Maryland House adopts dozens of bills, special‑orders capital budget and delays one consumer‑protection measure

The Maryland House of Delegates on March 13 moved dozens of bills through third reading and final passage, adopted committee reports and committee amendments, and set a timetable for further consideration of several items including the fiscal 2026 consolidated capital bond and loan bill.

The bulk of the session consisted of committee reports and votes to adopt favorable reports, often with committee amendments. Lawmakers adopted many bills across subject areas including vehicle laws, public health, housing, environmental protections and state procurement. The House also placed several measures in special order — most notably the House Appropriations Committee's capital bill — and agreed to a 24‑hour hold on a consumer‑protection solicitation bill to allow members more time to review extensive amendments.

Legislative context and why it matters The votes move legislation closer to final enactment or to the Senate, and the capital spending bill carries funding and bond authorizations that state and local governments will rely on for infrastructure and projects. At least two items were set aside to allow additional review: one consumer‑protection solicitation bill was held for 24 hours at the request of members after committee amendments, and the capital bill was special‑ordered to a later floor date to allow members to review committee reprints and proposed floor amendments.

Key floor actions and scheduling - The House Appropriations Committee presented House Bill 351 (fiscal 2026 consolidated capital bond loan), describing the committee reprint and recommended amendments and asking that the bill and committee amendments be special ordered until Tuesday, April 1. The committee brief stated proposed bond and financing amounts and said the program would include $1,800,000,000 in general obligation bonds, about $330,000,000 in revenue bonds (including $300,000,000 identified in the committee materials), $83,000,000 in general fund PAYGO, and $770,000,000 in special and federal PAYGO, yielding a roughly $3,000,000,000 capital program exclusive of a separate transportation plan. The House approved making HB351 a special order to April 1.

- Members agreed to hold House Bill 1348 (consumer protection: solicitation following a disaster; committee amendments) for additional review. A member said the bill had been significantly amended and requested 24 hours to study the changes; the request was granted and the bill was placed in special order to the appropriate time the next day.

- The House approved numerous bills on third reading with recorded roll‑call tallies (see the "Votes at a glance" list below). Many measures carried unanimous or near‑unanimous support after committee amendments were adopted on the floor.

Votes at a glance (selected bills recorded on the floor) - HB422, Vehicle laws (bicycles, play vehicles and unicycles using certain crosswalk signals) — Final passage; recorded as "There being 133 votes in the affirmative." Outcome: passed. - HB978, Baltimore County speed monitoring systems (I‑695 and I‑83) — Final passage; recorded as "There being 102 votes in the affirmative." Outcome: passed. - HB351, Maryland consolidated capital bond loan (fiscal 2026) — Committee report presented; committee moved the bill and its amendments and the House approved a special order to take the bill up on April 1 (special‑ordered by the House). - HB1348 (consumer solicitation following disasters; committee amendments) — Committee amendments adopted; a member requested 24 hours to review significant committee amendments; House granted a special order to the appropriate time the next day (bill held). - Multiple Senate bills and House cross‑filed measures across public health, environment, and local government (examples recorded and passed during the session): SB150 (real property recordation), SB226 (Maryland farms and families fund), SB236 (Department of Planning modernization), SB266 (local comprehensive planning and the State planning policy), SB3338/related speed monitoring bills — all recorded by the clerk with affirmative tallies and declared passed where roll calls indicate.

What the actions mean next Bills that passed on third reading will proceed according to legislative rules (transmission to the other chamber or the enrollment process) unless they were cross‑filed or require further action. HB351 being special‑ordered to April 1 gives members additional time to examine the appropriations committee reprint and to prepare floor amendments; the capital bill contains line‑item amendments and committee narrative that the committee said are not themselves subject to floor amendment but which members may address via formal floor amendments to the committee reprint.

Meeting engagement and process notes The floor session was busy: numerous committee reports were presented, committee amendments were read and adopted repeatedly, and floor leaders and members frequently moved that the reading of amendments be considered. Members recorded hundreds of roll‑call votes across the agenda; in several cases members asked for short holds or special orders to allow additional review of significantly amended measures. The clerk recorded attendance and quorum calls at multiple points.

Ending The House adjourned and scheduled its next floor session as announced by the majority leader.