On Friday, May 22, 2026, Governor Wes Moore announced his final bill actions of the 2026 legislative session, with bill signings scheduled for Tuesday, May 26. In addition to those signings, the Governor issued veto letters for five bills passed by the General Assembly and notified legislative leadership of fourteen bills that will become law without his signature. The vetoed legislation spans a range of policy areas from railroad safety and local journalism to public records and hospice care, and in each case, the Governor cited concerns related to federal preemption, fiscal impact, redundancy, or implementation challenges rather than opposition to the underlying policy goals.
The House bills that will be enacted without signature can be found here, and the Senate bills that will be enacted without signature can be found here. Senate Bills SB148 and SB187, received special Enacted Without Signature letters, which can be found here.
The following bills were vetoed by Governor Moore:
SB 459 – Local News for Maryland Communities Act of 2026 (VETOED) Governor Moore vetoed Senate Bill 459, which would have required state procurement units to direct at least 50% of advertising contract dollars to Maryland news organizations. While the Governor expressed support for the goal of sustaining local journalism, he raised several concerns about the bill’s workability. Primarily among them was that the mandate would restrict the State’s ability to use modern, wide-reach advertising channels, including digital platforms and streaming services, necessary to communicate effectively with all Marylanders. The Governor also noted that many local news outlets operate behind subscription paywalls, limiting the public reach of state-funded advertising placed there, and that some qualifying outlets may be owned by multi-state media conglomerates rather than community-rooted organizations. Additionally, he cited financial accountability concerns, noting that the mandate could force the State to either increase its advertising budget or reduce its overall reach. The Governor indicated his administration will pursue a more targeted solution in the 2027 legislative session.
SB 448 – Carroll County Public Facilities Bond (VETOED) Governor Moore vetoed Senate Bill 448, which would have authorized Carroll County to issue up to $27 million in general obligation bonds for the acquisition, construction, and renovation of public buildings and facilities. The veto was procedural in nature: the Governor had already signed House Bill 927, which accomplishes the same purpose. Enacting both bills would have doubled the authorized debt, and the Governor determined that only one should be enacted.
SB 426 – Public Information Act – Divorce Records (VETOED) Senate Bill 426 would have amended the Maryland Public Information Act to restrict access to most divorce-related records, including financial records, settlement agreements, and custody orders. Governor Moore acknowledged the legislation was inspired by a real case of divorce records being misused in an online harassment campaign, and expressed support for its intent. However, he vetoed the bill on the grounds that sufficient protective mechanisms already exist under current law, including required notices of restricted information at filing and the ability to request that a case file be sealed. The Governor also raised structural concerns, noting that most judicial records fall under the Maryland Rules on Access to Judicial Records rather than the PIA, creating ambiguity about whether the bill would apply to court-held records at all. The Attorney General’s Office cautioned that a broad interpretation of the bill could raise First Amendment concerns and undermine public oversight of judicial proceedings. The Governor encouraged stakeholders to develop a more targeted and legally sound approach.
HB 862 – Required Crew for Movement of Freight (VETOED) Governor Moore vetoed House Bill 862, which would have mandated a minimum two-person crew for freight train operations in Maryland and established civil penalties for violations. The Governor cited three primary concerns. First, the Federal Railroad Administration issued a final rule in 2024 establishing a national two-person crew standard, and the Office of the Attorney General advised that this federal rule likely preempts state legislation on the same subject. Second, the bill’s contingency clause, which conditioned Maryland’s law on the passage of similar legislation in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, raised additional preemption risk under the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973, as it could be construed by courts as economically rather than safety-motivated. Third, the Governor identified a significant unbudgeted fiscal impact: an existing agreement between the Maryland Transit Administration and CSX could require the State to reimburse CSX up to $6 million annually if the bill were enacted, with additional costs projected for state freight railroads.
HB 1151 – MDH Study on Medicaid Reimbursement of Hospice Room and Board Services (VETOED) House Bill 1151 would have directed the Maryland Department of Health and the Maryland Health Care Commission to jointly study the feasibility of requiring Medicaid to cover room and board services provided by hospice houses. Governor Moore vetoed the bill primarily on fiscal grounds. Federal law prohibits Medicaid reimbursement for room and board outside of a facility setting, meaning any such coverage would require 100% state funding with no federal match. The Maryland Department of Health estimated the annual cost would exceed $8 million and would likely grow over time. The Governor cited the State’s broader fiscal pressures, including a projected loss of up to $2.7 billion in federal Medicaid funding under pending federal legislation, as reason to avoid committing to new spending studies that could lead to future unfunded obligations. The Maryland Department of Health will work with the bill’s sponsor during the interim to explore alternative approaches to improving hospice patient outcomes.
https://governor.maryland.gov/official-actions/vetoes-and-ews-letters
