This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Sponsor
Delegate Pruski
Last action
2026-03-23
Official status
In the Senate - Special Order until later today (Senator Zucker) Adopted
Effective date
2026-07-01
Plain English Breakdown
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
Legal Tender - Specie - Establishment
Authorizing certain persons to use specie for the payment of certain debts, taxes, fees, or other obligations; and prohibiting a person from being required to accept specie as payment.
What This Bill Does
Authorizing certain persons to use specie for the payment of certain debts, taxes, fees, or other obligations; and prohibiting a person from being required to accept specie as payment.
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.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 1312
(Third Reading File Bill)
AMENDMENT NO.
AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 1312
(Third Reading File Bill)
AMENDMENT NO.
1
On page 1, after line 6, insert:
“BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article – Financial Institutions
Section 2–107
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)”.
Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 1312
(Third Reading File Bill)
AMENDMENT NO.
AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL 1312
(Third Reading File Bill)
AMENDMENT NO.
1
On page 1, in line 9, strike “12–1304” and substitute “12–1303”.
AMENDMENT NO.
2
On page 2, strike in their entirety lines 1 2 through 20, inclusive; and in line 21,
strike “12–1303.” and substitute “12–1302.”.
Bill History
2026-04-08Senate
Favorable with Amendments Report by Finance
2026-03-23Senate
Floor Amendment { 863929/1 (Senator West) Adopted
2026-03-23Senate
Motion Special Order until Later Today (Senator Zucker) Adopted
2026-03-22Senate
Favorable with Amendments { 103722/1 Adopted
2026-03-22Senate
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-03-20Senate
Favorable with Amendments { 103722/1
2026-03-20Senate
Motion Special Order until 4/9 (Senator West) Adopted
2026-03-18Senate
Hearing 3/24 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-03-10House
Favorable Report by Economic Matters
2026-02-28House
Third Reading Passed (132-0)
2026-02-28Senate
Referred Finance
2026-02-27House
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
2026-02-18House
Hearing canceled
2026-02-18House
Hearing 3/03 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-17House
Hearing 3/10 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-12House
First Reading Economic Matters
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Legal Tender - Specie - Establishment
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Economic Matters
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Legal Tender - Specie - Establishment
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Finance
Official Summary Text
Authorizing certain persons to use specie for the payment of certain debts, taxes, fees, or other obligations; and prohibiting a person from being required to accept specie as payment.
Current Bill Text
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.
*hb1312*
HOUSE BILL 1312
I1 6lr3105
By: Delegate Pruski
Introduced and read first time: February 12, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 27, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Legal Tender – Specie – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of authorizing certain persons to use specie for the payment of certain 3
debts, taxes, fees, or other obligations; prohibiting a person from being required to 4
accept specie as payment ; and generally relating to establishing specie as legal 5
tender in the State. 6
BY adding to 7
Article – Financial Institutions 8
Section 12–1301 through 12–1304 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 13. Specie 9
as Legal Tender” 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2020 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 – Financial Institutions 15
SUBTITLE 13. SPECIE AS LEGAL TENDER. 16
12–1301. 17
2 HOUSE BILL 1312
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 1
INDICATED. 2
(B) (1) “LEGAL TENDER” MEANS A MEDIUM OF EX CHANGE RECOGNIZED 3
BY THE STATE FOR THE PAYMENT OF DEBTS , TAXES, FEES, AND OTHER 4
OBLIGATIONS. 5
(2) “LEGAL TENDER” INCLUDES SPECIE. 6
(C) “SPECIE” MEANS: 7
(1) GOLD OR SILVER COIN I SSUED BY THE UNITED STATES OR A 8
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT; OR 9
(2) GOLD OR SILVER IN THE FORM OF BARS OR OTHE R PHYSICAL 10
FORM CERTIFIED AS AT LEAST 99% PURE. 11
12–1302. 12
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FINDS THAT: 13
(1) THE USE OF SPECIE AS A MEDIUM OF EXCHA NGE HAS A 14
HISTORICAL BASIS IN FOSTERING ECONOMIC STABILITY; 15
(2) RECOGNIZING SPECIE AS LEGAL TENDER PROM OTES 16
COMPETITION IN THE M ONETARY SYSTEM AND P ROTECTS AGAINST RELIANCE O N 17
FIAT CURRENCY; AND 18
(3) ESTABLISHING MECHANISMS FOR THE USE OF PR ECIOUS METAL 19
IN TRANSACTIONS ENHANCES ECONOMIC RESILIENCE IN THE STATE. 20
12–1303. 21
(A) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION , A PERSON MAY USE 22
SPECIE FOR THE PAYMENT OF: 23
(1) DEBTS BETWEEN PRIVATE PARTIES, IF THE PARTIES MUTUA LLY 24
AGREE TO USE SPECIE; AND 25
(2) TAXES, FEES, OR OTHER OBLIGATIONS OWED TO THE STATE OR A 26
POLITICAL SUBDIVISIO N, IF THE STATE OR POLITICAL SUB DIVISION AGREES TO 27
ACCEPT SPECIE AS PAYMENT. 28
HOUSE BILL 1312 3
(B) A PERSON MAY NOT BE REQUIRED TO ACCEPT SPECIE AS PAYMENT. 1
12–1304. 2
(A) THE COMMISSIONER MAY ADOPT REGULATION S TO CARRY OUT THE 3
PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBTITLE. 4
(B) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2027, AND EACH OCTOBER 1 THEREAFTER, 5
THE COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT TO THE GOVERNOR AND, IN ACCORDANCE WITH 6
§ 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY A 7
REPORT DETAILING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF R ECOGNIZING SPECIE AS LEGAL 8
TENDER IN THE STATE. 9
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 10
1, 2026. 11
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.