# Maryland SB 0491: Law Enforcement Officers' Pension System - Military Service Credit Eligibility - Helicopter Pilots

Maryland SB 0491, Law Enforcement Officers' Pension System - Military Service Credit Eligibility - Helicopter Pilots, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Johnny Ray Salling (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-28 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 297); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0491-2026RS
- As of: 2026-10-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Maryland SB 0491
- State: Maryland
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Law Enforcement Officers' Pension System - Military Service Credit Eligibility - Helicopter Pilots
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-02-02
- Last action: 2026-04-28, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 297
- Sponsor: Johnny Ray Salling (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Pensions and Retirement, Aircraft -see also- Drones, Armed Forces and Uniformed Services, Law Enforcement -see also- SRO; Sheriffs; State Police, Retirement -see also- Mandatory Retirement
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 2 (175 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- More pension credit for Maryland helicopter pilots: benefit, high. Beginning July 1, 2026, Maryland expands military service credit for current and former law enforcement pension members. The expansion covers members who are or were helicopter pilots in a State law enforcement aviation unit. These pilots can qualify even when another retirement system gives them m…
- One-time military pension credit for State workers: cost, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, eligible State pension members can receive military service credit under this rule only once. Anyone who already received this credit cannot receive it again under the same rule. State retirement system retirees are not eligible.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Johnny Ray Salling (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-10 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 133 | 0 | 3 |
| 2026-03-20 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 42 | 0 | 1 |

## Actions (17)

- 2026-04-28: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 297
- 2026-04-10: Returned Passed (Senate)
- 2026-04-10: Third Reading Passed (133-0) (House)
- 2026-04-08: Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed (House)
- 2026-04-08: Favorable Report by Appropriations (House)
- 2026-04-07: Hearing 4/07 at 1:30 p.m. (House)
- 2026-04-07: Hearing canceled (House)
- 2026-04-07: Hearing 4/07 at 1:15 p.m. (House)
- 2026-04-07: Hearing canceled (House)
- 2026-03-26: Hearing 4/07 at 1:00 p.m. (House)
- 2026-03-21: Referred Appropriations (House)
- 2026-03-20: Third Reading Passed (42-0) (Senate)
- 2026-03-19: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate)
- 2026-03-19: Favorable with Amendments {703828/1 Adopted (Senate)
- 2026-03-19: Favorable with Amendments Report by Budget and Taxation (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: Hearing 2/19 at 9:00 a.m. (Senate)
- 2026-02-02: First Reading Budget and Taxation (Senate)

## Bill text

- Enacted, 2026-04-28: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_297_sb0491t.pdf)
- Third Reading, 2026-03-19: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0491t.pdf)
- First Reading, 2026-02-02: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0491f.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_297_sb0491t.pdf)
- [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0491t.pdf)
- [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0491f.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-SB0491-2026RS (as of 2026-10-11).