# Maryland SB 0037: Maryland Service Animal Programs - Participant Disqualification - Revisions

Maryland SB 0037, Maryland Service Animal Programs - Participant Disqualification - Revisions, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Bryan W. Simonaire (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-28 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 334) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0037-2026RS
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Maryland SB 0037
- State: Maryland
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Maryland Service Animal Programs - Participant Disqualification - Revisions
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-06-02
- Last action: 2026-04-28, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 334
- Sponsor: Bryan W. Simonaire (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Disabled, Children, State Government - Agencies, Offices, and Officials, Children (4-12), Disabilities, Discipline, Dogs, Federal Government, Health -see also- COVID19; EnvHlth; MedCon; etc., Horses, Mental and Behavioral Health -see also- Aut; Cogn; Dev; etc., Nonprofit Organizations, Revenue and Taxes -see also- (specific tax), Service Animals, Threats, Veterans
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (177 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Service-animal training for Maryland residents with disabilities: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, Maryland’s Department of Disabilities runs the Maryland Disability Service Animal Program. It serves Maryland residents with disabilities as defined by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Qualifying animals must be individually trained to perform work or tasks fo…
- New removal rules for service-animal participants: mixed, medium. Beginning October 1, 2026, nonprofit trainers can remove participants from Maryland’s Children’s, Disability, or Veterans Service Animal Programs for specified reasons. These include danger to the participant’s mental or physical well-being, direct threats to others, or failure to meet training req…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Bryan W. Simonaire (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-08 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 135 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026-02-19 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 42 | 0 |   |

## Actions (14)

- 2026-04-28: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 334
- 2026-04-09: Returned Passed (Senate)
- 2026-04-08: Third Reading Passed (135-0) (House)
- 2026-04-08: Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed (House)
- 2026-04-08: Favorable Report by Health (House)
- 2026-03-19: Hearing 3/24 at 1:00 p.m. (House)
- 2026-02-20: Referred Health (House)
- 2026-02-19: Third Reading Passed (42-0) (Senate)
- 2026-02-17: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate)
- 2026-02-17: Favorable with Amendments {453222/1 Adopted (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Favorable with Amendments Report by Finance (Senate)
- 2026-01-19: Hearing 1/27 at 2:30 p.m. (Senate)
- 2026-01-14: First Reading Finance (Senate)
- 2025-06-02: Pre-filed (Senate)

## Bill text

- Enacted, 2026-04-28: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_334_sb0037t.pdf)
- Third Reading, 2026-02-17: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0037t.pdf)
- First Reading, 2026-01-14: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0037f.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_334_sb0037t.pdf)
- [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0037t.pdf)
- [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0037f.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-SB0037-2026RS (as of 2026-10-19).