# Maryland HB 1020: Consumer Protection - Credit Reporting - Medical Debt (Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act) Maryland HB 1020, Consumer Protection - Credit Reporting - Medical Debt (Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act), is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Julie Palakovich Carr (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-04-22 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 121); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB1020-2025RS - 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 1020 - State: Maryland - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Consumer Protection - Credit Reporting - Medical Debt (Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act) - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-03 - Last action: 2025-04-22, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 121 - Sponsor: Julie Palakovich Carr (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Commercial Law - Consumer Protection, Health Care Facilities and Regulation, Agents and Brokers, Civil Actions -see also- Small Claims, Consumer Protection, Contracts -see also- Procurement, Credit, Debt Collection -see also- Attachments and Garnishments, Debt Management, Disclosure, Drugs -see also- Cannabis; ControlDangSubst; Pharm; etc., Emergency Medical Services -see also- Ambul; RescSqd, Health Care Facilities -see also- Clinics; Hospices; etc, Hospitals -see also- Clinics; State Hospitals, Medical Equipment and Devices, Medical Treatments, Prices -see also- Consumer Price Index - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (243 yes, 73 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Free-care patients get refunds and protections: benefit, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland hospital policies must provide refunds when patients or guarantors qualify for free care within 240 days after the first bill. The refunds cover amounts already collected. Hospitals must also seek to undo related court judgments or remove adverse information they… - Hospital patients get payment plan safeguards: benefit, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland hospitals must give patients with medical debt written information about installment plans. Patients count as compliant with an income-based plan after making at least 11 scheduled monthly payments in 12 months. After a missed payment, patients must contact the f… - Medical debt stays off credit reports: benefit, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, credit reporting agencies cannot report or keep medical debt information, no matter when the debt arose. Covered debt includes bills owed to medical providers or their agents, including paid bills and bills not yet due. Ordinary credit-card debt is excluded, but health-ca… - Hospital patients get collection lawsuit delays: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland hospitals must wait at least 180 days after the first bill before suing for nonpayment. Their policies must also bar adverse credit reporting during that period; the separate medical-debt reporting ban still applies afterward. Hospitals cannot sue or send a bill… - Hospitals face stricter debt collection rules: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland hospitals cannot sell medical debt or charge self-pay patients interest before a court judgment. Their collection policies must include active oversight of collection contracts and explain how patient income, assets, and other factors are considered. Policies mus… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Julie Palakovich Carr (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-07 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 102 | 37 | 1 | | 2025-04-04 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 40 | 3 | | | 2025-03-06 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 101 | 33 | 5 | ## Actions (15) - 2025-04-22: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 121 - 2025-04-07: Passed Enrolled (House) - 2025-04-07: Third Reading Passed (102-37) (House) - 2025-04-07: House Concurs Senate Amendments (House) - 2025-04-04: Third Reading Passed (40-3) (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Favorable with Amendments {313123/1 Adopted (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Favorable with Amendments Report by Finance (Senate) - 2025-03-07: Referred Finance (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Third Reading Passed (101-33) (House) - 2025-03-04: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (House) - 2025-03-04: Favorable with Amendments {763627/1 Adopted (House) - 2025-03-03: Favorable with Amendments Report by Economic Matters (House) - 2025-02-04: Hearing 2/18 at 1:00 p.m. (House) - 2025-02-03: First Reading Economic Matters (House) ## Bill text - Enacted, 2025-04-22: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_121_hb1020e.pdf) - Enrolled, 2025-04-07: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb1020e.pdf) - Third Reading, 2025-03-04: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb1020t.pdf) - First Reading, 2025-02-03: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb1020f.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_121_hb1020e.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb1020e.pdf) - [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb1020t.pdf) - [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb1020f.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-HB1020-2025RS (as of 2026-10-17).