Cyber Maryland Program - Revisions [SB-867]
Transferring the Cyber Maryland Program from the Maryland Technology Development Corporation to the Maryland Department of Labor; altering the duties of the Program; requiring the Program to issue certain competitive grants and contracts beginning in fiscal year 2026; altering the purposes for which the Cyber Maryland Fund may be used; altering certain funding requirements related to the Program; requiring that certain unused balances from certain programs and funds be transferred to the Program at the close of the fiscal year; etc.
SB-867: Cyber Maryland Program - Revisions
Sponsored by: Sen. Katie Hester
Referred Health And Government Operations on 03/15/2025
Declaration of Rights - Right to Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers [SB-809]
Establishing that every person, as a central component of an individual's right to liberty and equality, has the fundamental right to be paid at a wage rate that is at least equal to the State minimum wage rate set by law without regard to tips that the individual receives; and prohibiting the State from, directly or indirectly, denying, burdening, or abridging the right unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.
SB-809: Declaration of Rights - Right to Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers
Sponsored by: Sen. Cory McCray
Withdrawn By Sponsor on 03/03/2025
Labor and Employment - Unpaid Parental Leave - Definition of Employer [SB-785]
Altering the definition of "employer" to exclude employers who are covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act for the current year from being required to provide to employees a certain unpaid parental leave benefit in the State.
SB-785: Labor and Employment - Unpaid Parental Leave - Definition of Employer
Sponsored by: Sen. Justin Ready
Hearing 3/19 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/13/2025
Railroads - Safety Requirements (Maryland Railway Safety Act of 2025) [HB-958]
Establishing requirements and prohibitions related to the operation of railroads in the State, including provisions related to the size of the crew, blocking of railroad and highway grade crossings, the length of trains operating on a main or branch line, wayside detectors, and investigations by railroad labor union representatives; and requiring the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to establish and maintain a reporting system regarding the transportation of hazardous materials and waste by rail in the State.
Consumer Protection - Workgroup on Artificial Intelligence Implementation [HB-956]
Establishing the Workgroup on Artificial Intelligence Implementation; requiring the Workgroup to monitor and make recommendations related to the regulation of artificial intelligence, consumer protection, current private sector use of artificial intelligence, and enforcement authority for the Office of the Attorney General's Office of Consumer Protection; and requiring the Workgroup to make its recommendations to certain committees of the General Assembly by July 1, 2026.
HB-956: Consumer Protection - Workgroup on Artificial Intelligence Implementation
Sponsored by: Rep. C.T. Wilson
Hearing 3/20 At 1:00 P.m. on 03/14/2025
Cannabis Licensees - Bona Fide Labor Organizations and Labor Peace Agreements [SB-726]
Requiring the Maryland Cannabis Administration to consider certain factors in determining if a labor organization is a "bona fide labor organization"; requiring a cannabis licensee, under certain circumstances, to execute a certain labor peace agreement and to maintain and abide by the agreement; authorizing a certain labor organization to file a protest with the Administration against the renewal of a cannabis license; etc.
SB-726: Cannabis Licensees - Bona Fide Labor Organizations and Labor Peace Agreements
Sponsored by: Sen. Arthur Ellis
Hearing 3/06 At 1:00 P.m. on 02/06/2025