– first published in the May 2026 issue of The Equiery
The 449th Session of the Maryland General Assembly adjourned Monday April 13th at midnight. During the 90 day Session, they considered 2,671 bills.
As always, the hardworking volunteer members of the Horse Council’s Government Relations Committee kept a close eye on the legislative goings on, and advocated tirelessly for the interests of MD’s horses, horse farms, horse people and horse businesses.
Here are some bills that have passed both chambers and been sent to the Governor for signature. Note that, unlike the federal system, there is no “pocket veto” in the Maryland legislative process. Any bills that the Governor does not specifically either sign or veto will become law without his signature. The legislature can also override vetoes in subsequent regular or special sessions. Please note that our description below is a summary for your convenience. Please read the full text of the bill if you think it may affect you. Go to mgaleg.maryland.gov and type in the bill number in the search box in the upper right.
SB 111/HB 212 — Out-of-State License Plates: stiffens penalties for improperly registering vehicles in another state (except trailers that are validly registered in another jurisdiction).
HB 225 — MHIB: extends the life of the MD Horse Industry Board until 2036.
SB 360/HB 563 — Law Enforcement Animals: prohibits a person from harassing, interfering with, injuring, or killing or causing serious physical injury to a dog or horse used by law enforcement or in a search and rescue operation.
SB 37 —Service Animals: alters the language in the service animal program law that allows the disqualification of a participant in a non-profit training program by changing “danger” to a therapy horse’s physical and emotional wellbeing to “direct threat.” The term “direct threat” has a statutory definition in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
SB 54/HB 452 — Veterinarians and Cannabidol: prohibits the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from suspending or revoking a license to practice veterinary medicine in the State, reprimanding or censuring a vet, or placing a vet on probation solely on the basis of the vet discussing or recommending the use of cannabis or a product that contains cannabidiol on an animal for potential therapeutic effect or health supplementation purposes.
HB 1554 — Sales & Use Electricity Tax for Ag Purposes: requires a study and report to the General Assembly by December 15, 2026, on exempting from the sales and use tax any electricity used for agricultural purposes such as raising livestock or poultry, preparing, irrigating, or tending the soil, or planting, maintaining, or transporting seeds or crops; and requiring the report to include an estimate of the fiscal impact of the exemption.
SB 704 — Agricultural Proper & Estate Tax: authorizes, for purposes of determining the Maryland estate tax, certain transfers of ownership of certain agricultural property to a limited liability company; and provides that the agricultural property transferred in accordance with the Act is not subject to estate tax recapture if the ownership of the company consists only of qualified recipients and the property is used for farming purposes for at least 10 years after the decedent’s death.
SB 231/HB 228 —Racehorse Slaughter: imposes criminal penalties on a person who slaughters, or causes to be slaughtered, a racehorse in Maryland for commercial purposes; prohibits a person from purchasing, selling, transferring, offering for sale, importing into the State, or transporting a racehorse if the person knows or reasonably should know that the racehorse will be slaughtered for certain commercial purposes.
The bill defines “racehorse” as a horse bred or intended for racing, or has produced or sired a horse intended for racing; or a horse that: has been recorded on the backstretch, has had an official work, or horse that has raced at a pari-mutuel track.
The bill is not breed specific; it would cover racing Arabians, racing Quarter Horses, and racing Standardbreds.
SB 643/HB 1063 — Sunday Hunting: creates a three year pilot program, starting on July 1, 2027, that transfers authority over Sunday hunting from the state legislature to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR); provides that DNR cannot allow fewer Sunday hunting days than those that existed at the start of the program; allows Sunday hunting on all state public land (except state parks). It also creates a new type of deer management permit for properties of at least 10 acres, where Sunday hunting would be allowed every day year-round except within 150 yards of DNR-designated trails; in some counties that have a 10:30 am cutoff for Sunday hunting, adds a second hunting window from 3:00 pm to sunset; removes the 10:30 am cut off time for Wicomico County Sunday Hunting; and allows Sunday bow hunting of deer in Baltimore City.
SB 879/HB 1324 — Bow Hunting: establishes a 50 yard safety zone for bow hunting of deer near any human-occupied buildings in Baltimore City.
SB 961/HB 175 — Venison Tax Credit: increases the cap on the maximum amount of an income tax credit for donated venison to $600.
