Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB233 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3		EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4		[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5		-	Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
6		-	Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
7		-	amendment.
8	5		hb0233
9	6
10	7		HOUSE BILL 233
11	8		K3 5lr1028
12		-	HB 802/24 – ECM (PRE–FILED) ~~CF SB 576~~
	9	+	HB 802/24 – ECM (PRE–FILED)
13	10		By: Delegates Vogel, Foley, Kaufman, Pasteur, Pena–Melnyk, Terrasa, Wims, and
14	11		Woorman
15	12		Requested: October 1, 2024
16	13		Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
17	14		Assigned to: Economic Matters
18		-	Committee Report: Favorable
19		-	House action: Adopted
20		-	Read second time: February 20, 2025
21	15
22		-	~~CHAPTER ______~~
	16	+	A BILL ENTITLED
23	17
24	18		AN ACT concerning 1
25	19
26	20		Labor and Employment – Mandatory Meetings on Religious or Political Matters 2
27	21		– Employee Attendance and Participation 3
28	22		(Maryland Worker Freedom Act) 4
29	23
30	24		FOR the purpose of prohibiting employers from taking certain actions against an employee 5
31	25		or applicant for employment because the employee or applicant declines to attend or 6
32	26		participate in employer–sponsored meetings during which the employer 7
33	27		communicates the opinion of the employer regarding religious matters or political 8
34	28		matters; and generally relating to employee attendance and participation in 9
35	29		employer meetings on religious or political matters. 10
36	30
37	31		BY adding to 11
38	32		Article – Labor and Employment 12
39	33		Section 3–718 13
40	34		Annotated Code of Maryland 14
41	35		(2016 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 15
42	36
43	37		SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
44	38		That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
45	39
46	40		Article – Labor and Employment 18
47	41
48		-	3–718. 19 2 HOUSE BILL 233
	42	+	3–718. 19
	43	+
	44	+	(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 20
	45	+	INDICATED. 21
	46	+
	47	+	(2) “POLITICAL MATTERS ” MEANS MATTERS RELATI NG TO: 22 2 HOUSE BILL 233
49	48
50	49
51	50
52		-	(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 1
53		-	INDICATED. 2
	51	+	(I) ELECTIONS FOR POLITI CAL OFFICE; 1
54	52
55		-	(2) “POLITICAL ~~MATTERS ” MEANS MATTERS RELATI NG TO: 3~~
	53	+	(II) POLITICAL PARTIES ; 2
56	54
57		-	(I) ~~ELECTIONS FOR POLITI CAL OFFICE;~~ 4
	55	+	(III) PROPOSALS TO CHANGE : 3
58	56
59		-	~~(II) POLITICAL PARTIES~~ ; 5
	57	+	1. LEGISLATION; 4
60	58
61		-	~~(III) PROPOSALS TO CHANGE : 6~~
	59	+	2. REGULATIONS ; OR 5
62	60
63		-	1. ~~LEGISLATION~~; 7
	61	+	3. PUBLIC POLICY; OR 6
64	62
65		-	2. REGULATIONS ; OR 8
	63	+	(IV) THE DECISION TO JOIN OR SUPPORT A POLITIC AL PARTY OR 7
	64	+	POTENTIAL CIVIC , COMMUNITY , FRATERNAL, OR LABOR ORGANIZATIO N. 8
66	65
67		-	3. PUBLIC POLICY; OR 9
	66	+	(3) “RELIGIOUS MATTERS ” MEANS MATTERS RELATI NG TO 9
	67	+	RELIGIOUS BELIEF , AFFILIATION, AND PRACTICE OR THE DECISION TO JOIN OR 10
	68	+	SUPPORT A RELIGIOUS ENTITY. 11
68	69
69		-	(IV) THE DECISION TO JOIN OR SUPPORT A POLITIC AL PARTY OR 10
70		-	POTENTIAL CIVIC , COMMUNITY , FRATERNAL, OR LABOR ORGANIZATIO N. 11
	70	+	(B) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO AN EMPLOYER THAT IS A RELIGIOUS 12
	71	+	CORPORATION , ORGANIZATION , OR ASSOCIATION , OR AN EDUCATIONAL 13
