Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0045*
HOUSE BILL 45
K3 6lr0622
(PRE–FILED) CF SB 417
By: Delegate Vogel
Requested: July 11, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 18, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Labor and Employment – Mandatory Meetings on Religious or Political 2
Matters – Employee Attendance and Participation 3
(Maryland Worker Freedom Act) 4
FOR the purpose of prohibiting employers and their agents, representatives, and designees 5
from taking certain actions against an employee or applicant for employment 6
because the employee or applicant takes certain actions regarding 7
employer–sponsored meetings during which the employer communicates the opinion 8
of the employer regarding religious matters or political matters; authorizing an 9
employee to file a certain complaint with the Commissioner of Labor and Industry; 10
authorizing the Commissioner to take certain actions related to violations of certain 11
provisions of this Act ; requiring employers to notify the employer’s empl oyees in a 12
certain manner of the requirements and protections provided under certain 13
provisions of this Act; requiring the Commissioner to develop and make available a 14
certain poster and model notice; and generally relating to employee attendance and 15
participation in employer meetings on religious or political matters. 16
BY adding to 17
Article – Labor and Employment 18
Section 3–718 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2025 Replacement Volume) 21
2 HOUSE BILL 45
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Labor and Employment 3
3–718. 4
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 5
INDICATED. 6
(2) “POLITICAL MATTERS” MEANS MATTERS RELATING TO: 7
(I) ELECTIONS FOR POLITICAL OFFICE; 8
(II) POLITICAL PARTIES; 9
(III) PROPOSALS TO CHANGE: 10
1. LEGISLATION; 11
2. REGULATIONS; OR 12
3. PUBLIC POLICY; OR 13
(IV) THE DECISION TO JOIN OR SUPPORT A POLITICAL PARTY OR 14
POTENTIAL CIVIC, COMMUNITY, FRATERNAL, OR LABOR ORGANIZATION. 15
(3) “RELIGIOUS MATTERS ” MEANS MATTERS RELATI NG TO 16
RELIGIOUS BELIEF, AFFILIATION, AND PRACTICE OR THE DECISION TO JOIN AND 17
SUPPORT A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION OR ASSOCIATION. 18
(B) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO AN EMPLOYER THAT: 19
(1) IS A RELIGIOUS CORPORATION, ORGANIZATION, OR ASSOCIATION 20
OR AN EDUCATIONAL IN STITUTION OR SOCIETY THAT IS EXEMPT FROM THE 21
REQUIREMENTS OF TITLE VII OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 UNDER 42 U.S.C. 22
§ 2000E–1(A) OR IS EXEMPT FOR EMP LOYMENT DISCRIMINATI ON PROTECTIONS 23
UNDER STATE LAW; 24
(2) IS A POLITICAL ORGAN IZATION THAT REQUIRES ITS EMPLOYEES 25
TO ATTEND AN EMPLOYE R–SPONSORED MEETING OR TO PARTICIPATE IN 26
COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE EMPLOYER OR THE EMPLOYER’S AGENTS OR OTHER 27
REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMMU NICATING THE EMPLOYE R’S 28
POLITICAL TENETS OR PURPOSES; 29
HOUSE BILL 45 3
(3) IS AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION THAT REQUIRES A STUDENT OR 1
