Applying certain provisions of law regarding the adoption of dogs and cats used for scientific research purposes to testing facilities; requiring certain research facilities and testing facilities to submit to the Department of Agriculture certain information regarding dogs and cats on or before January 31 each year; and requiring a school or an institution of higher education that uses animals for certain purposes to submit a report on the results of certain inspections to the General Assembly on or before December 31 each year.

Altering the definition of "medical service" for the purpose of providing an exemption to the certificate of need requirement by removing psychiatry and any subcategory of psychiatry; and providing that a certificate of need is not required to establish or operate a psychiatric health care facility or to offer psychiatric or other mental health services at a health care facility.

Requiring a county board of education each year to prepare and post to the county's website a report that identifies pathways that public school students who are ineligible for transportation services may use to travel to school using only safe alternative routes under certain circumstances; requiring the governing body of a county each year to review a certain report and construct any sidewalks and crosswalks necessary to create safe alternative routes for public school students under certain circumstances; etc.

Prohibiting a local board of elections from removing an absentee ballot from a return envelope or ballot/return envelope or counting the ballot unless the return envelope or ballot/return envelope is signed by the voter and a witness and the local board verify the voter's signature; and providing that the witness signature requirement does not apply to active duty uniformed services members serving overseas or their spouses or dependents who live overseas.

Requiring certain persons that receive certain State economic development assistance to make a certification each year that the person was not the subject of a certain final adverse determination and is not currently failing to comply with certain outstanding requirements under a prior final judgment or order; requiring a certain unit of State government to initiate a pause on disbursements or approvals of certain economic development assistance or the award or renewal of certain State contracts; etc.

Altering the prohibition against taking and breaking open a letter; prohibiting the theft of mail under certain circumstances; prohibiting a person from possessing an arrow key under certain circumstances; and providing for concurrent jurisdiction in the District Court and circuit court to try a violation of the Act.

Requiring the Department of Commerce to create and maintain a complaint portal for reporting when a governmental unit takes longer than 60 days to process an application for a license, form, certificate, certification, permit, or registration for a business or nonprofit organization; and requiring the Department, by September 15, 2026, and each September 15 thereafter, to submit an annual report to certain committees of the General Assembly on the complaints filed through the portal.

Requiring each county board of education to submit a student residency and school zones report to the Department of Planning and the Interagency Commission on School Construction on or before July 1 each year, beginning on July 1, 2026; prohibiting certain adequate public facilities ordinances from delaying the processing and completion of subdivision or site development plans; and authorizing certain adequate public facilities ordinances to delay the issuance of final permits.

Altering the application requirements for a certain property tax exemption for a dwelling house owned by the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran.

Establishing an Edible Forests and Foraging Program within the Department of Natural Resources; requiring individuals who forage in designated foraging areas to obtain a foraging permit; requiring the Department to charge a permit application fee and establish a fee waiver process for individuals who demonstrate financial need; requiring the Department to establish and maintain edible forests on State land, subject to available funding; etc.

Prohibiting a person from knowingly and willfully causing another to ingest an abortion-inducing drug when the person knows or believes that the other person is pregnant and without consent, through fraud or coercion, or by force or threat of force.

Altering the exemption from the State transfer tax for instruments of writing that transfer improved residential real property to certain first-time home buyers.

Altering the required elements of the Consolidated Transportation Program; requiring the Department of Transportation to develop a certain project-based scoring system, identify certain funds available for certain purposes, and solicit requests from certain entities for certain projects; requiring the Department to evaluate and score certain major surface transportation projects; altering the makeup, chair, frequency of meetings, and responsibilities of the Maryland Transportation Commission; etc.

Requiring the prosecuting attorney of thefts of property or services with a value less than $1,500 to notify the victim or the victim's representative about each court proceeding, the right of the victim to submit a victim impact statement, any posttrial court proceedings, any appeal, and any sentence review related to the case.

Requiring the Maryland Department of Health to establish an enhanced reimbursement structure for Maryland Medicaid Assistance Program providers that deliver medical services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and providing the Act is contingent on the availability of federal funds through the federal Health Equity for Adults with Disabilities (HEADs UP) Act or any other federal law or funding stream supporting health care equity for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Prohibiting local jurisdictions from adopting or enforcing certain zoning provisions relating to lot size, dimensions, setback requirements, lot coverage, and design or architectural elements for certain single-family homes with certain exceptions; prohibiting local jurisdictions from prohibiting certain housing types in certain zones; and prohibiting local jurisdictions from prohibiting certain subdivisions of certain lot types.

