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Committee members opened with discussion of a bill proposing an exemption for manufacturing personal property owned by small- and medium-sized enterprises. Staff noted the amendment defines ‘‘small or medium-sized enterprises’’ as businesses with 50 or fewer employees and that, according to the fiscal note, Worcester County appears to be the only county that currently taxes manufacturing personal property; municipalities that tax business personal property could also be affected. Committee members expressed concern that state records do not allow staff to determine how narrow the impact would be under the amendment and suggested converting the change from a mandatory exemption to an authorization for local governments, or otherwise limiting its scope.

A separate, substantive discussion focused on the Access to Counsel and Evictions program. The bill would extend an existing annual mandate of $14,000,000 and make it ongoing effective in 2026, while abolishing a related task force. Supporters argued continuity of funding is important while the program is still being stood up and providers are recruiting staff; others warned the mandate would add to structural budget pressures and suggested delaying or phasing further requirements until the effect of current funding is clearer. The committee agreed to hold the measure for further consideration and to review other pending mandates before the next voting session.

Committee members spent significant time on behavioral-health crisis response grants (a bill proposing $5,000,000 a year for fiscal 2027–2029). Testimony described a range of programs the grants support: mobile crisis units, school-based behavioral-health teams, walk-in urgent care clinics and diversion services that keep people out of emergency rooms and jails. Senators asked whether the services are funded through Medicaid and how federal funding changes could affect the programs; staff replied many behavioral-health services receive Medicaid funding but that programs supported by the grants include a mix of sources. The committee agreed to hold the bill pending a fuller inventory of pending mandates and available budget capacity.

Members also debated a local school construction bill that, under specified criteria, would change the state/local cost share for eligible projects in small counties. The reprint explains the mechanism: if a county meets criteria tied to farm-student share, community eligibility provision participation and being the location of a single eligible school, the county’s local share would be adjusted downward and the state share upward (committee staff summarized the resulting share as roughly 84% state/16% local under the formula in the reprint). Senators raised concerns about project costs, local fund balances and whether a three-year sunset included in the amendment is sufficient; the sponsor asked that the bill be held for further local consultation.

The committee also debated a bill to require local boards to pay education support professionals a minimum of $25 per hour, indexed to inflation. Members, while sympathetic to the workforce concerns for bus drivers, paraprofessionals and custodial staff, noted the fiscal note could not produce a reliable statewide estimate and that some jurisdictions already meet or exceed $25 per hour. The committee agreed to hold the bill to work on language and other implementation strategies rather than advance an immediate mandate.

Separately, senators considered an abandoned and neglected cemeteries bill that would create a dedicated fund and an income-tax checkoff. After discussion the committee removed the checkoff, authorized a $250,000 initial appropriation for the fund, and directed administration of the program to the Department of Labor’s Office of Cemetery Oversight; the amended measure was approved by the committee.

The digital advertising gross revenue tax (the so-called DAGGER tax) was the subject of a separate bill that would align the tax’s administrative and appeals process with other taxes collected by the comptroller. Committee members questioned whether the change would interfere with ongoing litigation; the sponsor said the attorney general and comptroller offices view the change as administrative only. The sponsor agreed to gather additional details and the committee held the bill for further review.

Votes at a glance (committee action recorded in the meeting)
- Senate Bill 414 (stillbirth tax credit): advanced by voice vote. The bill would create a $1,000 credit for a stillbirth after 20 weeks when a certificate is issued by the Maryland Department of Health. No income limitation was attached in committee discussion.
- Senate Bill 453 (procurement clarifications): advanced as presented; clarifies certain contract-liability provisions and scope of recovery for replacement contractors.
- Senate Bill 472 (rail station tax subclass): advanced with amendment authorizing counties to set a separate class for unimproved land within 1 mile of a rail station; amendment directs 5% of revenue from that rate to the State Transportation Trust Fund and the remainder to the local government.
- Senate Bill 663 (Comptroller notices for earned-income tax credit): advanced by voice vote; permits notices to employers to be delivered electronically.
- Senate Bill 667 (skill-based amusement devices): advanced as amended to clarify such devices are not slot machines.
- Senate Bill 795 (janitorial product purchasing preference): advanced; adds packaged/janitorial products to goods prime contractors must purchase from Blind Industries and Services of Maryland.
- Senate Bill 860 (online sweepstakes): advanced; prohibits operation of online sweepstakes and creates penalties and licensing consequences.
- Senate Bill 911 (increase blind homeowner exemption): advanced by voice vote to raise the property tax exemption amount for qualified blind homeowners from $15,000 to $40,000 of assessed value.
- Senate Bill 963 (abandoned and neglected cemeteries fund): amended to remove the income-tax checkoff, authorize an initial $250,000 appropriation, and designate the Department of Labor’s Office of Cemetery Oversight to administer; advanced as amended.

Several bills were held for further work or were explicitly placed on hold for next-week consideration, including the Dagger administrative appeals bill, the behavioral-health grants mandate, the access-to-counsel mandate extension, the proposed minimum wage for education support professionals, the Kent County school-construction cost-share measure and several local or technical bills. Committee members asked staff to compile a consolidated list of new or continuing mandates and to provide more detailed fiscal follow-ups before the committee’s next voting session.

Committee members emphasized the broader budget context repeatedly: several senators urged caution on adding new mandates or large recurring obligations while the committee balances cuts and projected shortfalls. Several members noted that some items under discussion are already receiving funding in current or proposed budgets and that timing, administrative detail and funding sources will determine whether the committee advances them now or later. The committee recessed business pending additional analysis and local outreach.

Looking ahead, the committee indicated it will recycle and revisit the held measures in advance of crossover votes and asked staff to produce a mandate inventory and clarifying fiscal estimates.

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Budget and Taxation Committee debates mandates, school construction aid and behavioral-health funding; several bills advanced