# Maryland HB 1139: State Retirement and Pension System - Administration and Clarification

Maryland HB 1139, State Retirement and Pension System - Administration and Clarification, is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Catherine M. Forbes (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-28 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 291); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB1139-2026RS
- 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 1139
- State: Maryland
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: State Retirement and Pension System - Administration and Clarification
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-02-11
- Last action: 2026-04-28, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 291
- Sponsor: Catherine M. Forbes (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Pensions and Retirement, Administrative Agencies, Certifications, Committees and Commissions, Comptroller, Correctional Officers, Counties -see also- Chartered Counties; Code Counties; etc., Forms, Interest, Law Enforcement -see also- SRO; Sheriffs; State Police, Records -see also- Land Records; Vital Records, Retirement -see also- Mandatory Retirement, Revenue and Taxes -see also- (specific tax), Salaries and Compensation -see also- Overtime; Reimb. Rates, State Documents -see also- Maryland Register, State Employees, Work, Labor, and Employment -see also- JobTrn; Leave; etc.
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 3 (305 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 5

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Local governments must pay pensions quarterly: cost, medium. The State Retirement Board certifies each local employer’s pension charges by December 1 for the next fiscal year. Local governments must pay 25% of their annual charge on October 1, January 1, April 16, and June 1. For teacher plans, counties pay by January 1, 2026 for FY2026, and by September 1 e…
- Auto-enroll and full credit for corrections: mixed, high. Units that join must offer enrollment to all local detention center officers. If you do not return the election form, you are enrolled by default. Your agency can file an affidavit if you do not return the form. Paperwork must clearly say join or opt out. Joining usually starts on July 1 of the yea…
- Auto-enroll and full credit for public safety: mixed, high. Units that join must let all law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMTs sign up. If you do not return the election form, you are enrolled by default. Your agency can file an affidavit if you do not return the form. Paperwork must clearly say join or opt out. Joining usually starts on July 1 o…
- Employees’ pension access and defaults: mixed, high. A unit can join the Employees’ Pension System only if all its eligible workers can enroll. Workers must file forms to join or opt out; if a form is not returned, the worker is treated as having joined. The appointing authority must send an affidavit showing the form was given. If you join on your u…
- Immediate pension vesting for key offices: mixed, low. People who take certain named State offices get pension vesting right away. These include the Special Secretary for Children, the State Archivist, the State Prosecutor, and the State Superintendent of Schools. The prior listing for the Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs office is removed.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Catherine M. Forbes (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-10 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 134 | 0 | 2 |
| 2026-04-09 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 41 | 0 | 3 |
| 2026-03-21 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 130 | 0 | 5 |

## Actions (17)

- 2026-04-28: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 291
- 2026-04-10: Passed Enrolled (House)
- 2026-04-10: Third Reading Passed (134-0) (House)
- 2026-04-10: House Concurs Senate Amendments (House)
- 2026-04-09: Third Reading Passed (41-0) (Senate)
- 2026-04-08: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate)
- 2026-04-08: Favorable with Amendments {523421/1 Adopted (Senate)
- 2026-04-08: Favorable with Amendments Report by Budget and Taxation (Senate)
- 2026-03-23: Referred Budget and Taxation (Senate)
- 2026-03-21: Third Reading Passed (130-0) (House)
- 2026-03-20: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (House)
- 2026-03-20: Favorable with Amendments {413120/1 Adopted (House)
- 2026-03-20: Favorable with Amendments Report by Appropriations (House)
- 2026-03-18: Hearing 3/18 at 12:45 p.m. (House)
- 2026-03-18: Hearing canceled (House)
- 2026-02-17: Hearing 3/18 at 1:00 p.m. (House)
- 2026-02-11: First Reading Appropriations (House)

## Bill text

- Enacted, 2026-04-28: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_291_hb1139e.pdf)
- Enrolled, 2026-04-10: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb1139e.pdf)
- Third Reading, 2026-03-20: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb1139t.pdf)
- First Reading, 2026-02-11: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb1139f.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_291_hb1139e.pdf)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb1139e.pdf)
- [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb1139t.pdf)
- [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb1139f.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB1139-2026RS (as of 2026-10-11).