AN INSTRUCTOR TO ATTEND LECTURES ON POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS MATTE RS AS 2
PART OF THE REGULAR COURSEWORK AT THE INSTITUTION; 3
(4) IS A NONPROFIT , TAX–EXEMPT TRAINING PR OGRAM THAT 4
REQUIRES A STUDENT O R AN INSTRUCTOR TO ATTEND CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION, 5
COMPLETE FIELDWORK, OR PERFORM COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS ON POLITICAL 6
OR RELIGIOUS MATTERS AS IT RELATES TO THE MISSION OF THE TRAIN ING 7
PROGRAM; 8
(5) REQUIRES EMPLOYEES TO UNDERGO TRAINING TO COMPLY WITH 9
FEDERAL OR STATE LAW , INCLUDING TRAINING R ELATED TO THE EMPLOY ER’S 10
OBLIGATIONS UNDER CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS AND OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH 11
LAWS; OR 12
(6) IS A GOVERNMENTAL UN IT HOLDING A NEW EMP LOYEE 13
ORIENTATION. 14
(C) AN EM PLOYER, OR THE EMPLOYER’S AGENT , REPRESENTATIVE, OR 15
DESIGNEE, MAY NOT: 16
(1) DISCHARGE, DISCIPLINE, OR OTHERWISE PENALIZ E OR 17
THREATEN TO DISCHARG E, DISCIPLINE, OR OTHERWISE PENALIZ E AN EMPLOYEE 18
BECAUSE THE EMPLOYEE DECLINES TO ATTEND , PARTICIPATE IN, OR LISTEN TO 19
COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE EMPLOYER , OR THE EMPLOYER ’S AGENT , 20
REPRESENTATIVE, OR DESIGNEE, IN AN EMPLOYER–SPONSORED MEETING DURING 21
WHICH THE EMPLOYER C OMMUNICATES THE OPIN ION OF THE EMPLOYER 22
REGARDING RELIGIOUS MATTERS OR POLITICAL MATTERS; OR 23
(2) FAIL OR REFUSE TO HIRE AN APPLICANT FOR EMPLOYMENT AS A 24
RESULT OF THE APPLIC ANT’S REFUSAL TO ATTEND OR PARTICIPATE IN AN 25
EMPLOYER–SPONSORED MEETING DURING WHICH THE EMPLOYER COMMUNICATES 26
THE OPINION OF THE E MPLOYER REGARDING RELIGIOUS MATTERS OR P OLITICAL 27
MATTERS. 28
(D) THIS SECTION DOES NOT PROHIBIT AN EMPLOYER: 29
(1) FROM COMMUNICATING INFORMATION THAT THE EMPLO YER IS 30
REQUIRED BY LAW TO COMMUNICATE; 31
4 HOUSE BILL 45
(2) FROM CONDUCTING A MEETING THAT INVOLVES RELIGI OUS 1
MATTERS OR POLITICAL MATTERS IF ATTENDANC E AND PARTICIPATION ARE 2
VOLUNTARY; 3
(3) FROM COMMUNICATING TO ITS EMPLOYEES INFO RMATION THAT 4
IS NECESSARY FOR ITS EMPLOYEES TO PERFORM THEIR JOB DUTIES; 5
(4) THAT IS AN INSTITUTI ON OF HIGHER EDUCATI ON, OR AN AGENT 6
OR OTHER REPRESENTAT IVE OR DESIGNEE OF THE I NSTITUTION, FROM MEETING 7
WITH OR PARTICIPATIN G IN COMMUNICATIONS WITH ITS EMPLOYEES T HAT ARE 8
PART OF COURSEWORK , A SYMPOSIUM , OR AN ACADEMIC PROGR AM AT THE 9
INSTITUTION; OR 10
(5) THAT IS A GOVERNMENT AL UNIT FROM COMMUNI CATING TO ITS 11
EMPLOYEES INFORMATION RELATED TO A POLICY OF THE E MPLOYER OR A LAW 12
THAT THE EMPLOYER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ADMINISTERING. 13
(E) (1) IF AN EMPLOYEE BELIEVES TH AT AN EMPLOYER HAS VIOLATED 14
THIS SECTION, WITHIN 180 DAYS AFTER THE ALLEGED VIOLATION, THE EMPLOYEE 15
MAY FILE A WRITTEN COMPLAINT WITH THE COMMISSIONER. 16
(2) AFTER RECEIVING A WRI TTEN COMPLAINT FILED UNDER 17
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CONDUCT AN 18
INVESTIGATION AND ATT EMPT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE INFORMALLY THR OUGH 19
MEDIATION. 20
