# Maryland HB 0983: Election Law - Local Boards of Elections - Language Assistance Program Maryland HB 0983, Election Law - Local Boards of Elections - Language Assistance Program, is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Bernice Mireku-North (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-05-06 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 278) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0983-2025RS - 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 0983 - State: Maryland - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Election Law - Local Boards of Elections - Language Assistance Program - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-31 - Last action: 2025-05-06, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 278 - Sponsor: Bernice Mireku-North (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Elections, Attorney General, Ballots -see also- Abs&MailInBallots; Abs&MailInVoting, Communications -see also- ElecComm; Intergov; Telecom; etc., Courts -see also- AppCt; Circuit; District; Orphans'; etc., Data -see also- Census; Demographics, Elections Supervisors, Elections, State Board of, Forms, Internet -see also- Internet Access, Language -see also- Communications; Literacy, Notices, Recruitment and Hiring, Registration -see also- Motor Vehicle Registration, Reports, Rules and Regulations, Standards and Best Practices, Subpoenas, Voting -see also- Absentee and Mail-In Voting - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 3 (234 yes, 76 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More language help for Maryland voters: benefit, medium. Effective October 1, 2025, Maryland creates a Language Assistance Program for voters who need help in designated languages. A language qualifies when county residents who are citizens of voting age and have limited English proficiency meet either threshold: more than 2% of the county’s citizen voti… - Counties pay language assistance program costs: cost, low. Effective October 1, 2025, the law divides language assistance costs between Maryland and participating counties. The state must provide licensed translation software services. Counties must pay all other program costs, including hardware and each use of the translation software services. The law s… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Bernice Mireku-North (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jheanelle K. Wilkins (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-05 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 97 | 30 | 10 | | 2025-04-04 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 32 | 12 | | | 2025-03-17 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 105 | 34 | | ## Actions (15) - 2025-05-06: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 278 - 2025-04-05: Passed Enrolled (House) - 2025-04-05: Third Reading Passed (97-30) (House) - 2025-04-05: House Concurs Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-04: Third Reading Passed (32-12) (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Favorable with Amendments {943524/1 Adopted (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Third Reading Passed (105-34) (House) - 2025-03-15: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (House) - 2025-03-15: Favorable with Amendments {563827/1 Adopted (House) - 2025-03-15: Favorable with Amendments Report by Ways and Means (House) - 2025-02-04: Hearing 2/18 at 1:00 p.m. (House) - 2025-01-31: First Reading Ways and Means (House) ## Bill text - Enacted, 2025-05-06: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_278_hb0983e.pdf) - Enrolled, 2025-04-05: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0983e.pdf) - Third Reading, 2025-03-15: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0983t.pdf) - First Reading, 2025-01-31: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0983f.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions (vetoed) - HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination Review Process (vetoed) - HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (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_278_hb0983e.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0983e.pdf) - [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0983t.pdf) - [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0983f.pdf) ## Related - [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) - [HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0384-2025RS) - [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-HB0983-2025RS (as of 2026-10-17).