The segments below provide a brief overview of MACo’s work on health and human services policy during the 2026 General Assembly session. 
Each county in Maryland has a local health department that plays a role in providing essential public health services to residents. Local governments deliver frontline care through local health departments and administer critical programs for children, families, and vulnerable populations. As such, MACo works to strengthen these local health and human services systems, support behavioral health and opioid response efforts, and ensure counties have the tools needed to meet growing service demands.
Maryland’s 448th legislative session convened amid a substantial concern over the State’s fiscal situation, with weakened revenues and cost increases for many services at every level of government. Despite fiscal pressures, health and human services policy remained a top priority, shaped by ongoing public health challenges, workforce shortages, and increasing demand for services. MACo’s legislative committee guided the association’s positions on hundreds of bills, yielding many productive compromises and gains spanning counties’ uniquely wide portfolio.
The General Assembly considered a variety of legislation from behavioral health and substance use initiatives to child welfare and public health infrastructure. MACo is engaged to promote sustainable, coordinated solutions that recognize the central role of counties in service delivery.
Follow these links for more coverage on our Conduit Street blog and Legislative Database.
MACo supported HB 680/SB 668 – Children’s Cabinet Fund – Renaming and Funding for Grants to Local Management Boards. This bill will strengthen Maryland’s commitment to children and families by renaming the Children’s Cabinet Fund and establishing a dedicated, increasing funding stream for grants to Local Management Boards (LMBs), which bring together schools, nonprofits, service providers, and county leaders to identify community needs and strategically deploy resources. This bill DID pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo supported HB 307/SB 217 – Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund – Alterations with amendments. This bill would have modified the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF) by expanding the requirements for county plans. County amendments focused on preserving local flexibility and providing clearer guidance to better support the effective, timely, and equitable use of these funds. This bill DID NOT pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
As amended, MACo submitted a letter of information on HB 272 – Food Establishments – Lavatory Requirement and On-Farm Food Service Facility License. This bill would provide additional flexibility for food establishments by modifying lavatory requirements, capping the on-farm food service facility licensing fee at $100, and directing the State to collaborate to adopt regulations governing on-farm food service facility licenses. Amendments addressed original concerns and ensured the bill remains focused on its intended public health and safety objectives, and can be implemented effectively without unintended consequences on local governments. This bill DID pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo opposed HB 1568 – Local Government – Animal Control – Dogs At Large (Dog Leash Laws). This bill would have required local governments to adopt a law prohibiting dogs from being “at large” despite the dog’s location on or off of an owner’s personal property and to establish corresponding impoundment and penalty protocols. This would have imposed a redundant state mandate as all jurisdictions already have such laws and required counties to revise existing local codes and enforcement practices. This bill DID NOT pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo opposed HB 912/SB 750 – Local Government – Trap-Neuter-Return Policies for Community Cats – Requirements and Restrictions (Ash’s Law). This bill would have broadly preempted local authority by prohibiting caregiver registration requirements and superseding local ordinances that regulate or structure Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) practices. Counties warned that a statewide mandate would disrupt established programs and remove key accountability measures. Throughout the session, MACo engaged in good-faith discussions with the bill sponsor and a range of stakeholders, seeking a collaborative path forward that could address shared goals while preserving effective local programs. While those conversations were constructive, stakeholders were ultimately unable to reach consensus on several key provisions of the bill. This bill DID NOT pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo supported HB 1012 – Public Health – Local Suicide Fatality Review Teams – Authorization. This bill will authorize local governments to establish suicide fatality review teams to examine suicide deaths at the local level and develop recommendations aimed at prevention. This will offer a structured, evidence-informed path toward stronger coordination and more effective prevention efforts statewide. This bill DID pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo supported HB 1109/SB 790 – Public Health Reform Act with amendments. From granting greater hiring flexibility to establishing a Public Health Workforce Development Fund and improving coordination on electronic health record systems, this bill will continue efforts to strengthen Maryland’s public health infrastructure. MACo amendments worked to reinforce collaborative partnership to ensure that local health departments have a clearly defined role in implementation updates. This bill DID pass the 2026 session.
Bill Information | MACo Coverage
