The 2024 General Assembly session came to a close Monday evening, April 9 at midnight with final action being taken on a number of bills and a few others left outstanding. Typical for the second year of a four-year term, several hundred more bills were introduced this session. A total of 2,728 bills and joint resolutions were introduced, compared to 2,283 last session. Of this number, 1,053 passed compared to 780 in the previous session. The number of legislative bond initiatives introduced was down slightly from the prior year, 752 compared to 780, likely as a result of constricting state revenues.
Following tradition, Governor Moore presided over the first bill signing ceremony of 2024 on April 9, the day after Sine Die. The Governor, joined by Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne Jones, signed more than 120 bills into law. These included the Maryland Protecting Opportunities and Regional Trade (PORT) Act, and several Administration priorities – The Maryland Road Worker Protection Act, The Protecting Election Officials Act, and The Families Serve Act – to name a few.
Three additional bill signings will be held on April 25 at 11 a.m., May 9 at 11 a.m., and May 16 at 9 a.m.
Department of Legislative Services 90 Day Report
The Department of Legislative Services produces “The 90 Day Report” each year following Session. It is divided into 12 parts, each dealing with a major policy area. Each part contains a discussion of the majority of bills that passed in that policy area, including background information and comparisons to current law. Part A contains information relating to the operating budget, capital budget, and aid to local governments.
See previous newsletter item on the 90 Day Report.
Summary of Some Major Issues of the 2024 Legislative Session
Operating Budget
Projected general fund and structural budget shortfalls brought on by declining revenue and increased long-term funding commitments related to K-12 education enhancements led to more challenging discussions on the budget. After much debate and approval of a package of revenue enhancements by the House, the House and Senate came to agreement on a $63.1 billion fiscal 2025 budget, a decrease of $1.1 billion (1.8%) compared to fiscal 2024. Combined with actions taken through the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act, the budget meets spending affordability goals, preserves reserves, raises revenues to address transportation needs, strengthens the State’s Emergency Medical System, and improves K-12 education funding, to name a few.
SB 360 Budget Bill (Fiscal Year 2025) – Enrolled Bill
SB 362 Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2024 – Enrolled Bill
Conference Committee Report on Senate Bill 360 – the Budget Bill
Conference Committee Summary Report on SB 360 and SB 362
Operating Budget Overview – 90 Day Report
Capital Budget
The Administration, House and Senate Budget Committees worked collaboratively on the Capital Budget, approving a total budget of $6.189 billion. Of this total, $2.819 billion is for the transportation program through the Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP). Apart from the CTP, the program totals $3.370 billion: $1.845 billion is funded with general obligation (GO) bonds authorized in Senate Bill 361, the Maryland Consolidated Capital Bond Loan (MCCBL) of 2024; $1.069 billion is funded on a pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) basis in the operating budget comprised of $168.2 million of general funds, $451.9 million of special funds, and $449.2 million of federal funds; $425.4 million for school construction projects is funded with revenue bonds through the Built to Learn program; and $30 million for University System of Maryland USM) facilities is funded with Academic Revenue Bonds authorized in Senate Bill 1120.
Creation of a State Debt – Maryland Consolidated Capital Bond Loan of 2024…
Capital Budget Overview 90 Day Report
Juvenile Justice Reform
HB 814 – Juvenile Law Reform
Following a mass shooting in Baltimore, several car jackings, and other crimes being committed by juveniles, hearings and meetings were conducted during the 2023 interim to discuss juvenile crime. These discussions led to the introduction of HB 814 which makes numerous changes to the juvenile justice process in the State. These changes include expanding resources available to juveniles, altering the delinquency jurisdiction of the juvenile court over children ages 10 to 12 and altering procedures relating to juvenile intake, complaints, detention, and probation. In addition, the bill alters provisions relating to the Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform and Emerging and Best Practices. Most of the bill’s provisions take effect January 1, 2025. The changes to the commission take effect July 1, 2024.
Bill Overview from 90 Day Report
Data Privacy and Consumer Protection
In this legislative session, Maryland lawmakers placed a strong emphasis on enhancing consumer protections and data privacy, demonstrating an understanding of the growing concerns among residents regarding the safety and security of their personal information.
Under current law, businesses are required to put procedures and practices in place to protect an individual’s personal information from unauthorized actions and uses due data breaches. Legislation passed created new and expanded these requirements.
SB 541/ HB 567 – Maryland Online Data Privacy Act of 2024
These bills establish new consumer protections, rights, and disclosure obligations relating to online personal data controlled or processed by certain entities that conduct business in the State or provide services or products that are targeted to residents of the State. These bills take effect October 1, 2025.
Bill Overview from 90 Day Report
SB 571/ HB 603 – Consumer Protection Data of Children (Maryland Kids Code)
These bills require businesses that provide an online product reasonably likely to be accessed by children to complete a data protection impact assessment of the online product. The bills also establish numerous rules, procedures, and prohibitions related to the assessments. The bills take effect October 1, 2024. Assessments of products currently being offered/accessed by children must be completed on or before April 1, 2026. All online products initially offered to the public after April 1, 2026 are required to perform an impact assessment.
