# Maryland HB 0273: Health Insurance – Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Enrollment – Effective Dates Maryland HB 0273, Health Insurance – Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Enrollment – Effective Dates, is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2026-04-14 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 137); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-11). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0273-2026RS - As of: 2026-10-11 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maryland HB 0273 - State: Maryland - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Health Insurance – Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Enrollment – Effective Dates - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-09-16 - Last action: 2026-04-14, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 137 - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Health - Insurance, Health -see also- COVID19; EnvHlth; MedCon; etc., Health Insurance -see also- ACA; HMOs; MCOs, Small Business, Time - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (180 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Court-ordered dependents covered on order date: benefit, medium. Beginning October 1, 2026, when you add a dependent because of a child support order or other court order, coverage starts on the order’s effective date. For plans sold on the state’s small-business exchange (SHOP), if the exchange allows it and you choose it, coverage can instead start the first d… - Pregnancy triggers special enrollment in small-business plans: benefit, medium. Beginning October 1, 2026, all small-employer health plans offer a special enrollment when pregnancy is confirmed by a health care practitioner. An eligible employee who becomes pregnant can enroll. An eligible employee’s spouse or dependent who becomes pregnant can enroll if otherwise eligible for… - Small-business plans: start dates after death or divorce: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, if the state’s small-business exchange (SHOP) allows this special enrollment, you can enroll after a death or after a divorce or legal separation. After a death, coverage starts the first day of the month after you pick a plan. If the exchange uses receipt-based dates, co… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - (none) ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-06 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 46 | 0 | | | 2026-02-12 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 134 | 0 | 1 | ## Actions (13) - 2026-04-14: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 137 - 2026-04-07: Returned Passed (House) - 2026-04-06: Third Reading Passed (46-0) (Senate) - 2026-03-31: Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed (Senate) - 2026-03-30: Favorable Report by Finance (Senate) - 2026-02-13: Referred Finance (Senate) - 2026-02-12: Third Reading Passed (134-0) (House) - 2026-02-10: Second Reading Passed (House) - 2026-02-10: Favorable Adopted (House) - 2026-02-09: Favorable Report by Health (House) - 2026-01-20: Hearing 1/29 at 2:00 p.m. (House) - 2026-01-14: First Reading Health (House) - 2025-09-16: Pre-filed (House) ## Bill text - Enacted, 2026-04-14: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_137_hb0273t.pdf) - Third Reading, 2026-02-10: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0273t.pdf) - First Reading, 2026-01-14: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0273f.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 0496: Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Coverage for the Treatment of Obesity - Authorization (became law) - SB 0366: Motor Vehicles - Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program - Establishment (became law) - SB 0244: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program (became law) - SB 0148: Income Tax - Credit for 9-1-1 Specialist Retirement Income (Supporting Our 9-1-1 Specialists Act) (became law) - SB 0016: Child Support - Earnings Withholdings Limits (became law) - HB 0529: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program (became law) ## Sources - [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_137_hb0273t.pdf) - [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0273t.pdf) - [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0273f.pdf) ## Related - [SB 0496: Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Coverage for the Treatment of Obesity - A…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0496-2026RS) - [SB 0366: Motor Vehicles - Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program - Establishm…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0366-2026RS) - [SB 0244: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0244-2026RS) - [SB 0148: Income Tax - Credit for 9-1-1 Specialist Retirement Income (Supporting Our 9-1-…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0148-2026RS) - [SB 0016: Child Support - Earnings Withholdings Limits](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0016-2026RS) - [HB 0529: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0529-2026RS) - [Maryland bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland/bills) - [Maryland state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0273-2026RS (as of 2026-10-11).