What to Expect from Delaware & Maryland Legislative Sessions

The 2026 Legislative sessions get underway this week in Delaware and Maryland. Here's a look at what to expect.

DELAWARE
Legislators return to Dover today, for the second half of the 153rd General Assembly. Affordability is expected to be the top priority, following a series of special sessions addressing rising property tax bills, efforts to protect corporate tax revenue from federal tax code changes, and multiple hearings on statewide property reassessments.

A number of bills have already been pre-filed, and the Association is closely monitoring legislation with potential implications for credit unions, including:

SB 89: An Act to Amend Title 6 of the Delaware Code Relating to Credit Card Transactions
This bill would prohibit sellers that regularly accept credit cards from imposing a surcharge greater than the actual processing fee for transactions of $1,500 or less. It would also prohibit sellers from refusing credit card payments or imposing any credit card surcharge on transactions exceeding $1,500.

MARYLAND
The Maryland General Assembly reconvenes Wednesday in Annapolis for its 90-day legislative session, with the state facing significant fiscal and economic challenges. The focus this year will be on strengthening the state's economy while closing a projected $1.5 billion budget gap and responding to the loss of nearly 25,000 federal government jobs, more than any other state.

New House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk has indicated lawmakers will be looking for areas to reduce spending. Governor Wes Moore has outlined a strategy to grow Maryland's economy by investing in industries such as technology and aerospace and reducing the state's reliance on the federal government.

Meanwhile, the Association's Advocacy Team is reviewing more than 500 pre-filed bills to identify proposals that could impact credit unions and their members. Below are several of the bills we are actively tracking:

HB 259 - Maryland Community Investment Venture Fund and Regulation of Entities - Revisions
The bill expands funding eligibility to include consumer-focused financial technology solutions, rather than limiting support to small-business initiatives. By allowing assistance through investments, grants, and other forms of financial support, the legislation could make it more affordable for state-chartered credit unions to adopt advanced lending technologies that serve low- and moderate-income communities, where implementation costs can be significant.
The proposal also establishes Maryland Opportunity Accounts, certified low-cost accounts that would offer free deposits, withdrawals, and bill pay, with no overdraft or non-sufficient fund fees.

HB 191 - Retail Transactions - Cash Payments
This bill would prohibit merchants from refusing cash payments, requiring customers to use only credit or debit cards, or charging fees for cash purchases.

HB 69 - Exemptions from Overtime Pay - Administrative, Executive or Professional Capacity
The bill tightens Maryland's exemptions from overtime, so some employees who are currently treated as exempt in executive or administrative roles may no longer qualify and would become entitled to overtime pay under this bill. The bill establishes Maryland salary thresholds for these exemptions that must be at least as high as, and potentially higher than, the federal threshold.

If you have any questions or would like more details, please reach out to our VP of Advocacy, Rory Murray at [email protected]