When Maryland lawmakers go back to work in Annapolis next week, the number one item they’ll be facing is balancing a budget while staring down a nearly $3 billion shortfall.
A dire report on the economic outlook from state analysts in November has put legislators in a position of either finding ways to save money in the state’s budget, digging deep into the state’s $2.5 billion rainy day fund or raising taxes and fees.
The General Assembly session begins on Jan. 8, and hundreds of bills have already been pre-filed.
The first bill filed on the Senate side is the IVF and Contraception Shield Act of 2025, which is designed to include certain forms of fertility treatment and contraception under the umbrella of “legally protected health care.”
Another proposed bill would enact the “Phone-Free Schools pilot program.” The bipartisan bill targets Montgomery and Carroll counties. Under the proposal, student cellphone use would be banned during the school day — with some exceptions. The ban would affect one middle school and one high school in each county, and a report on the effectiveness of the program would be due to the General Assembly by Sept. 1 of 2026.
The “See Someone, Save Someone Act” is aimed at preventing human trafficking. The act would create a program for transportation employees in an effort to identify and report suspected cases to law enforcement.
Another Senate bill would crack down on organized retail theft and, depending on the value of items stolen, would impose penalties of as much as 20 years in prison or a fine of up to $25,000, or both.
There are also bills on bikes and bike operations. One House bill would allow cyclists to “cautiously” make a turn or proceed through an intersection without stopping under certain circumstances. A Senate bill proposes requiring electric bicycles to be titled and registered by the Motor Vehicle Administration.
Maryland’s General Assembly session meets in Annapolis for 90 days.
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