With the close of the 2025 legislative session adjourned for the year, Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, vetoed 23 bills, allowing hundreds to gradually go into effect over the remaining course of the year.
Sunday marks the first batch of bills — 83, to be exact — to become law. Here is a look at that legislation.
Child Victims Act caps
At the start of the 2025 legislative session, fiscal analysts warned lawmakers that settlement payments could total over $3 billion for the state, which was already facing a $3 billion structural deficit. Following an influx of cases filed under the 2023 Child Victims Act, a limit to the amount that claimants can be paid out in case settlements will go into effect on Sunday.
Under the new law, caps on payments for settlements for survivors of abuse from public agencies would be lowered from $890,000 to $400,000. Payouts from private institutions would drop from $1.15 million to $700,000.
The adjusted payment caps would only apply to lawsuits that were previously unable to be filed because of the now-stricken statute of limitations. Only one suit can be filed per claimant, regardless of how many individual instances of abuse occurred.
Crushing the new state cocktail
Effective June 1, Maryland’s official state cocktail will be the orange crush.
The orange crush — a summertime staple composed of fresh-squeezed orange juice, vodka, triple sec and a splash of Sprite or club soda — was first created at the Harborside Bar & Grill in West Ocean City in 1995.
Delaware named the orange crush its state cocktail last year, leading to a playful social media battle among governors over which state produces the best crushes.
The legislation also designates chromite as the state mineral.
Rider bans
Starting Sunday, people alleged of assaulting a Maryland Transit Authority (MTA) public transit operator will be banned from riding — at least until the MTA adopts a rider code of conduct.
Under Senate Bill 858, the MTA is to convene a work group to establish a rider code of conduct and implement a comprehensive internal safety program to increase protections for riders and transit operators, including ban procedures for assault, the possibility for legal action and an appeals process.
As the work group meets to establish new policies, those alleged of assaulting transit operators will not be able to ride.
Delayed FMLA
Legislation will go into effect June 1 to shift the implementation of Maryland’s Family Medical Leave and Insurance program from July 1, 2025, to Jan. 1, 2027.
This is not the program’s first delay.
The Maryland General Assembly initially passed the Family Medical Leave and Insurance program in 2022, but its implementation was put on hold as the program’s setup faced hiccups.
Under the new law, the start date for employees, employers and self-employed people to begin submitting payroll contributions.
Following the start of contributions, the Maryland Department of Labor Secretary will announce a date between Jan. 1, 2027, and Jan. 3, 2028, to allow employees to begin receiving up to 12 weeks of benefit payments.
Have a news tip? Contact Hannah Gaskill at hgaskill@baltsun.com.
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