SB 861/HB 1071 — SMPs for Agritourism: requires the Department of the Environment to adopt regulations that consider best management practices for stormwater management programs on land used for agritourism, with review by the local soil conservation district. Special provisions for Montgomery County.
HB 359 — Urban Agriculture Definitions: deletes the five acre limit from the definition of “urban agricultural property” and adds “raising livestock” and “agricultural education and agri-tourism” for the purpose of determining eligibility for a property tax credit.
SB 453/HB 911 — Arabian Horse Racing: authorizes Arabian horse racing at Laurel Park. It is currently authorized at Pimlico. This would allow these races to take place at Laurel while Pimlico is closed for reconstruction.
SB 762/HB 1598 — Capital Grants for Standardbred Tracks: authorizes, rather than requires, Rosecroft and Ocean Downs race tracks to receive a grant for a capital construction plan from the Racetrack Facility Renewal Account without providing and expending a matching fund; requires tracks that receives the grant without providing and expending a matching fund to conduct live racing days in the State for at least 10 years; and requires the State Racing Commission to recapture certain grant funds under certain circumstances and in a certain manner.
WITHDRAWN
SB 565/HB 1215 — Shamrock Farm: would have prohibited the state from selling Shamrock Farm in Woodbine, (which the state purchased for $4.5 million to use as the Thoroughbred Training Center, only to discover problems with the property that make it unusable for that purpose), unless the sale is to Carroll County and must be for at least the original purchase price.
Some bills of note that did not pass this year (they could be back next year).
HB 1502 — Consumer Fireworks: would have authorized the sale of “consumer fireworks,” which are currently prohibited in Maryland, but would have prohibited use within 150 feet of a barn or pasture; and required 72 hours notice to owner of a barn or pasture within 150 to 300 feet.
HB 887 — Purse Money for Fair Hill Races: would have altered, for 2027 through 2029, the distribution of proceeds from slots by requiring $200,000 of local impact grants distributed to Cecil County to be used for purses offered for certain races held at the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area.
HB 186 — Deer & Turkey Hunting: would have allowed statewide bowhunting of deer and turkey.
HB 122 — Grants to Non-Profits: would have prohibited the state from providing grants, etc., to non-profits that are not in good standing or that are not up-to-date on their tax returns, or to non-profits that don’t have a charter on file with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation.
SB 630/HB 1244 — Damages from Eminent Domain: would have authorized the owner of residential property to bring an action for damages, including attorney’s fees, incurred as a result of the value of the property being diminished by the use of eminent domain to take property and construct an overhead transmission line within 300 feet of the property owner’s residence.
HB 1024 — Eminent Domain Prohibition: would have prohibited the State or any of its political subdivisions from taking property under eminent domain or otherwise, that is subject to a perpetual agricultural or conservation easement.
SB 435/HB 417 —Veterinary Tranquilizers: would have made Medetomidine and Xylazine Schedule III controlled and dangerous substances. These are veterinary tranquilizers that have become street drugs. Similar federal legislation is moving through Congress.
SB 69/HB 147 — Charity Navigator Sunset: would have repealed the sunset provision in the law enacted last year that created a “Charity Navigator” to help non-profits navigate state grant programs, etc.
Horses in the FY27 Budget
It is the law in Maryland that the General Assembly must pass a balanced budget every year. This year, that balanced budget included several tidbits for horse people, including the following legislative bond grants to fund capital projects for non-profits:
- Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue Society received a grant for $200,000 for work on its Center for Connection;
- Maryland Therapeutic Riding received a grant for $115,000 to replace its septic system;
- The Land Preservation Trust received $250,000 to pave an access road for Shawan Downs steeplechase meets; and
- Waredaca Eventing Education Foundation received a grant for $45,000 for a climate mitigation project.
In addition, the FY27 retains the $10 million line item for the Maryland Sports & Entertainment Fund. This is the fund that has been used in part to support the Fair Hill Special Event Zone — where the Maryland 5 Star and the Young Event Horse Championships are held — as well as the steeplechase course — which will hold a Memorial Day meet this year. The budget analyst had recommended cutting the fund significantly, but the Governor and the General Assembly disagreed and kept the fund at $10 million.
And finally, the Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park received $1.2 million out of the capital budget’s miscellaneous grant funds to repair, replace, and reconstruct the Whiting Property, which the organization has announced will include equestrian uses.