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Read. Follow. Verify.Maryland Senate Bill 301 authorizes state agencies to waive professional, vehicle, and recreational license fees for veterans
Last action · March 25, 2026: Hearing 4/01 at 1:00 p.m.Sponsors: Bryan Simonaire and 10 others
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What This Bill Would Do
The General Assembly of Maryland enacted Senate Bill 301 to authorize various state governmental entities, departments, and boards to waive statutory application, license, renewal, and registration fees in whole or in part for veterans, provided that the agencies first adopt formal regulations governing the waiver process. The measure takes effect on October 1, 2026.
Lowers administrative and regulatory costs for military veterans seeking commercial permits, professional licenses, recreational credentials, or vehicle registrations across multiple Maryland state agencies.
- State legislation in Maryland often requires explicit statutory authorization before executive agencies and licensing boards can waive mandatory fees for specific groups. context
- Maryland law defines 'veteran' by referencing federal standards under 38 U.S.C. § 101 within the State Government Article. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Veterans
Veterans may become eligible for full or partial waivers on statutory application, license, and registration fees across various state agencies after regulations are adopted.
State governmental entities and licensing boards
State agencies and boards are authorized to waive specific statutory fees and are required to adopt implementing regulations prior to granting any waivers.
Key Facts
- Senate Bill 301 authorizes various state governmental entities to waive statutory application, certificate, license, renewal, and registration fees in whole or in part for veterans.
- Before any fee waiver can be granted, the respective governmental entity or department must adopt formal regulations providing for the granting of waivers.
- The legislation applies across multiple state domains, including agriculture, business occupations and professions, business regulation, environment, financial institutions, natural resources, public safety, and transportation.
- Affected natural resource fees eligible for waiver for resident veterans include freshwater and tidal fishing guides, angler licenses, trout stamps, commercial tidal fish licenses, hunting licenses, trapping licenses, waterfowl guides, fur dealers, and vessel registrations.
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- Affected vehicle and transportation fees eligible for waiver include annual registration fees for passenger cars, motorcycles, certain trucks, and multipurpose passenger vehicles, as well as vehicle emissions inspection fees.
- Affected public safety fees include explosives manufacturing and dealer licenses, blaster permits, electrical inspector certifications, and private detective or security guard business licenses.
- The Act takes effect on October 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do state agencies have to automatically waive fees for veterans once this bill passes?
Are all fee waivers available to any veteran?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
9 actions- Mar 25, 2026HouseHearing 4/01 at 1:00 p.m.
- Mar 25, 2026HouseReassigned to Environment and Transportation
- Mar 20, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred Rules and Executive Nominations
- Mar 19, 2026SenateFloorThird Reading Passed (45-0)
- Mar 18, 2026SenateFloorSecond Reading Passed with Amendments
- Mar 18, 2026SenateFavorable with Amendments { 823128/1 Adopted
Show 3 earlier actions
- Mar 16, 2026SenateCommitteeFavorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
- Feb 3, 2026SenateHearing 2/12 at 2:00 p.m. (Education, Energy, and the Environment)
- Jan 21, 2026SenateIntroducedFirst Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment and Finance
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 6 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Cross-Agency Fee Waiver Authority
The legislation establishes a uniform statutory pattern across numerous distinct state codes, allowing multiple independent departments to adopt waiver regulations for veterans.
Connected Entities
Sources
mgaleg.maryland.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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