# Maryland SB 0396: Public Safety Officer - Performance of Duties - Death Benefits Maryland SB 0396, Public Safety Officer - Performance of Duties - Death Benefits, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Mike McKay (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-13 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 573); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0396-2025RS - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maryland SB 0396 - State: Maryland - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Public Safety Officer - Performance of Duties - Death Benefits - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-20 - Last action: 2025-05-13, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 573 - Sponsor: Mike McKay (Republican) - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: Public Safety, State Government - Personnel, Beneficiaries, Correctional Officers, Counties -see also- Chartered Counties; Code Counties; etc., Death -see also- Homicide; Murder; Wrongful Death, Disabilities, Emergency Services -see also- Ambul; Emergencies; etc., Fire Protection, Law Enforcement -see also- SRO; Sheriffs; State Police, Mental and Behavioral Health -see also- Aut; Cogn; Dev; etc., Municipal Corporations -see also- Annap; Balt; Hager; OC, Public Safety and Correctional Services, Department of, Retirement -see also- Mandatory Retirement, Salaries and Compensation -see also- Overtime; Reimb. Rates - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (183 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Death benefits for 9-1-1 workers’ families: benefit, high. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland includes 9-1-1 specialists in its state death benefit program. Covered deaths must occur while performing duties on or after January 1, 2006. The benefit has a $125,000 base amount, adjusted annually using the Consumer Price Index. A surviving spouse, child, depe… - Easier survivor claims after duty-related suicide: benefit, high. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland presumes certain suicide deaths resulted from an injury suffered while performing duties. This helps survivors of people covered by the death benefit program, including 9-1-1 specialists, establish eligibility. A licensed medical or mental health professional mus… - Narrower special death-benefit awards for survivors: cost, medium. Beginning October 1, 2025, Maryland narrows the grounds for special, case-by-case death-benefit awards. The Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services cannot approve an award based only on someone’s intent to cause their own death. Other ways to qualify remain, including the separate pres… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Mike McKay (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Joanne C. Benson (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: M. Jackson ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-07 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 139 | 0 | 1 | | 2025-03-17 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 44 | 0 | | ## Actions (17) - 2025-05-13: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 573 - 2025-04-07: Returned Passed (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Third Reading Passed (139-0) (House) - 2025-04-04: Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed (House) - 2025-04-04: Favorable Report by Appropriations (House) - 2025-03-19: Hearing 3/25 at 1:00 p.m. (House) - 2025-03-17: Referred Appropriations (House) - 2025-03-17: Third Reading Passed (44-0) (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Favorable with Amendments {563125/1 Adopted (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Motion Laid Over (Senator Kagan) Adopted (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Favorable with Amendments {563125/1 (Senate) - 2025-03-14: Favorable with Amendments Report by Budget and Taxation (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Hearing 2/05 at 2:00 p.m. (Budget and Taxation) (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Hearing canceled (Budget and Taxation) (Senate) - 2025-01-23: Hearing 2/05 at 1:00 p.m. (Budget and Taxation) (Senate) - 2025-01-20: First Reading Budget and Taxation and Judicial Proceedings (Senate) ## Bill text - Enacted, 2025-05-13: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_573_sb0396t.pdf) - Third Reading, 2025-03-14: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0396t.pdf) - First Reading, 2025-01-20: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0396f.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_573_sb0396t.pdf) - [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0396t.pdf) - [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0396f.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-SB0396-2025RS (as of 2026-10-17).