Maryland House passes slate of third‑reading bills Feb. 5, 2025

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Maryland House of Delegates on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, approved a package of bills on third reading and final passage, recording roll-call results for each measure and moving the items to the next step of the legislative process.

The bills approved address a range of topics including restructuring aging services, membership on a public‑health cannabis advisory council, opioid‑associated disease prevention programs, burial equity at state veterans cemeteries, military department appointment authority, oversight of the Department of Veterans and Military Families, and state personnel collective bargaining for graduate assistants.

Why it matters: The measures cleared Tuesday touch on programs and administrative structures that affect older Marylanders, veterans, public‑health advisory bodies and state employment rules. Most measures passed with unanimous or near‑unanimous affirmative tallies as recorded in the House proceedings.

Votes at a glance - House Bill 36 (Department of Aging: Aging services program repeal and consolidation): “on third reading and final passage.” The clerk recorded 131 votes in the affirmative; the bill was declared passed. - House Bill 46 (Public Health: Cannabis public health advisory council membership): “on third reading and final passage.” The clerk recorded 131 votes in the affirmative; the bill was declared passed. - House Bill 94 (Opioid‑associated disease prevention and outreach programs; advisory committee membership): “on third reading and final passage.” The clerk recorded 131 votes in the affirmative; the bill was declared passed. - House Bill 138 (State government; veterans burial at state veterans cemeteries; Burial Equity Act): “on third reading and final passage.” The clerk recorded 131 votes in the affirmative; the bill was declared passed. - House Bill 181 (Military Department; chief of staff and aides appointment authority): “on third reading and final passage.” The clerk recorded 131 votes in the affirmative; the bill was declared passed. - House Bill 196 (State government; Department of Veterans and Military Families; board and commission membership and oversight): “on third reading and final passage.” The clerk recorded 131 votes in the affirmative; the bill was declared passed. - House Bill 211 (State personnel; collective bargaining; graduate assistance): “on third reading and final passage.” The clerk recorded 93 votes in the affirmative. The clerk’s announcement in the transcript reads that there were 93 votes in the affirmative and records the bill as passed as declared on the floor; the transcript text contains the vote count as given and the clerk’s declaration. - House Bill 276 (State government; forms reporting requirement repeal): “on third reading and final passage.” The clerk recorded 131 votes in the affirmative; the bill was declared passed.

Other business: The clerk announced a reassignment of House Bill 902 to the Environment, Transportation and Economic Matters Committee. Committee meeting and subcommittee schedules were announced from the floor. The House stood adjourned until Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, at 11 a.m., as moved by the majority leader.

Procedure notes and limits: The House record shows minimal debate recorded on these third‑reading items; in most cases the clerk called the roll and announced the tally and the clerk’s declaration of passage. Where the transcript lists only a tally (for example, 131 affirmative votes) no individual vote names were provided in the transcript excerpt. Where the transcript reports an atypical affirmative tally (93 for HB 211) that figure is reported here exactly as it appears in the House proceeding transcript.