	72	+	INSTITUTION OR SOCIE TY THAT IS EXEMPT FR OM THE REQUIREMENTS OF TITLE VII 14
	73	+	OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 UNDER 42 U.S.C. § 2000E–1(A). 15
71	74
72		-	(3) “RELIGIOUS MATTERS ” MEANS MATTERS RELATI NG TO 12
73		-	RELIGIOUS BELIEF , AFFILIATION, AND PRACTICE OR THE DECISION TO JOIN OR 13
74		-	SUPPORT A RELIGIOUS ENTITY. 14
	75	+	(C) AN EMPLOYER MAY NOT : 16
75	76
76		-	(B) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO AN EMPLOYER THAT IS A RELIGIOUS 15
77		-	CORPORATION, ORGANIZATION , OR ASSOCIATION , OR AN EDUCATIONAL 16
78		-	INSTITUTION OR SOCIE TY THAT IS EXEMPT FR OM THE REQUIREMENTS OF TITLE VII 17
79		-	OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 UNDER 42 U.S.C. § 2000E–1(A). 18
	77	+	(1) DISCHARGE, DISCIPLINE, OR OTHERWISE PENALIZ E OR 17
	78	+	THREATEN TO DISCHARG E, DISCIPLINE, OR OTHERWISE PENALIZ E AN EMPLOYEE 18
	79	+	BECAUSE THE EMP LOYEE DECLINES TO AT TEND OR PARTICIPATE IN AN 19
	80	+	EMPLOYER–SPONSORED MEETING DU RING WHICH THE EMPLO YER COMMUNICATES 20
	81	+	THE OPINION OF THE E MPLOYER REGARDING RE LIGIOUS MATTERS OR P OLITICAL 21
	82	+	MATTERS; OR 22
80	83
81		-	(C) AN EMPLOYER MAY NOT : 19
	84	+	(2) FAIL OR REFUSE TO HI RE AN APPLICANT FOR EMPLOYMENT AS A 23
	85	+	RESULT OF THE APPLIC ANT’S REFUSAL TO ATTEND OR PARTICIPATE IN AN 24
	86	+	EMPLOYER–SPONSORED MEETING DU RING WHICH THE EMPLO YER COMMUNICATES 25
	87	+	THE OPINION OF THE E MPLOYER REGARDING RE LIGIOUS MATTERS OR P OLITICAL 26
	88	+	MATTERS. 27
82	89
83		-	(1) DISCHARGE, DISCIPLINE, OR OTHER WISE PENALIZE OR 20
84		-	THREATEN TO DISCHARG E, DISCIPLINE, OR OTHERWISE PENALIZ E AN EMPLOYEE 21
85		-	BECAUSE THE EMPLOYEE DECLINES TO ATTEND O R PARTICIPATE IN AN 22
86		-	EMPLOYER–SPONSORED MEETING DU RING WHICH THE EMPLO YER COMMUNICATES 23
87		-	THE OPINION OF THE E MPLOYER REGARDING RE LIGIOUS MATTERS OR POL ITICAL 24
88		-	MATTERS; OR 25
89		-
90		-	(2) FAIL OR REFUSE TO HI RE AN APPLICANT FOR EMPLOYMENT AS A 26
91		-	RESULT OF THE APPLIC ANT’S REFUSAL TO ATTEND OR PARTICIPATE IN AN 27
92		-	EMPLOYER–SPONSORED MEETING DU RING WHICH THE EMPLO YER COMMUNICATES 28 HOUSE BILL 233 3
	90	+	(D) THIS SECTION DOES NOT PROHIBIT AN EMPLOY ER FROM: 28
	91	+	HOUSE BILL 233 3
93	92
94	93
95		-	~~THE OPINION OF~~ THE ~~E MPLOYER REGARDING RELIG IOUS MATTERS OR POLI TICAL~~ 1
96		-	~~MATTERS.~~ 2
	94	+	(1) COMMUNICATING INFORM ATION THAT THE EMPLO YER IS 1
	95	+	REQUIRED BY LAW TO C OMMUNICATE ; OR 2
97	96
98		-	(D) THIS SECTION DOES NOT PROHIBIT AN EMPLOYER FROM: 3
	97	+	(2) CONDUCTING A MEETING THAT INVOLVES RELIGI OUS MATTERS 3
	98	+	OR POLITICAL MATTERS IF ATTENDANCE AND PA RTICIPATION ARE VOLU NTARY. 4
99	99
100		-	~~(1) COMMUNICATING INFORM ATION~~ THAT ~~THE EMPLO YER IS 4~~
101		-	~~REQUIRED BY LAW TO C OMMUNICATE ; OR 5~~
	100	+	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 5
	101	+	October 1, 2025. 6
102	102
103		-	(2) CONDUCTING A MEETING THAT INVOLVES RELIGI OUS MATTERS 6
104		-	OR POLITICAL MATTERS IF ATTENDANCE AND PA RTICIPATION ARE VOLU NTARY. 7
105		-
106		-	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 8
107		-	October 1, 2025. 9
108		-
109		-
110		-
111		-
112		-	Approved:
113		-	________________________________________________________________________________
114		-	Governor.
115		-	________________________________________________________________________________
116		-	Speaker of the House of Delegates.
117		-	________________________________________________________________________________
118		-	President of the Senate.