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*sb0445*
SENATE BILL 445
K3 6lr1954
SB 124/25 – FIN CF HB 532
By: Senator Kramer
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 1, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Employment Standards – Firefighters – Payment of Wages and Payroll 2
Information 3
FOR the purpose of requiring governmental units that employ firefighters to compute 4
overtime pay in a certain manner; requiring counties and municipalities to provide 5
certain payroll information to each firefighter employed by the county or 6
municipality; authorizing a firefighter or the firefighter’s exclusive representative to 7
initiate a certain grievance if a county or municipality does not provide the payroll 8
information as required or wages due; and generally relating to wages and payroll 9
information for firefighters. 10
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Labor and Employment 12
Section 3–420 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2025 Replacement Volume) 15
BY adding to 16
Article – Local Government 17
Section 1–210 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2013 Volume and 2025 Supplement) 20
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22
2 SENATE BILL 445
Article – Labor and Employment 1
3–420. 2
(A) IN THIS SECTION , “EMPLOYER” INCLUDES A GOVERNMEN TAL UNIT 3
THAT EMPLOYS A FIREFIGHTER. 4
[(a)] (B) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an employer shall compute 5
the wage for overtime under § 3–415 of this subtitle on the basis of each hour over 40 hours 6
that an employee works during 1 workweek. 7
[(b)] (C) Notwithstanding § 3–415(b)(2) of this subtitle, an emplo yer that is not 8
a nonprofit organization and is a concert promoter, legitimate theater, music festival, music 9
pavilion, or theatrical show shall pay overtime for a craft or trade employee as required in 10
subsection [(a)] (B) of this section. 11
[(c)] (D) The wage for overtime may be computed on the basis of each hour over 12
60 hours that an employee works during 1 workweek for an employee who: 13
(1) is engaged in agriculture; and 14
(2) is exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Act. 15
[(d)] (E) The wage for overtime may be computed on the basis of each hour over 16
48 hours that an employee works during 1 workweek: 17
(1) for an employee of a bowling establishment; and 18
(2) for an employee of an institution that: 19
(i) is not a hospital; but 20
(ii) is engaged primarily in the care of individuals who: 21
1. are aged, intellectually disabled, or sick or have a mental 22
disorder; and 23
2. reside at the institution. 24
(F) (1) THE WAGE FOR OVERTIME FOR A FIREFIGHTER EM PLOYED BY A 25
GOVERNMENTAL UNIT SHALL BE COMPUTED ON THE BASIS OF EACH HOUR OVER 168 26
HOURS THAT THE FIREFIGHTER WORKS DURING A 28–DAY WORK PERIOD. 27
(2) IN CALCULATING HOURS WORKED UNDER PARAGRA PH (1) OF 28
THIS SUBSECTION, THE EMPLOYER: 29
SENATE BILL 445 3
(I) SHALL INCLUDE ALL REGULARLY SCHEDULED HOURS; AND 1
(II) IF THE FIREFIGHTER U SED EARNED OR ACCRUE D LEAVE 2
DURING ALL OR PART O F THE REGULARLY SCHE DULED HOURS , MAY NOT BE 3
REQUIRED TO INCLUDE EARNED OR ACCRUED LEAVE IN EXCESS OF 42 HOURS PER 4
WEEK. 5
(3) A GOVERNMENTAL UNIT MA Y NOT BE DETERMINED TO H AVE 6
VIOLATED THIS SECTION IF THE GOVERNMENTAL UNIT: 7
(I) PAYS OVERTIME WAGES USING AN AVERAGE OF: 8
1. NOT MORE THAN 42 HOURS PER WEEK; AND 9
2. A WORK PERIOD OF BETWEEN 7 AND 28 DAYS; OR 10
(II) IS A PARTY TO A FIRE FIGHTER COLLECTIVE B ARGAINING 11
AGREEMENT THAT DEFINES A SHIFT AS 42 HOURS PER WEEK. 12
Article – Local Government 13
1–210. 14
(A) EACH COUNTY AND MUNIC IPALITY SHALL PROVID E FOR EACH 15
FIREFIGHTER EMPLOYED BY THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY: 16
(1) AT THE TIME OF HIRING AND AT THE TIME OF ANY CHANGE OF THE 17
FIREFIGHTER’S RATE OF PAY, NOTICE OF: 18
(I) THE FIREFIGHTER’S RATE OF PAY; 19
(II) THE REGULAR PAY PERIODS; AND 20
(III) THE FIREFIGHTER’S OVERTIME RATE OF PAY; AND 21
(2) FOR EACH PAY PERIOD , A STATEMENT OF THE H OURS WORKED, 22
GROSS EARNINGS, AND ANY DEDUCTIONS FROM THE GROSS EARNINGS. 23
(B) IF A COUNTY OR MUNICI PALITY DOES NOT PROV IDE PAYROLL 24
INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION OR WAGES 25
DUE, THE FIREFIGHTER OR THE FIREFIGHTER’S EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE MAY 26
INITIATE A GRIEVANCE UNDER THE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE ESTABLISHED UNDER 27
ANY APPLICABLE GRIEV ANCE PROCEDURE OR CO LLECTIVE BARGAINING 28
AGREEMENT. 29
4 SENATE BILL 445
(C) (1) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPHS (2) AND (3) OF THIS SUBSECTION, IF A 1
GRIEVANCE IS INITIATED UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION, A FIREFIGHTER 2
IS ENTITLED TO WAGES AND DAMAGES UNLESS THE WAGE IS WITHHELD AS A RESULT 3
OF A BONA FIDE DISPUTE. 4
(2) IF THE GRIEVANCE WAS FILED: 5
(I) IN THE FIRST 3 BUSINESS DAYS OF A P AY PERIOD , THE 6
DAMAGES SHALL START IN THE FOLLOWING REGULAR PAY PERIOD; OR 7
(II) AFTER THE THIRD BUSI NESS DAY OF A PAY PE RIOD, THE 8
DAMAGES SHALL START IN THE SECOND REGULAR PAY PERIOD FOLLOWING THE PAY 9
PERIOD IN WHICH THE FIREFIGHTER WAS NOT PAID THE FIREFIGHTER ’S FULL 10
WAGE. 11
(3) THE DAMAGES UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION: 12
(I) MAY NOT BEGIN UNTIL AT LEAST ONE REGULAR PAY PERIOD 13
HAS ELAPSED SINCE TH E FIREFIGHTER WAS NO T PAID THE FIREFIGHT ER’S FULL 14
WAGE DUE FOR A PAY PERIOD; 15
(II) SHALL INCREASE PER PAY PERIOD BY 30% OF: 16
1. THE WAGE THAT THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPALI TY 17
FAILED TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION FOR AS REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) 18
OF THIS SECTION; OR 19
2. THE WAGE THAT THE CO UNTY OR MUNICIPALITY 20
FAILED TO PAY; 21
(III) SHALL CONTINUE UNTIL THE PAY PERIOD WHEN THE 22
COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY PROVIDES THE MISSING WAGES AND DAMAGES TO THE 23
FIREFIGHTER; AND 24
(IV) MAY NOT EXCEED THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF: 25
1. THE WAGE DUE FOR A P AY PERIOD FOR WHICH THE 26
COUNTY OR MUNICIPALI TY FAILED TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION AS R EQUIRED 27
UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION; OR 28
2. THE MISSING WAGES. 29
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall be construed to 30
apply only prospectively and may not be applied or interpreted to have any effect on or 31
SENATE BILL 445 5
application to any collective bargaining agreements in effect before the effective date of this 1
Act. 2
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 3
October 1, 2026 2028. 4
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.