- Requiring entities that process electronic payment transactions to exclude the amount of tax and gratuity from the amount on which an interchange fee is charged.
- Allowing merchants to request the exclusion of tax and gratuity from interchange fees by providing documentation.
- Prohibiting the use of electronic payment transaction data for purposes other than facilitating the transaction, preventing fraud, supporting loyalty programs, tailoring products and services, or as required by law.
- Making violations of these provisions an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

- Allowing dentists and dental hygienists to practice in participating states under certain scope of practice rules.
- Establishing the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact Commission to oversee the compact and its duties and powers.
- Facilitating the sharing of licensure and disciplinary information among participating states.
- Promoting mobility and addressing workforce shortages by enabling dentists and dental hygienists to practice in other participating states without duplicative licensure requirements.
- Enhancing public access to qualified dental professionals.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025, contingent on the enactment of similar legislation in seven other states.

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House Bill 107, titled "Consumer Protection - Automatic Renewals," proposes changes to the regulation of automatic renewal offers in Maryland. Key provisions include:

- Requiring clear and conspicuous presentation of the terms of automatic renewal offers before the subscription or purchasing agreement is fulfilled.
- Providing consumers with an easily accessible disclosure of cancellation methods.
- Allowing consumers to terminate the automatic renewal without delay or obstruction.
- Prohibiting automatic charges to a consumer's credit card without clear notice.
- Establishing that violations of this act are considered unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practices.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

- Repealing certain limitations on noneconomic damages in civil actions for personal injury or wrongful death.
- Generally relating to noneconomic damages.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

- Altering eligibility criteria for Higher Education Loan Assistance Grants under the Maryland Dent-Care Program.
- Requiring the Maryland Insurance Administration to submit a report on the use of online credentialing systems by dental insurance carriers.

The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

- Requiring the Maryland Health Care Commission and the Maryland Insurance Administration to include a cybersecurity expert on staff.
- Mandating healthcare ecosystem entities to adopt and implement cybersecurity standards, undergo third-party cybersecurity audits, and report cybersecurity incidents.
- Authorizing the Maryland Department of Emergency Management to convene a workgroup to review and improve cybersecurity practices in the healthcare ecosystem.

The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

- Requiring the Maryland Department of Health to design, implement, and maintain a voluntary statewide program for all families with newborns residing in the state.
- Ensuring the program supports healthy child development, postpartum health, and strengthens families.
- Mandating insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage and reimbursement for these services.
- Collecting and analyzing data to assess the program's effectiveness and ensure quality improvement.

The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026.

- Establishing that any provision in a consumer contract that sets a shorter period of time to bring an action than required under state law is void.
- Considering violations of this act as violations of the Consumer Protection Act.
- Applying the act prospectively, not affecting contracts entered into before the effective date.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

- Requiring local boards of elections to pay election judges for completing required courses of instruction only after they serve on an election day or early voting day.
- Allowing public school students to earn service-learning hours and receive compensation for serving as election judges.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

- Establishing an appeal process for persons subject to the digital advertising gross revenues tax who receive a notice of assessment from the Comptroller.
- Authorizing the Comptroller or the Comptroller's designee to issue an order to correct an erroneous assessment of the digital advertising gross revenues tax, subject to certain conditions.

The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, and will be applicable to assessments made after December 31, 2025.

House Bill 718, titled "Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission - Established," proposes the creation of a commission to monitor and assess the impact of potential and actual federal changes to health care programs in Maryland. Key provisions include:

- Establishing the Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission.
- Monitoring potential and actual federal changes to the ACA, Medicaid, Medicare, and other health care programs.
- Assessing the impact of these changes on Maryland residents' access to affordable health coverage.
- Providing recommendations for state and local action to protect health coverage access.

The act is set to take effect on June 1, 2025, and will remain effective until June 30, 2029.

- Requiring students enrolled in public elementary or secondary schools to submit a certificate of dental health starting in the 2027-2028 school year.
- Mandating the Maryland Department of Health to establish a program for student dental health.
- Developing a certificate of dental health for use in public schools.
- Providing information on dental health, insurance coverage, and lists of pediatric dentists.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

“Genetic test” means an analysis of human DNA, RNA, chromosomes, proteins, or metabolites that detects genotypes, mutations, or chromosomal changes.

An insurer that offers, issues, or delivers a life insurance or disability insurance policy or contract in the State may not unfairly discriminate against an individual by conditioning insurance rates, the provision or renewal of insurance coverage, or other conditions of insurance based on medical information, including the results of a genetic test for which there is not a relationship between the medical information and the cost of the insurance risk that the insurer would assume by insuring the applicant. Nevertheless, to demonstrate a relationship between the medical information and cost of insurance risk assumed by insuring the applicant, an insurer may rely on actuarially sound principles or actual or reasonably anticipated experience. Additionally, an insurer that offers, issues, or delivers a life insurance or disability insurance policy or contract in the State may not access sensitive medical information, including genetic data of an individual, without first obtaining the individual's signed, written consent. Further, an insurer may never mandate existing or new genetic testing or full genome sequencing as a prerequisite for life insurance or disability insurance eligibility or coverage; moreover, an insurance carrier, applicant, or policy contract holder may not waive this prohibition under any circumstances. The bill expressly authorizes the Insurance Commissioner to issue an order for a violation of the bill using the Commissioner's existing enforcement powers that allow the Commissioner to (1) deny, refuse to renew, suspend, and revoke an insurer's certificate of authority; (2) impose a civil penalty in lieu of suspending or revoking a certificate of authority; (3) send and enforce cease and desist orders; and (4) order an insurer to accept a risk.