Prohibiting the State from purchasing gasoline-powered leaf blowers beginning July 1, 2026; prohibiting the State or any contractor or subcontractor employed by the State from using gasoline-powered leaf blowers beginning January 1, 2031; and requiring the State or any contractor or subcontractor employed by the State to comply with certain local government standards.

Prohibiting the Maryland Medical Assistance Program from applying a prior authorization requirement in certain circumstances to and from applying a step therapy or fail-first protocol for a prescription drug used to treat an adult enrollee's diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or a medication-induced movement disorder associated with the treatment of serious mental illness.

Repealing the requirement that a school bus be constructed with materials that enable it to meet all criteria of the school bus seat upholstery fire block test established by the National School Transportation specifications and procedures adopted by the most recent National Congress on School Transportation.

Altering the definition of "student financing company" to exclude an institution of postsecondary education for purposes of certain registration and reporting requirements.

Authorizing the reallocation of certain school safety grants to local school systems that have fully expended their grant allocation and demonstrate unmet need within the same fiscal year.

Repealing a certain requirement for approval by a political subdivision of a certain application for financial assistance under the Neighborhood Business Development Program from the Department of Housing and Community Development; etc.

hb843Authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City and the governing body of a county or municipal corporation to grant, by law, a credit against the county or municipal corporation property tax imposed on a commercial building that is rented or rented to own at fair market value to a small business if the commercial building is located in a designated arts and entertainment district or Main Street Maryland community.

Repealing on electric and gas bills a certain surcharge used to encourage and promote the efficient use and conservation of energy in support of certain greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets.

Establishing the Commission to Study African American Civil War Sailors in Maryland; requiring the Commission to study the history of the African American sailors who fought for the Union Navy; requiring the Commission to make certain recommendations regarding the funding, design, construction, and location of an appropriate memorial dedicated to African American Civil War sailors; and requiring the Commission to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2026.

Applying certain provisions of law regarding the adoption of dogs and cats used for scientific research purposes to testing facilities; requiring certain research facilities and testing facilities to submit to the Department of Agriculture certain information regarding dogs and cats on or before January 31 each year; and requiring a school or an institution of higher education that uses animals for certain purposes to submit a report on the results of certain inspections to the General Assembly on or before December 31 each year.

Altering the definition of "medical service" for the purpose of providing an exemption to the certificate of need requirement by removing psychiatry and any subcategory of psychiatry; and providing that a certificate of need is not required to establish or operate a psychiatric health care facility or to offer psychiatric or other mental health services at a health care facility.

Requiring a county board of education each year to prepare and post to the county's website a report that identifies pathways that public school students who are ineligible for transportation services may use to travel to school using only safe alternative routes under certain circumstances; requiring the governing body of a county each year to review a certain report and construct any sidewalks and crosswalks necessary to create safe alternative routes for public school students under certain circumstances; etc.

Prohibiting a local board of elections from removing an absentee ballot from a return envelope or ballot/return envelope or counting the ballot unless the return envelope or ballot/return envelope is signed by the voter and a witness and the local board verify the voter's signature; and providing that the witness signature requirement does not apply to active duty uniformed services members serving overseas or their spouses or dependents who live overseas.

Requiring certain persons that receive certain State economic development assistance to make a certification each year that the person was not the subject of a certain final adverse determination and is not currently failing to comply with certain outstanding requirements under a prior final judgment or order; requiring a certain unit of State government to initiate a pause on disbursements or approvals of certain economic development assistance or the award or renewal of certain State contracts; etc.

Altering the prohibition against taking and breaking open a letter; prohibiting the theft of mail under certain circumstances; prohibiting a person from possessing an arrow key under certain circumstances; and providing for concurrent jurisdiction in the District Court and circuit court to try a violation of the Act.

Requiring the Department of Commerce to create and maintain a complaint portal for reporting when a governmental unit takes longer than 60 days to process an application for a license, form, certificate, certification, permit, or registration for a business or nonprofit organization; and requiring the Department, by September 15, 2026, and each September 15 thereafter, to submit an annual report to certain committees of the General Assembly on the complaints filed through the portal.

