2026 Maryland General Assembly Wrap Up and Webinar

by: Bill Jorch
Category: Advocacy
Tags
Apr
15

The Maryland General Assembly concluded its 90-day legislative session on Monday, April 13. This was an incredibly successful year for the Maryland Municipal League (MML) including passing a priority bill for the third time in the past four years! Below is a recap of a handful of impactful bills. For a more in-depth summary, please see the article soon to be published in the Local and sign up for the Legislative Session Wrap Up webinar scheduled for April 28 from noon - 1:00 pm (Link to register).

MML Priority Bill

HB 1142 – Task Force to Modernize County and Municipal Revenue Structures (Passed) 

This MML priority legislation establishes a task force to study and evaluate the existing revenue structures of Maryland’s local governments. Recognizing the ongoing over-dependence on property taxes, the League led the charge to establish this body to modernize the "fiscal toolbox" for municipalities. The task force will explore new revenue options used in other states and assess their impact on local affordability, with a final report of recommendations to modernize local revenue sources due by the end of 2026. 

Housing

HB 239 / SB 36 - Starter and Silver Homes Act (Did not Pass) 

This Administration bill aimed to address housing supply and affordability by encouraging the development of smaller “starter” and “silver” homes through changes to state and local land use policies. MML supported the goal of expanding housing options but initially opposed the bill due to concerns regarding the extent of State preemption and the potential impact on local planning and zoning authority. As the bill evolved, MML shifted to a Favorable with Amendments position and worked with stakeholders to propose substantive changes to improve the bill for municipalities. 

The legislation generated significant discussion and a large number of proposed amendments throughout the session. Despite ongoing stakeholder engagement, consensus was not reached, and neither version advanced prior to crossover. While the bill did not pass this year, it reflects continued legislative interest in statewide housing policy and is likely to remain part of the conversation in future sessions. 

Personnel

HB 831 / SB 922 - Collective Bargaining - Local Government Employees and Public Employee Relations Act (Did Not Pass) 

Sixteen municipal governments currently allow a category or certain set of categories of employees (police, fire, public works, etc.) to join a union and collectively bargain for specific compensation and benefits. However, all the discretion resides with the employer to dictate the type or types of employees that may collectively bargain, the types of wages and benefits that can be negotiated, and whether there is binding arbitration. Of those 16 municipalities, most limit which employees can collectively bargain and do not allow for binding arbitration. 

These bills would broadly allow all local government employees to organize and collectively bargain. If implemented, these bills would lead to an increase in the number of municipal employees that collectively bargain in those municipalities that currently allow it and would increase the number of municipalities that have employees that collectively bargain. MML opposed this legislation on several grounds, primarily that additional sets of employees that collectively bargain will lead to increased costs and administrative burden. 

Environment

HB 34 / SB 189 - Municipalities - Open Drainage Inlets - Inventory and Improvements (Mason's Law) (Passed)

The Maryland General Assembly passed Mason’s Law, a measure aimed at improving safety around stormwater drainage inlets across the State’s municipalities. The legislation was introduced in response to a tragic 2025 incident in which a child lost his life after being pulled into an open storm drain during a flooding event. Lawmakers framed the bill as a necessary step to prevent similar tragedies, and its core purpose of enhancing public safety received broad support from local governments and other stakeholders.

As originally introduced, Mason’s Law proposed sweeping requirements. Municipalities would have been required to install approved grating systems on all open drainage inlets measuring 12 inches or greater. The mandate applied not only to new construction and repairs, but also to all existing infrastructure. Notably, the bill also extended to privately owned inlets located within municipal boundaries, placing responsibility on local governments to ensure compliance across both public and private systems within a defined timeline.

While the intent of the bill was clear and widely supported, the scope of the original proposal raised immediate concerns among our membership. We supported the goal of improving storm drain safety but cautioned that the bill, as drafted, would be difficult to implement and raised significant legal and financial questions. In response, the League worked with lawmakers to advance a set of amendments aimed at making the policy more workable. Central to those efforts was the request to remove privately owned inlets from the bill’s requirements. Local officials noted that municipalities lack the authority to access and retrofit private infrastructure in many cases and warned that doing so would create liability risks and complicate the use of public stormwater funds. The League also pushed for additional time to comply with the requirements, recommending that implementation deadlines be extended by at least two years to better reflect the scale of systemwide upgrades that would be required. Another key recommendation focused on clarifying the bill’s language by defining which inlets would not be considered a legitimate risk to public safety. Without such a definition, local governments argued that compliance standards could become inconsistent and difficult to administer. MML emphasized the importance of preserving local discretion to determine where safety risks exist within publicly owned infrastructure. We also expressed support for applying modern safety standards to new and reconstructed inlets but raised concerns about the feasibility of retrofitting all existing systems regardless of risk level.

As the bill moved through the legislative process, it was amended and ultimately passed by both chambers of the General Assembly. The final version requires municipalities to install approved grating systems on applicable drainage inlets, maintaining a broad statewide mandate with a compliance deadline of April 1, 2031. Questions remain about how certain provisions will be interpreted in practice, and additional guidance may be needed as implementation moves forward. We will continue working with state leaders to seek further clarification and support for local governments as we take on the responsibilities outlined in the new law.

Data Privacy

SB 632 - State Government - State Elected Officials - Protection of Personal Information (Did Not Pass) 

As introduced, this bill looked to establish an Office of State Elected Officials Information Privacy in the Department of Legislation Affairs as well as a process for removing elected officials’ personal information from public platforms. The policy was part of a broader effort to reduce security risks tied to publicly accessible data, particularly considering the killing of former Speaker of the Minnesota House Melissa Hortman and her husband, which highlighted the vulnerability of elected officials. While the Maryland Municipal League supported the intent of the bill, concerns were raised about implementation with the bill increasing municipal workloads due to a short 72-hour window for redacting or shielding records. The bill also increased administrative workload, possibly straining municipal capacity. 

The bill also introduced potential legal and fiscal exposure for government entities by allowing penalties such as injunctive relief and attorney fees for noncompliance. To address this, the League introduced a “good faith” amendment that would protect governmental entities who make reasonable efforts to comply but fall short due to technical or timing challenges. This amendment would balance the bill's public safety objective while still addressing the operational realities facing local governments. SB 632 passed out of the Senate but did not achieve final passage in the House committee. 

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