Advocacy

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2026 MD Legislative Session Final Report

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The Maryland Asphalt Association’s 2026 Legislative Session Final Report, prepared by Evans  & Associates, highlights a busy and impactful 90-day session in Annapolis, with more than 2,600 bills introduced and over 850 enacted.

MAA actively engaged on 54 bills, securing several key wins—including increased transportation bond capacity and expanded safety corridor enforcement—while successfully opposing numerous measures that could have negatively affected the industry.

The FY2027 state budget reinforces a strong infrastructure pipeline, with $22.1B allocated in the six-year transportation program and continued investment in highways, bridges, and major projects like the Key Bridge rebuild. However, uncertainty around federal funding presents a potential risk moving forward.

Here is the status of the most concerning legislation we mentioned in the Week of April 6 Update:

  1. HB 437/SB 59 – Transportation – Major Highway Capacity Expansion Projects and Impact Assessments (Transportation and Climate Alignment Act of 2026) – FAILED (MAA Opposed)
    HB437/SB 59 would have required the Department of Transportation to take various actions, including conducting impact assessments and/or evaluations of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and vehicle miles traveled associated with major highway expansion capacity projects and major capital projects, implementing multimodal transportation programs to offset GHG emissions associated with major highway expansion capacity projects, and undertaking other offsetting activities for major capital projects. The bill was amended in the Senate to review the Consolidated Transportation Program as a whole, rather than project by project.
  2. HB 230/SB 62 – Transportation – Consolidated Transportation Program – Prioritization (Transportation Investment Priorities Act of 2026) – FAILED (MAA Opposed)
    HB 230/SB 62 would have altered the required elements of the Consolidated Transportation Program by establishing a project-based scoring system for major surface transportation projects. The bill required the Department of Transportation to evaluate, score, and publish projects based on criteria such as emissions reductions, land-use alignment, and mitigation measures, and limited inclusion in the program to projects that had been scored under this framework. It also modified the structure and responsibilities of the Maryland Transportation Commission.
  3. SB 881 – Financial Institutions and Activities – Licensing Requirements and Regulation of Commercial Financing – FAILED (MAA Opposed)
    This bill would have regulated commercial financing transactions by requiring certain disclosures, calculations of annual percentage rates, terms of repayments, etc.
  4. HB 587 – Procurement – Department of Transportation and Maryland Transportation Authority Contracts – Board of Public Works Contract Authority – PASSED, BUT AMMENDED (MAA Opposed)
    House Bill 587, as originally drafted, would have authorized the Board of Public Works approval over new contracts within the Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transportation Authority for roads, bridges, and highways valued at $500,000, a threshold later amended in committee to $5M, and contract modifications over $1M. However, the Senate heavily amended the bill, striking it in its entirety and amending it into a workgroup that includes representation from the transportation construction and materials industry. The workgroup is tasked with studying the existing approval authority for capital expenditures and make recommendations. It will convene beginning June 1, 2026, operate through June 30, 2027, and submit preliminary findings to the Governor on or before December 1, 2027.
  5. HB 299/SSB 60 – Fraud Prevention, Prevailing Wage, and Living Wage – Prohibitions, Penalties, and Enforcement – FAILED (MAA Opposed)
    This bill would have imposed joint and several liability on general contractors for the labor practices of all subcontractors, regardless of a direct relationship, among other changes. MAA requested that the liability portion be removed from the bill. The Senate made several changes to the bill to soften the liability to general contractors, including indemnification.
READ THE FULL REPORT

Overall, the session delivered meaningful progress while underscoring the importance of our industry’s continued advocacy heading into 2027.