Senator Bailey is proud to once again be sponsoring a comprehensive legislative agenda this session that will enhance public safety, protect consumers, defend our natural resources, and support important local institutions. This includes seven bills which have been introduced since the beginning of the session.
A brief summary of each bill is listed below. In addition to these bills, Senator Bailey will be introducing further legislation in the coming weeks. To read the full text of these proposals and follow their progress during the session, and for the most up-to-date list of the Senator’s sponsored legislation, please visit:https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Members/Details/bailey01?ys=2026rs&activeTab=divLegislation
Senate Bill 101 – Higher Education – Loan Repayment and Scholarships for Correctional Officers would expand eligibility for the Maryland Loan Assistance Repayment Program for Police Officers and Probation Agents and the Maryland Police Officers and Probation Agents Scholarship Program to include correctional officers.
Senate Bill 135 – State Designations – State Shark – Megalodon was introduced at the request of the Calvert Marine Museum, the State’s Paleontology Collection and Research Center, to add the Megalodon to our State’s symbols as the State Shark. Senator Bailey is proud to represent the Museum and to support this initiative and sponsor this bill on their behalf and is excited to have already heard from many students from our District who are also strongly and actively supporting this legislation.
Senate Bill 166 – Shellfish Aquaculture – Penalties – Suspension or Revocation of Permit or Registration Card would create an administrative process to suspend or revoke the licenses of individuals participating in shellfish aquaculture if they commit egregious violations of State law. The provisions of this bill are modeled after the existing statute for tidal fish licensees who hold an oyster authorization and is intended to ensure equal treatment under the law for all Maryland oyster license holders.
Senate Bill 185 – Subtraction Modification – Public Safety Retirement Income would increase the tax deduction for retirement income attributable to an individual’s employment as a public safety employee from $15,000 to $20,000. This bill is intended to match the increase to the tax deduction for military retirement income that passed the General Assembly and became law in 2023.
Senate Bill 291 – Income Tax – Credit for Income Taxes and Penalties Due to Financial Exploitation would help protect victims of fraud by allowing a credit against State income tax for income taxes and penalties attributable to an early withdrawal of retirement funds due to documented financial exploitation.
Senate Bill 292 – County Boards of Education – Student Transportation – Sunset Repeal would make permanent provisions of law that the General Assembly passed in 2021 that created a framework allowing local school systems to use alternative forms of transportation for certain groups of students for whom it would be infeasible or impractical to use traditional school buses. This law has benefited all of Maryland’s students, particularly students who live in rural areas of the State.
Senate Bill 304 – Collisions With Wild Animals – Prohibited Actions by Insurer would prohibit an insurer from increasing a premium, adding a surcharge, or removing, altering, or refusing to consider a discount based on accidents or losses caused by a collision with a free-roaming wild animal and for which the insured was not at fault for the loss. This bill would protect Maryland drivers from paying more for insurance solely because of collisions with deer, which is an unfortunately far too common experience across our State.
Senate Bill 357 – St. Mary’s County – Gaming by Qualified Organization – License Required would ensure that charitable organizations allowed to hold gaming events in St. Mary’s County are able to be licensed by the County in a manner similar to the County’s existing bingo license. As drafted, this legislation does not give the County the authority to charge a fee for this license and is intended to protect the ability of our local charitable organizations to hold gaming events. Most other Maryland counties have a similar licensing program, leading to confusion when these organizations are being checked for compliance with State and local gaming laws by agencies outside of the County, as occurred recently with one of our local Moose lodges.
Senator Bailey is also proud to co-sponsor Senate Bill 364 – Criminal Law – Manslaughter by Vehicle or Vessel – Increased Penalties (Jamari’s Law), which would increase the existing maximum penalties for felony manslaughter by vehicle or vessel from 10 years to 20 years for a first offense, and from 15 years to 30 years for a subsequent offense. This bill is named “Jamari’s Law” for Jamari Duckett, a Great Mills resident who tragically lost his life in an accident caused by a driver who was drunk and traveling at a high rate of speed. Senator Bailey has served as the lead sponsor of this bill for the past several years and is incredibly hopeful that this will be the year this important legislation becomes law.