ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Maryland General Assembly of 2026 has officially begun, marking the start of Maryland’s legislative process for the year. But what does this mean, and how will locals know when they’re going to be affected by new laws and updates?
The General Assembly of 2026 is from Jan. 14 through April 13. Maryland’s legislature has both a Senate and a House of Delegates, which work together to pass laws and the state budget for the year.
The General Assembly meets once a year to align with historic agricultural seasons. Today, this means that most members of the legislature can hold a job outside of their role in government. It also means this is a whirlwind few months that might make following the General Assembly confusing and overwhelming if you don’t know how to look.
We’ve put together a list of tips on how to follow the General Assembly the next few months and how to narrow down the issues and bills that could affect you or your family.
Getting Information
The Maryland General Assembly website is the best tool for following legislation. On the homepage, you can find summaries and lists of all the bills that have been introduced, so if you want a full view of everything and its current status, this is the best place to start.
You’ll also be able to view the daily agenda and the bills being proposed or discussed in each chamber, as well as committee meetings.
Another way to find specific information is by using the tabs on top, which are sorted by category. So, you can look up general information by the committee or by what actions have been taken on a bill. You can also get general information about voting districts, the current redistricting effort, the budget, or find your representatives.
Track a Specific Bill
There are two ways to check specific bills on the website. You can click on the Legislation tab to view an index of all bills filed. Then, you can filter your search by the name of the bill or the keywords.
Another option is to go directly to the Legislation Search tool, which offers a more comprehensive search option. This way, you’ll be able to search by bill name, sponsor, file code, subject, statute affected or committees. This is a helpful search tool if you only have some of the information and need to quickly find a specific bill.
Remember when you search that all bills start with either HB (House Bill) or SB (Senate Bill).
Once you find a bill, you’ll be able to track its progress through the entire legislative process, as it goes through readings, committees, and both chambers before making its way to the governor’s desk.
As you can expect, many bills do not make it fully through this process, and you’re not likely to get any kind of updates about failed bills unless you look — or closely follow the representative who proposed it.
Search By County
Southern Marylanders may want to utilize the option that allows you to narrow things down by county. On the homepage, you can use the “Laws” tab to drop down and see Counties and Municipalities.
Once you’re on this page, you can sort by county and select specific codes to look up the related laws. They’re sorted by date adopted rather than the bill name, and you can’t search through other means like you can with the bill tracker tool. However, this can be a useful tool to see if anything recent has passed in your county or town at the state level.
Watch Meetings Online
Live meetings and sessions are posted on the homepage and are available on YouTube. You can use these links for the House and the Senate, and check their schedule online to make sure you don’t miss anything important on the bills you’re following.
And finally, there’s the option to follow your reps and other officials on social media for updates on bills that have passed and become law.
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