(3) IF THE COMMISSIONER IS UNABL E TO RESOLVE AN ISSU E 21
THROUGH MEDIATION AND, AFTER AN INVESTIGATI ON, THE COMMISSIONER 22
DETERMINES THAT THE EMPLOYER HAS VIOLATED THIS SE CTION, THE 23
COMMISSIONER MAY ASSESS A CIVIL PENALTY OF: 24
(I) FOR AN INITIAL VIOLATION, UP TO $10,000; OR 25
(II) FOR A SUBSEQUENT VIOLATION, UP TO $25,000. 26
(4) IN ADDITION TO CIVIL PENALTIES ASSESSED UNDER PARAGRAPH 27
(3) OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE COMMISSIONER MAY: 28
(I) ISSUE AN ORDER T O CEASE AND DESIST FROM THE 29
VIOLATION AND ANY FURTHER SIMILAR VIOLATIONS; OR 30
(II) AWARD ANY OTHER RELIE F THAT THE COMMISSIONER 31
DETERMINES IS APPROPRIATE, INCLUDING: 32
HOUSE BILL 45 5
1. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF; 1
2. COMPENSATORY DAMAGES; 2
3. AFFIRMATIVE RELIEF, INCLUDING: 3
A. THE REINSTATEMENT OF THE EMPLOYEE TO THE 4
EMPLOYEE’S FORMER POSITION OR AN EQUIVALENT POSITION; 5
B. BACK PAY AND INTEREST AMOUNTS OWED; OR 6
C. RESTORATION OF EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, PENSION OR 7
RETIREMENT ACCRUAL, AND OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR 8
WHICH THE EMPLOYEE WOULD HAVE BEEN ELIGIBLE; OR 9
4. REASONABLE ATTORNEY’S FEES AND OTHER COSTS. 10
(5) THE COMMISSIONER MAY FILE A PETITION IN ANY CI RCUIT 11
COURT FOR ANY COUNTY SEEKING ENFORCEMENT OF AN ORDER UNDER TH IS 12
SECTION. 13
(F) (1) EACH EMPLOYER SHALL N OTIFY THE EMPLOYER ’S EMPLOYEES 14
OF THE REQUIREMENTS AND PROTECTIONS PROVIDED UNDER THIS SECTION BY: 15
(I) POSTING THE POSTER OR NOTICE DEVELOPED UND ER 16
PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION IN A PLACE WHERE EMPLOYEE NOTICES ARE 17
CUSTOMARILY POSTED OR IN ANOTHER CONSPICUOUS PLACE ACCESSIBLE BY ALL 18
EMPLOYEES OF THE EMPLOYER; AND 19
(II) PROVIDING THE NOTICE DEVELOPED UNDER PARA GRAPH 20
(2) OF THIS PARAGRAPH TO EACH NEW EMPLOYEE ON HIRING. 21
(2) (I) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DEVELOP AND MAKE 22
AVAILABLE TO EMPLOYERS A POSTER AND MODEL NOTICE THAT SUMMARIZES THE 23
RIGHTS ESTABLISHED U NDER THIS SECTION , INCLUDING HOW TO FIL E A 24
COMPLAINT WITH THE COMMISSIONER. 25
(II) THE POSTER AND MODEL NOTICE DEVELOPED UND ER 26
SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PAR AGRAPH SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH 27
AND ANY OTHER LANGUAGES COMMONLY USED BY EMPLOYEES IN THE STATE. 28
6 HOUSE BILL 45
(3) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CO NSIDER F AILURE TO COMPLY 1
WITH THE NOTICE REQU IREMENT ESTABLISHED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 2
SUBSECTION AN AGGRAVATING FACTOR WHEN AWARDING RELIEF UNDER 3
SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION. 4
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Commissioner of Labor 5
and Industry shall develop and make available the poster and model notice required under 6
§ 3–718(f)(2) of the Labor and Employment Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, on 7
or before November 1, 2026. 8
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 9
October 1, 2026. 10
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.