# Maryland SB 0282: Recreational Equality for Service Members Act Maryland SB 0282, Recreational Equality for Service Members Act, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Bryan W. Simonaire (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-06 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 265); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0282-2025RS - 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 0282 - State: Maryland - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Recreational Equality for Service Members Act - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-10 - Last action: 2025-05-06, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 265 - Sponsor: Bryan W. Simonaire (Republican) - Cosponsors: 6 - Subjects: Hunting and Fishing, State Government - Agencies, Offices, and Officials, Armed Forces -see also- Military Department; Veterans, Chesapeake Bay -see also- Chesapeake Bay Restoration, Disabilities, Fish and Fishing -see also- Aquaculture; FishNets&Dev, Forests and Parks -see also- MdNatlCapPkPlnCm; Plants; etc., Governor, Hunting -see also- Trapping, Identification -see also- Biometrics; Fingerprinting; DrLics, Licenses -see also- AB Lic; Certifications; DrLic; Permits, Military Families, Motor Vehicles -see also- Aband Veh; Ambulances; Buses; etc., Natural Resources -see also- Coal; For&Pks; Rivers; etc., Natural Resources, Department of, Public Officials -see also- Atty Gen; Compt; Coun Admin; etc, Rules and Regulations, Sports and Recreation, Veterans - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (228 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Deployment protects fishing licenses from lapsing: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, a fishing license does not lapse when deployment or essential war-industry work prevents renewal or use. Deployment must be in the uniformed services. The license holder must notify the Department before deployment. The holder must apply to renew within one year after hos… - Free lifetime licenses for qualifying veterans: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland may issue free lifetime fishing and hunting licenses to qualifying residents. Applicants must certify former prisoner-of-war status, a Veterans Affairs finding of unemployability, or a 100% service-connected disability. Out-of-state applicants need matching privi… - Military members and veterans enter parks free: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, active service members, Maryland National Guard members, and veterans avoid Maryland State park day-use entry fees. Vehicles they occupy also avoid per-vehicle entry fees. Service and Guard members must show a valid uniformed services identification card. Veterans must sh… - Service members skip some outdoor fees: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland-resident active service members can fish or hunt in Maryland during leave without specified licenses. They must carry a copy of their official leave order. The hunting exemption also covers bow and arrow, black powder, bonus antlered deer, and sika deer stamps. A… - Fishing groups serving military get fee relief: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland's Department of Natural Resources may grant an annual fishing-license exemption to government or nonprofit groups. Groups qualify by taking veterans or active service members with physical or mental disabilities fishing. They also qualify by offering fishing less… - More recreation grants for service members: benefit, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, the Chesapeake Bay Trust can use Healing Hunting and Fishing Fund grants for more service members. Eligible sponsors can serve veterans and uniformed service members beyond the armed forces. Grants can pay capital, operating, or program costs for the specified recreation,… - Veterans Trust uses federal eligibility definition: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2025, the Maryland Veterans Trust uses the federal veteran definition in 38 U.S.C. § 101. This replaces its prior state definition based on active-duty armed forces service, excluding training, and discharge under conditions other than dishonorable. The change affects the eligi… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Bryan W. Simonaire (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jack Bailey (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jason C. Gallion (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: J.B. Jennings (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: M. Jackson - Cosponsor: Johnny Mautz (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Johnny Ray Salling (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-03 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 46 | 0 | | | 2025-04-01 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 135 | 0 | 2 | | 2025-03-12 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 47 | 0 | | ## Actions (17) - 2025-05-06: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 265 - 2025-04-03: Passed Enrolled (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Third Reading Passed (46-0) (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Senate Concurs House Amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Third Reading Passed (135-0) (House) - 2025-03-31: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (House) - 2025-03-31: Favorable with Amendments {513921/1 Adopted (House) - 2025-03-31: Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation (House) - 2025-03-19: Hearing 3/26 at 1:00 p.m. (House) - 2025-03-13: Referred Environment and Transportation (House) - 2025-03-12: Third Reading Passed (47-0) (Senate) - 2025-03-12: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-03-12: Floor Amendment {693121/1 (Senator Simonaire) Adopted (Senate) - 2025-03-12: Favorable with Amendments {823325/1 Adopted (Senate) - 2025-03-11: Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate) - 2025-01-14: Hearing 2/04 at 1:00 p.m. (Senate) - 2025-01-10: First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate) ## Bill text - Enacted, 2025-05-06: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_265_sb0282e.pdf) - Enrolled, 2025-04-03: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0282e.pdf) - Third Reading, 2025-03-12: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0282t.pdf) - First Reading, 2025-01-10: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0282f.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_265_sb0282e.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0282e.pdf) - [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0282t.pdf) - [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0282f.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-SB0282-2025RS (as of 2026-10-19).