# Maryland SB 0734: State Retirement and Pension System - Administration and Clarification

Maryland SB 0734, State Retirement and Pension System - Administration and Clarification, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Karen Lewis Young (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-28 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 290); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0734-2026RS
- 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 0734
- State: Maryland
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: State Retirement and Pension System - Administration and Clarification
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-02-06
- Last action: 2026-04-28, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 290
- Sponsor: Karen Lewis Young (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Pensions and Retirement, Administrative Agencies, Certifications, Comptroller, Correctional Officers, Forms, Law Enforcement -see also- SRO; Sheriffs; State Police, Notices, Records -see also- Land Records; Vital Records, Retirement -see also- Mandatory Retirement, Revenue and Taxes -see also- (specific tax), Rules and Regulations, Salaries and Compensation -see also- Overtime; Reimb. Rates, Standards and Best Practices, State Documents -see also- Maryland Register, State Employees, Work, Labor, and Employment -see also- JobTrn; Leave; etc.
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 3 (217 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 5

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Immediate vesting for four state roles: benefit, low. If you take office as the Special Secretary for the Governor’s Office for Children, the State Archivist, the State Prosecutor, or the State Superintendent of Schools, you receive immediate vesting in your State retirement system when you take office.
- Help for units that don't meet rules: benefit, low. The Board of Trustees reviews requests from units that do not meet the statutory requirements to join a State retirement system. The Board tells the Joint Committee on Pensions if new legislation is needed so the unit can participate.
- Quarterly pension payments and penalties: cost, medium. Each year by December 1, the Board certifies what each local employer owes. Local employers must pay 25% on October 1, January 1, April 16, and June 1. For fiscal year 2026, counties must pay by January 1, 2026; starting in fiscal year 2027, counties pay by each September 1. A grace period of up to…
- Public safety pensions: enroll and get credit: mixed, high. Units can join the Law Enforcement Officers’ Pension System only if they offer enrollment to all eligible officers, firefighters, and EMTs; and can join the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System only if they offer it to all eligible detention officers. Employees must return an election form; if…
- Join state pension, get full credit: mixed, high. If you join the Employees’ Pension System on your unit’s effective date, you get 100% credit for your prior service with that unit. You must submit an election to join or opt out; if the Board does not receive your election within the required period, you are enrolled for that job and may have reti…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Karen Lewis Young (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-10 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 135 | 0 | 3 |
| 2026-04-10 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 40 | 0 | 4 |
| 2026-03-20 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 42 | 0 | 1 |

## Actions (20)

- 2026-04-28: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 290
- 2026-04-10: Passed Enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-04-10: Third Reading Passed (40-0) (Senate)
- 2026-04-10: Senate Concurs House Amendments (Senate)
- 2026-04-10: Third Reading Passed (135-0) (House)
- 2026-04-08: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (House)
- 2026-04-08: Favorable with Amendments {963624/1 Adopted (House)
- 2026-04-08: Favorable with Amendments 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 {223621/1 Adopted (Senate)
- 2026-03-19: Favorable with Amendments Report by Budget and Taxation (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: Hearing 3/05 at 8:30 a.m. (Senate)
- 2026-02-06: First Reading Budget and Taxation (Senate)

## Bill text

- Enacted, 2026-04-28: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_290_sb0734e.pdf)
- Enrolled, 2026-04-10: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0734e.pdf)
- Third Reading, 2026-03-19: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0734t.pdf)
- First Reading, 2026-02-06: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0734f.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_290_sb0734e.pdf)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0734e.pdf)
- [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0734t.pdf)
- [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/sb/sb0734f.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-SB0734-2026RS (as of 2026-10-11).