EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1491*
HOUSE BILL 1491
P4, L6 5lr3592
CF SB 895
By: Delegate Harrison
Introduced and read first time: February 12, 2025
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Employment – Wages – Deductions for Public Employees 2
FOR the purpose of applying to governmental employers certain provisions of the Maryland 3
Wage Payment and Collection Law that prohibit an employer from making 4
deductions from the wage of an employee except for specified purposes; allowing a 5
governmental employer to make a deduction from a public employee’s wage if the 6
deduction is authorized expressly in a compensation or benefit plan adopted by the 7
employer; and generally relating to wage deductions under the Maryland Wage 8
Payment and Collection Law. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Article – Labor and Employment 11
Section 3–503 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 14
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16
Article – Labor and Employment 17
3–503. 18
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “EMPLOYER” INCLUDES A GOVERNMEN TAL UNIT. 19
(B) An employer may not make a deduction from the wage of an employee unless 20
the deduction is: 21
(1) ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction; 22
2 HOUSE BILL 1491
(2) authorized expressly in writing by the employee; 1
(3) allowed by the Commissioner because the employee has received full 2
consideration for the deduction; [or] 3
(4) AUTHORIZED EXPRESSLY IN A COMPENSATION OR BENEFIT PLAN 4
FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, SUCH AS A SUPPLEMENT AL RETIREMENT PLAN , ADOPTED 5
BY A GOVERNMENTAL UN IT; OR 6
[(4)] (5) otherwise made in accordance with any law or any rule or 7
regulation issued by a governmental unit. 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 9
October 1, 2025. 10