Bill Overview from 90 Day Report
SB 539 – Sale and Resale of Tickets
This bill establishes protections and disclosure requirements relating to the sale and resale of tickets for entertainment events that apply only to secondary ticket exchanges, ticket issuers, and resellers. The bill also expands protections relating to the sale of speculative tickets, which are tickets that are not in the possession of the reseller at the time of the sale.
Bill Overview from 90 Day Report
SB 1 – Electricity and Gas Regulation and Consumer Protection
This bill creates consumer protections for residential customers who opt to buy electricity from retail energy suppliers. Among other requirements, the bill updates supplier licensing and regulatory enforcement and establishes new provisions for the retail energy supply market for residential customers. The bill establishes new licensing categories for energy salespersons and energy vendors and requires, as of July 1, 2025, persons in these roles to hold a license from the Public Service Commission.
The bill also establishes provisions related to the price of energy supply and, specifically, “green power.” “Green Power” is defined as energy sources or renewable energy credits (RECs) that are marketed as clean, green, eco-friendly, environmentally friendly or responsible, carbon-free, renewable, 100% renewable, 100% wind, 100% hydro, 100% solar, 100% emission-free, or similar claims.
A complete overview and description of SB 1 can be accessed in the 90 Day Report from the link below.
Bill Overview from 90 Day Report
Governors bills
In his second General Assembly as governor, Wes Moore created a legislative agenda prioritizing public safety, affordability, making the state more competitive, and public service. These same
priorities were highlighted in his proposed $63 billion budget for fiscal 2025.
Several bills have already been signed into law as mentioned above. A few other bills are summarized below.
HB 538 – The Housing Expansion and Affordability Act
This Moore-Miller Administration Bill makes several changes to the land use article to expand affordable housing in Maryland. It enables higher density bonuses under certain scenarios, authorizes the use of manufactured housing, and loosens restrictions related to adequate public facility ordinances. The bill also establishes a Historic Property Revitalization Director within DHCD. The bill takes effect January 1, 2025.
Bill Overview from 90 Day Report
HB 693 – Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024.
This Administration Bill establishes the Office of Tenant Rights in the Department of Housing and Community Development responsible for providing renters with information about their rights under law and creating a tenant’s bill of rights. Additionally, this act attempts to decrease evictions by increasing the eviction filing fee and taking measures to ensure that fee is not passed on to renters. The bill mandates a reduction in security deposits from 2 months to 1 month and gives renters the right to purchase their home if it is being sold.
Bill Overview from 90 Day Report
SB 482/ HB 694 – ENOUGH Act of 2024
The ENOUGH Act is a first-in-the-nation state-level effort to end concentrated child poverty. The legislation calls on community leaders across Maryland to come together and create comprehensive plans on how to make their neighborhoods better and do it in partnership with schools, civic centers, local elected officials, health clinics, and other key institutions. Funds have been included in the fiscal 2025 budget for the first year of the initiative and the program will be run through the Governor’s Office for Children.
Bill Overview from 90 Day Report
SB 473/ HB 582 – Pava LaPere Legacy Innovation Act of 2024
This state competitiveness focused bill creates two programs within the Maryland Technology Development Corporation: The Pava LaPere Innovation Acceleration Grant Program, to provide student tech startups with early-stage capital, and the Baltimore Innovation Initiative, to provide access to capital and wraparound services for technology startups associated with colleges or universities that are located within the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Bill Overview from 90 Day Report
Key Bridge Collapse
The legislature acted quickly following the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge on March 26th. Days after the tragedy, Senate President Bill Ferguson introduced an emergency relief bill known as the Port Act (SB 1188/ HB 1526). These bills support port workers not covered by unemployment insurance, make sure businesses can fully retain and pay their workers, and incentivize companies to return to the port when it reopens. Thousands of port employees and port-related businesses remain impacted by the closed shipping channel.
Bill overview from 90 Day Report
The Horse Racing Industry
Over the past several years, the legislature has attempted to shore up the horse racing industry and the Pimlico track. A recent report issued by the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority (MTROA) made several recommendations that will be enacted through HB 1524 to transfer ownership and operation of thoroughbred racing facilities in the State from the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) to MTROA. Among other changes, the bill requires investment in and around the Pimlico race course for workforce housing, community commercial revitalization, community safety, community workforce development and job training, homeownership and home preservation, redevelopment of vacant and abandoned housing, and community beautification. The bill also authorizes the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) to issue up to $400 million in bonds to finance the construction of the facilities. At least $250 million of the bond revenues must be allocated for the renovation of the Pimlico Race Course, and at least $110 million must be allocated for the new training facility.
Bill Overview from 90 Day Report
