All Roll Calls
Yes: 176 • No: 0
MarylandSB 02162026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET
Unemployment Insurance - Confidentiality of Information
Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable
Signed by Governor
Unemployment InsuranceAddressesAdministrative AgenciesAppeals -see also- Judicial ReviewClaimsCybersecurityData -see also- Census; DemographicsDisclosureEducation -see also- ContEd; DrvEd; HigherEd; etc.EthicsFederal GovernmentHearingsHigher Education -see also- Comm Colleges; Med Schools; etc.Insurance -see also- Health Ins; MAIF; Motor Vehicle InsJob Training -see also- Continuing Ed; Vocational RehabLabor, Department ofPenalties and Sentences -see also- Death PenaltyPersonal Identifying InformationPrivacyPublic InformationPublic Officials -see also- Atty Gen; Compt; Coun Admin; etcRecords -see also- Land Records; Vital RecordsRules and RegulationsSalaries and Compensation -see also- Overtime; Reimb. RatesSignaturesStandards and Best PracticesStorageSubpoenasUnemploymentWork, Labor, and Employment -see also- JobTrn; Leave; etc.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 4 mixed.
When your unemployment records can be shared
Starting October 1, 2026, if you are in an unemployment hearing, the Department and appeals bodies must give you and the employer the records needed to present the case. The Secretary may also let people see their own data, share redacted appeal decisions, and give information to attorneys, authorized representatives, or elected officials doing constituent work with proof of your OK. Ongoing third‑party access needs a clear, written consent that lists the data, purpose, and all recipients. The Secretary may also share data when a government official with legal subpoena power asks; subpoenas issued by a court clerk for a private case do not qualify.
Stronger privacy rules for unemployment records
Beginning October 1, 2026, unemployment insurance records that name or can identify a person or employer are confidential. The law defines “claim information,” including whether benefits were applied for or paid, benefit amounts, a current or recent home address, and job‑refusal details needed for child support checks. The Department keeps these records private and follows federal rules, including 20 C.F.R. Part 603. The rules do not block sharing needed to run the unemployment program, or public data, or data collected only for federal labor statistics.
Tougher rules and penalties for unemployment data
Starting October 1, 2026, anyone who gets confidential unemployment insurance data under a permitted disclosure must use it only for the stated purpose under a written agreement. They must keep it secure, limit access to trained staff, allow audits, and destroy the data when done. They may not re‑share it except in a few cases allowed by federal rules, such as to the person named, their lawyer, or in certain official proceedings. Illegally sharing or misusing the data is a misdemeanor, with up to a $1,000 fine, up to one year in jail, or both. Some violations can be charged for each day they continue.
Counties get limited data on unemployment claimants
Starting October 1, 2026, the Department must give a county’s chief elected official, on request, limited data on unemployment insurance recipients who live in that county. The data can include demographics, addresses, occupations, and last known employers. The chief may share it with the county governing body or request and pass it to a political subdivision. All requests and sharing must follow federal law, including 20 C.F.R. Part 603, and the uses allowed by a 2021 state law.
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Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
There is no primary sponsor on record.
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/2/2026
Third Reading Passed
Yes: 132 • No: 0 • Other: 8
Senate vote • 2/12/2026
Third Reading Passed
Yes: 44 • No: 0 • Other: 2
Actions Timeline
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 130
4/14/2026Returned Passed
4/3/2026SenateThird Reading Passed (132-0)
4/2/2026HouseFavorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
4/1/2026HouseFavorable Report by Economic Matters
4/1/2026HouseReferred Economic Matters
2/13/2026HouseThird Reading Passed (44-0)
2/12/2026SenateSecond Reading Passed
2/10/2026SenateFavorable Adopted
2/10/2026SenateFavorable Report by Finance
2/9/2026SenateHearing 1/28 at 2:00 p.m.
1/19/2026SenateFirst Reading Finance
1/14/2026SenatePre-filed
9/16/2025Senate
Bill Text
Enacted
4/14/2026
Third Reading
2/10/2026
First Reading
1/14/2026
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