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Senate advances dozens of bills; committee reports adopted and many measures ordered for third reading
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Summary
On March 28 the Maryland Senate heard dozens of committee reports. Senators adopted favorable committee reports and ordered many bills printed for or passed to third reading. Several measures were passed for third reading by voice or recorded count; others were laid over for later consideration.
The Senate of Maryland spent its March 28 session considering a long list of committee reports. Floor leaders presented bills across policy areas — consumer protection, health insurance coverage, education, environment, procurement, and public safety — and the Senate adopted favorable committee reports on dozens of bills. Many bills were ordered printed for third reading or ordered passed for third reading; a number were laid over or made special order for action on Monday.
Notable actions and outcomes at a glance (selected bills and official procedural outcomes as recorded on the floor):
- SB382 (Sen. Kagan) — Consumer protection: right to repair for powered wheelchairs. Committee amendment adopted; "Senate bill 382 is hereby ordered printed for third reading." (procedural adoption of committee report recorded on the floor.)
- SB407 / HB602 (Nursing reciprocity) — State Board of Nursing to hold discussions with Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and D.C. to pursue reciprocity; reports required by Nov. 1, 2025 and each year thereafter. Committee reports adopted; bills ordered printed for third reading.
- SB921 / HB1087 (Health insurance, step therapy exceptions for drugs treating symptoms/side effects of stage 4 metastatic cancer) — Two committee amendments adopted; bills ordered printed for third reading and apply to policies issued/delivered/renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2026.
- SB975 / HB1243 (Specialty drug coverage) — Committee amendments were adopted clarifying reimbursement, preserving HSCRC authority for regulated settings, and limiting reimbursement rates relative to designated specialty pharmacies; bill ordered printed for third reading.
- HB443 (Delegate Tavares) — Baby food labeling language change from "toxic heavy metal" to "toxic element"; senators moved the bill to special order at the end of the calendar then later the favorable committee report for HB443 was adopted and the bill was ordered passed for third reading after floor discussion and no formal roll-call objection.
- HB50 (Budget bill) and HB352 (Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act) — Committee chair presented the budget and moved both bills and committee amendments to lie over under the rule for Monday (see separate budget article). Both were laid over.
- HB930 / SB848 (Public health abortion grant program) — Committee reports adopted; bill establishes a public health abortion grant program and fund; committee report adopted and the bill was ordered to pass for third reading.
- SB653 (Employee stock ownership plan procurement preference) — After committee adoption and a floor amendment converting a price preference to a "qualification boost," the bill was ordered passed for third reading.
- A package of bills on health occupations, opioid restitution fund uses, opioid fund dashboard, and procedural cleanups (for example HB729, HB798, HB745) had favorable committee reports adopted and were ordered for third reading.
- Education package: the Senate and House versions of the "Excellence in Maryland Public Schools" legislation (SB429 / HB504 and related amendment packages) were complex and subject to many committee amendments; both the House and Senate committee amendment sets were adopted and the bills were laid over under the rule for later floor action so members could consider the reprint and proposed changes.
- Selected final‑pass roll calls recorded on the floor (counts announced by the clerk): several bills recorded "With 45 votes in the affirmative" or similar tally statements indicating passage with a constitutional majority (examples include multiple house bills taken up for third reading during the session; the clerk recorded affirmative tallies for many items in the record).
Why it matters: The session moved a wide variety of measures forward on a single day, spanning consumer protections, health insurance patient protections, procurement changes, environmental programs, criminal justice reentry services for women, and numerous administrative and oversight bills. Several bills of statewide budgetary or programmatic consequence (education, budget, abortion grant funding, Medicaid-related items) remain on the immediate calendar for decisive floor votes.
What the record shows and what it does not: This article summarizes floor actions (committee reports adopted, bills ordered printed/passed, bills laid over). Where the transcript recorded roll-call tallies that were announced aloud (for example: "With 45 votes in the affirmative"), that tally is reported. The transcript does not include a complete roll-call vote-by-name for every item; unless the clerk read or the transcript captured individual vote details, this summary reports outcomes and tallies as they appear on the floor record.
Ending: The Senate adjourned to reconvene on Monday for extended floor work; members were warned to expect long sessions and to coordinate amendments with committee staff and the amendment office.
