# Maryland HB 0691: Tax Relief and State Personnel Equality for Service Members Act Maryland HB 0691, Tax Relief and State Personnel Equality for Service Members Act, is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Edith J. Patterson (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-05-06 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 257); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0691-2025RS - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maryland HB 0691 - State: Maryland - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Tax Relief and State Personnel Equality for Service Members Act - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-24 - Last action: 2025-05-06, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 257 - Sponsor: Edith J. Patterson (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 14 - Subjects: State Government - Agencies, Offices, and Officials, State Government - Pensions and Retirement, State Government - Personnel, Local Government - Generally, Taxes - Sales and Use, Taxes - Income, Taxes - Property, Armed Forces -see also- Military Department; Veterans, Emergencies -see also- Pandemics, Exemptions, Health -see also- COVID19; EnvHlth; MedCon; etc., Income Tax, Local Government Mandates, Military Families, Property Tax, Public Employees -see also- State Employees, Revenue and Taxes -see also- (specific tax), Rules and Regulations, State Employees, Veterans - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (185 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 15 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Local home tax credits for veterans: benefit, high. For tax years beginning after June 30, 2025, the law updates eligibility for local home property tax credits. Categories include retired service members age 65 or older and their unremarried surviving spouses age 65 or older. They also include active, retired, or honorably discharged service member… - Stronger job protections after uniformed service: benefit, high. Beginning July 1, 2025, Maryland extends State job-return rights to qualifying uniformed service; temporary employees are excluded. These rights protect reinstatement, seniority, benefits, and pension and retirement rights. Employees whose service-related disability prevents their former work must… - Overseas military pay gets tax relief: benefit, high. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, Maryland updates which overseas military pay qualifies for an income subtraction. Maryland residents can subtract up to $15,000 earned from qualifying active military service outside the United States. The subtraction falls by $1 for each $1 of quali… - Tax forgiveness after qualifying service deaths: benefit, high. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, Maryland expands income tax forgiveness for qualifying service-related deaths. It covers uniformed-service deaths in combat zones or public-health response areas, including deaths from wounds, illness, or injury incurred there. It also covers specifi… - Tax relief for military retirement income: benefit, high. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, Maryland updates qualifying service for its military retirement income subtraction. Maryland residents can subtract up to $12,500 if under age 55, or $20,000 if age 55 or older. Age is measured on the tax year's last day, and qualifying income includ… - Paid service leave for State employees: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, the law authorizes up to 30 days of paid leave for qualifying State employees. The leave covers uniformed-services training or active duty in a reserve component or the organized militia. The Secretary of Budget and Management must establish the leave through regulations bef… - More disabled renters qualify for relief: benefit, medium. For tax years beginning after June 30, 2025, Maryland expands its renter property tax relief eligibility. The added category covers permanently and totally disabled renters qualifying for benefits under a federal act for service members. Renters must occupy the home under a lease during the calenda… - Tax credits support reduced disability rents: benefit, medium. For tax years beginning after June 30, 2025, Maryland expands eligibility supporting local tax credits for landlords charging reduced rent. The tenant must be permanently and totally disabled and qualify for benefits under a federal act for service members. The landlord must provide reduced rent to… - Local hiring help for qualifying veterans: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, local civil-service and merit systems must grant veterans special credit on hiring exams. Veterans must have lived in Maryland for at least five years immediately before the exam. This exam-credit provision no longer separately requires honorable discharge or armed-forces se… - State hiring points for military families: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, State hiring tests must give eligible veterans and spouses of full-time active service members 10 extra points. Spouses of eligible veterans with service-connected disabilities and surviving spouses of deceased eligible veterans also qualify. Eligible veterans include reserv… - State job access for disabled veterans: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, State hiring authorities may select veterans through a disability-based appointment option. Applicants must meet Maryland's veteran definition. They must have at least a 30% rating on a uniformed-services permanent disability list or a compensable service-connected VA rating… - Tax subtraction for qualifying active reservists: benefit, medium. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, Maryland expands eligibility for the $7,000 public-safety volunteer income subtraction. The expanded category includes reserve-component members serving on official active-duty orders during the tax year. They must also meet the program's other publi… - More disabled homeowners qualify for deferrals: benefit, low. For tax years beginning after June 30, 2025, Maryland expands eligibility for county and municipal property tax payment delays. The updated benefit category includes benefits under any federal act for service members. The qualifying owner must be permanently and totally disabled and meet the progra… - Sales tax relief for veterans groups: benefit, low. The law takes effect July 1, 2025; its tax provisions apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2024. Covered purchases by bona fide, nationally organized and recognized veterans organizations, auxiliaries, and units are exempt from sales and use tax. The purchasing organization must qualify… - Disabled veterans lose property tax breaks: cost, high. For tax years beginning after June 30, 2025, Maryland ends a home property tax exemption. It covered disabled active-duty service members, disabled veterans, and certain surviving spouses. The law also repeals authority for a separate local property tax credit for disabled veterans meeting disabili… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Edith J. Patterson (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Gabriel Acevero (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Nick Allen (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Attar - Cosponsor: Jason C. Buckel (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jon S. Cardin (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Michele Guyton (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Susan K. McComas (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Cheryl E. Pasteur (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: N. Scott Phillips (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Andrew C. Pruski (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: April Rose (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Deni Taveras (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Nicole A. Williams (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Greg Wims (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-03 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 47 | 0 | | | 2025-03-17 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 138 | 0 | 1 | ## Actions (13) - 2025-05-06: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 257 - 2025-04-04: Returned Passed (House) - 2025-04-03: Third Reading Passed (47-0) (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Second Reading Passed (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Favorable Adopted (Senate) - 2025-04-02: Favorable Report by Budget and Taxation (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Referred Budget and Taxation Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Third Reading Passed (138-0) (House) - 2025-03-15: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (House) - 2025-03-15: Favorable with Amendments {403127/1 Adopted (House) - 2025-03-15: Favorable with Amendments Report by Appropriations (House) - 2025-02-08: Hearing 2/18 at 1:00 p.m. (Appropriations) (House) - 2025-01-24: First Reading Appropriations and Ways and Means (House) ## Bill text - Enacted, 2025-05-06: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_257_hb0691t.pdf) - Third Reading, 2025-03-15: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0691t.pdf) - First Reading, 2025-01-24: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0691f.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed) - SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions (vetoed) - HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination Review Process (vetoed) - SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed) - HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization (became law) - HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard (signed) ## Sources - [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_257_hb0691t.pdf) - [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0691t.pdf) - [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0691f.pdf) ## Related - [HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0384-2025RS) - [SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0227-2025RS) - [HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0482-2025RS) - [SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0157-2025RS) - [HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB1294-2025RS) - [HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0228-2025RS) - [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-HB0691-2025RS (as of 2026-10-17).