Requiring each county board of education to submit a student residency and school zones report to the Department of Planning and the Interagency Commission on School Construction on or before July 1 each year, beginning on July 1, 2026; prohibiting certain adequate public facilities ordinances from delaying the processing and completion of subdivision or site development plans; and authorizing certain adequate public facilities ordinances to delay the issuance of final permits.

Altering the application requirements for a certain property tax exemption for a dwelling house owned by the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran.

Establishing an Edible Forests and Foraging Program within the Department of Natural Resources; requiring individuals who forage in designated foraging areas to obtain a foraging permit; requiring the Department to charge a permit application fee and establish a fee waiver process for individuals who demonstrate financial need; requiring the Department to establish and maintain edible forests on State land, subject to available funding; etc.

Prohibiting a person from knowingly and willfully causing another to ingest an abortion-inducing drug when the person knows or believes that the other person is pregnant and without consent, through fraud or coercion, or by force or threat of force.

Altering the exemption from the State transfer tax for instruments of writing that transfer improved residential real property to certain first-time home buyers.

Altering the required elements of the Consolidated Transportation Program; requiring the Department of Transportation to develop a certain project-based scoring system, identify certain funds available for certain purposes, and solicit requests from certain entities for certain projects; requiring the Department to evaluate and score certain major surface transportation projects; altering the makeup, chair, frequency of meetings, and responsibilities of the Maryland Transportation Commission; etc.

Requiring the prosecuting attorney of thefts of property or services with a value less than $1,500 to notify the victim or the victim's representative about each court proceeding, the right of the victim to submit a victim impact statement, any posttrial court proceedings, any appeal, and any sentence review related to the case.

Requiring the Maryland Department of Health to establish an enhanced reimbursement structure for Maryland Medicaid Assistance Program providers that deliver medical services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and providing the Act is contingent on the availability of federal funds through the federal Health Equity for Adults with Disabilities (HEADs UP) Act or any other federal law or funding stream supporting health care equity for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Prohibiting local jurisdictions from adopting or enforcing certain zoning provisions relating to lot size, dimensions, setback requirements, lot coverage, and design or architectural elements for certain single-family homes with certain exceptions; prohibiting local jurisdictions from prohibiting certain housing types in certain zones; and prohibiting local jurisdictions from prohibiting certain subdivisions of certain lot types.

Prohibiting the State from purchasing gasoline-powered leaf blowers beginning July 1, 2026; prohibiting the State or any contractor or subcontractor employed by the State from using gasoline-powered leaf blowers beginning January 1, 2031; and requiring the State or any contractor or subcontractor employed by the State to comply with certain local government standards.

Prohibiting the Maryland Medical Assistance Program from applying a prior authorization requirement in certain circumstances to and from applying a step therapy or fail-first protocol for a prescription drug used to treat an adult enrollee's diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or a medication-induced movement disorder associated with the treatment of serious mental illness.

Repealing the requirement that a school bus be constructed with materials that enable it to meet all criteria of the school bus seat upholstery fire block test established by the National School Transportation specifications and procedures adopted by the most recent National Congress on School Transportation.

Altering the definition of "student financing company" to exclude an institution of postsecondary education for purposes of certain registration and reporting requirements.

Authorizing the reallocation of certain school safety grants to local school systems that have fully expended their grant allocation and demonstrate unmet need within the same fiscal year.

Repealing a certain requirement for approval by a political subdivision of a certain application for financial assistance under the Neighborhood Business Development Program from the Department of Housing and Community Development; etc.

hb843Authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City and the governing body of a county or municipal corporation to grant, by law, a credit against the county or municipal corporation property tax imposed on a commercial building that is rented or rented to own at fair market value to a small business if the commercial building is located in a designated arts and entertainment district or Main Street Maryland community.

Repealing on electric and gas bills a certain surcharge used to encourage and promote the efficient use and conservation of energy in support of certain greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets.

Establishing the Commission to Study African American Civil War Sailors in Maryland; requiring the Commission to study the history of the African American sailors who fought for the Union Navy; requiring the Commission to make certain recommendations regarding the funding, design, construction, and location of an appropriate memorial dedicated to African American Civil War sailors; and requiring the Commission to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2026.