Understanding How Maryland Laws Are Made

How a bill becomes a Maryland law.

Who sponsors the laws?

• Sponsors are the representatives who signed on to the bill and promoted it during the General Assembly session during which the bill was considered. Sponsors will be listed at the top of each bill.

If a bill originated in the House, the number will start with “HB”. If it originated in the Senate the number will start with “SB”.

• Representatives- the members who represent you in the General Assembly are listed by county.

• Senate

• House of Delegates

What is “legislative history”? Legislative history is the record of what happened behind the scenes during the making of a law. It includes the:

• different drafts of the law before the final version;

• floor debates;

• history (who proposed amendments and what happened);

• testimony from any hearings.

How do I find the legislative history of a bill?

• Start with the on-line version of the original bill. The General Assembly web page describes each bill and lists a variety of attached documents including the amendments to the bill. You can see what was proposed, what was rejected, and what was adopted.

• “The 90 Day Report” is an easy-to-understand overview of the major issues for each year’s legislative session.

Not all bills are included. For example, of the 3 traffic-related issues of interest to youth under age 18 that were passed in the 2006 Legislative Session, only one was included in that year’s 90 Day Report.

• Driving while high – SB228 and HB 310 – look in section G  (pdf) of The 90 Day Report for 2006.

For More Information on the Making of Maryland Law

• A guide from the State Law library

• A few more tips from the University of Maryland School of Law

• In addition, there is a special nonpartisan Maryland Department of Legislative Services that researches issues and supports the General Assembly’s efforts to develop bills.