Key Provisions:

1. Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Fund:

   • Section 31-107 (Page 2-5): Establishes the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Fund to support various health programs, including the new State-Based Health Insurance Subsidies Program.

2. State-Based Health Insurance Subsidies Program:

   • Section 31-125 (Page 6-7): Mandates the creation of a program to provide subsidies to individuals purchasing health insurance in the individual market, particularly to mitigate the impact of reduced federal advance premium tax credits.

3. Program Design and Implementation:

   • Section 31-125(c) (Page 7): The program must maintain affordability and target individuals affected by increased premium percentages in 2026 and 2027 compared to 2025.

4. Funding and Expenditures:

   • Section 31-107(f) (Page 4-5): Specifies that the fund can be used for the new subsidies program in fiscal years 2026 through 2028.

5. Contingency and Effective Dates:

   • Section 2 (Page 8): The act is contingent on the federal government reducing or eliminating advance premium tax credits, with specific conditions for notification and implementation.

Effective Date:

• General Provisions: Effective June 1, 2025, and remains in effect until June 30, 2028, subject to the conditions outlined in Section 2.

Purpose: State-Based Health Insurance Subsidies: Establish subsidies to mitigate the impact of reduced federal advance premium tax credits. Key Provisions: Program Implementation: Maryland Health Benefit Exchange to implement the program. Provide funding from the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Fund. Consumer Protections: Maintain affordability for individuals purchasing health benefit plans. Target individuals experiencing increased premium percentages in 2026 compared to 2025. Funding and Expenditures: Use the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Fund for subsidies in fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Reporting and Tracking: Monthly Tracking: Track expenditures, average number of subsidy recipients, average subsidy amounts, and impact on rates. Post tracking information on the Exchange website and include it in the annual report. Effective Date: July 1, 2025

- Allowing dentists and dental hygienists to practice in participating states under certain scope of practice rules.
- Establishing the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact Commission to oversee the compact and its duties and powers.
- Facilitating the sharing of licensure and disciplinary information among participating states.
- Promoting mobility and addressing workforce shortages by enabling dentists and dental hygienists to practice in other participating states without duplicative licensure requirements.
- Enhancing public access to qualified dental professionals.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025, contingent on the enactment of similar legislation in seven other states.

Senate Bill 49, titled "Consumer Protection - Automatic Renewals," proposes changes to the regulation of automatic renewal offers in Maryland. Key provisions include:

- Requiring clear and conspicuous presentation of the terms of automatic renewal offers before the subscription or purchasing agreement is fulfilled.
- Providing consumers with an easily accessible disclosure of cancellation methods.
- Allowing consumers to terminate the automatic renewal without delay or obstruction.
- Prohibiting automatic charges to a consumer's credit card without clear notice.
- Establishing that violations of this act are considered unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practices.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

- Requiring the Maryland Department of Health to establish a voluntary statewide program for all families with newborns residing in the state.
- Supporting healthy child development, postpartum health, and strengthening families.
- Collaborating with insurers, hospitals, local public health authorities, and other organizations.
- Providing nurse home visiting services by registered nurses, either in-person or virtually.
- Ensuring services are voluntary and offered to all families with newborns, with no negative consequences for declining participation.
- Collecting and analyzing data to assess the program's effectiveness.

The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026.

- Prohibiting consumer contracts from setting a shorter time to bring an action than required by state law.
- Declaring such provisions against state public policy, illegal, and void.
- Ensuring courts do not enforce these provisions and that defenses based on shorter limitation periods are not valid.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

- Altering eligibility criteria for Higher Education Loan Assistance Grants under the Maryland Dent-Care Program.
- Requiring the Maryland Insurance Administration to submit a report on the use of online credentialing systems by dental insurance carriers.

The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

- Allowing dentists and dental hygienists to practice in member states under certain scope of practice rules.
- Establishing the Interstate Dental and Dental Hygiene Compact Licensure Commission to oversee the compact and its duties and powers.
- Facilitating the sharing of licensure and disciplinary information among participating states.
- Promoting mobility and addressing workforce shortages by enabling dentists and dental hygienists to practice in other participating states without duplicative licensure requirements.
- Enhancing public access to qualified dental professionals.

The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025, contingent on the enactment of similar legislation in four other states.

- Establishing an appeal process for persons subject to the digital advertising gross revenues tax who receive a notice of assessment from the Comptroller.
- Authorizing the Comptroller or the Comptroller's designee to issue an order to correct an erroneous assessment of the digital advertising gross revenues tax, subject to certain conditions.

The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, and will be applicable to assessments made after December 31, 2025.