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HB0037 • 2026

General Assembly - Employment and Leave Protection for Members

General Assembly - Employment and Leave Protection for Members

Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Delegate Schindler
Last action
2026-01-28
Official status
In the House - Hearing 2/10 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date
2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

General Assembly - Employment and Leave Protection for Members

Prohibiting an employer from depriving of employment or taking certain other actions against an employee who is a member of the General Assembly and who loses employment time to performing responsibilities as a member of the General Assembly; and establishing a penalty of a fine not exceeding $1,000 for a violation of the Act.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibiting an employer from depriving of employment or taking certain other actions against an employee who is a member of the General Assembly and who loses employment time to performing responsibilities as a member of the General Assembly; and establishing a penalty of a fine not exceeding $1,000 for a violation of the Act.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-28 House

    Hearing 2/10 at 1:00 p.m.

  2. 2026-01-14 House

    First Reading Government, Labor, and Elections

  3. 2025-10-10 House

    Pre-filed

  4. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - General Assembly - Employment and Leave Protection for Members

Official Summary Text

Prohibiting an employer from depriving of employment or taking certain other actions against an employee who is a member of the General Assembly and who loses employment time to performing responsibilities as a member of the General Assembly; and establishing a penalty of a fine not exceeding $1,000 for a violation of the Act.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0037*

HOUSE BILL 37
P5 6lr1164
(PRE–FILED)
By: Delegate Schindler
Requested: October 10, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

General Assembly – Employment and Leave Protection for Members 2

FOR the purpose of prohibiting an employer from depriving of employment or taking 3
certain other actions against an employee who is a member of the General Assembly 4
and who loses employment time to performing responsibilities as a member of the 5
General Assembly; and generally relating to employment and leave protection for 6
members of the General Assembly. 7

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – State Government 9
Section 2–105 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14

Article – State Government 15

2–105. 16

(A) (1) IN THIS S UBSECTION, “RESPONSIBILITIES AS A MEMBER OF THE 17
GENERAL ASSEMBLY” DOES NOT INCLUDE CAMPAIGNING ON BEHALF OF THE 18
MEMBER OR ANOTHER CANDIDATE FOR ELECTED OFFICE. 19

(2) THIS SUBSECTION APPLIES REGARDLESS OF WHETHE R THE 20
GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS IN SESSION. 21

(3) AN EMPLOYER MAY NOT: 22
2 HOUSE BILL 37

(I) DEPRIVE AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS A MEMBER OF T HE 1
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF EMPLOYMENT OR COERCE, INTIMIDATE, OR THREATEN TO 2
DISCHARGE AN INDIVIDUAL BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUAL: 3

1. LOSES EMPLOYMENT TIM E TO PERFORMING 4
RESPONSIBILITIES AS A MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY; OR 5

2. EXERCISES A RIGHT TO REFRAIN FROM WORK UNDER 6
ITEM (II) OF THIS PARAGRAPH; 7

(II) REQUIRE AN INDIVIDUA L WHO SPENT AT LEAST 4 HOURS, 8
INCLUDING TRAVELING TIME, TO PERFORM RESPONSIBILITIES AS A MEMBER OF 9
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO WORK AN EMPLOYMENT SHIFT THAT BEGINS: 10

1. ON OR AFTER 5 P.M. ON THE DAY OF THE INDIVIDUAL’S 11
RESPONSIBILITIES AS A MEMBER; OR 12

2. BEFORE 3 A.M. ON THE DAY FOLLOWING TH E 13
INDIVIDUAL’S RESPONSIBILITIES AS A MEMBER; OR 14

(III) REQUIRE AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS A MEMBER OF T HE 15
GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO USE THE EMPLOYEE’S ANNUAL, SICK, OR VACATION LEAVE 16
TO PERFORM RESPONSIBILITIES AS A MEMBER. 17

(4) AN EMPLOYER WHO VIOLATES THIS SUBSECTION IS SUBJECT TO A 18
FINE NOT EXCEEDING $1,000. 19

(B) While the General Assembly is in session, IN ADDITION TO THE 20
REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION , each member or employee of 21
the General Assembly who also is employed by the State or any of its political subdivisions: 22

(1) is entitled automatically to a leave of absence from the other 23
employment; and 24

(2) except for a right to a salary or wages, may not be deprived of or 25
otherwise have impaired any incident of the empl oyment, including tenure, seniority, 26
annual or sick leave, promotional rights, or rights to salary increments. 27

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 28
October 1, 2026. 29