October 2, 2026

Dear neighbors,

 

We are just a few weeks away from Maryland’s general election. Lea and I always look forward to voting together, and I still love the tradition of casting my ballot on Election Day. At this critical moment for our democracy, I hope every eligible Marylander makes their voice heard, whether they vote early, by mail, or on Election Day. Early voting begins October 22 and runs through October 29, and Election Day is November 3. You can find information about voting, polling locations, and the questions that will appear on your ballot through the Board of Elections.

October 1 is one of the dates each year when a number of new Maryland laws take effect. Some are fairly technical. Others change things you may encounter in everyday life — from registering a vehicle and paying cash for essential purchases to renting a home and protecting yourself from new forms of identity fraud.

 

So I wanted to use this update to highlight a few of the changes worth knowing, along with some other news from around Baltimore and the 46th District.
 

New Maryland Laws Taking Effect October 1 

 

October 1 marks the effective date for a number of Maryland laws passed during the 2026 Legislative Session.

Plate Where You Live. Maryland residents are required to register their vehicles in Maryland within 60 days of moving to the State. Beginning October 1, new enforcement measures take effect for improperly registered out-of-state vehicles. After receiving a written warning, owners have 60 days to register in Maryland or establish an exemption before daily fines can begin. Maryland MVA has step-by-step information through its Plate Where You Live resource.

New protections around predatory pricing. Maryland’s Protection From Predatory Pricing Act places new restrictions on food retailers and third-party delivery services using dynamic pricing or consumers’ personal data to set prices. The law also restricts certain uses of protected-class information in offering, advertising, or selling consumer goods or services.

Cash for essential purchases. For many in-person purchases between $5 and $300, retailers now will not be able to require customers to use a credit or debit card or charge a higher price for paying cash when purchasing essentials including food, beverages, hygiene products, medicine and fuel. Some transactions and businesses are exempt. Marylanders with consumer-protection questions can contact the Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.

New protections for renters and rental applicants. Maryland is changing how certain landlords may evaluate applicants who use income-based housing subsidies, and landlords with six or more rental units must offer tenants an option to have positive rental-payment history reported to a consumer reporting agency. The Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act separately limits how landlords with five or more units may use criminal-history information during tenant screening.

Juvenile court jurisdiction. The Youth Charging Reform Act expands juvenile court jurisdiction, including by eliminating the requirement that children accused of crimes punishable by life imprisonment. The reform is intended to improve public safety by allowing appropriate cases to reach the juvenile system sooner, so supervision, accountability, and services can begin earlier, while preserving the ability to transfer cases to adult court when the circumstances warrant it.

Additional laws taking effect include the No Kings Act, which creates a new civil cause of action for individuals deprived of constitutional rights under color of law. Separate legislation establishes statewide requirements around law-enforcement face coverings and identification, while Maryland’s identity-fraud law now addresses fraudulent uses of artificial intelligence and deepfake representations.
 

Incinerator operations to end at Curtis Bay Energy

This week, the Maryland Department of the Environment and Attorney General’s Office announced an agreement that will end incinerator operations at Curtis Bay Energy after years of violations and concerns raised by South Baltimore residents. The company will pay a $600,000 civil penalty and transition to a substantially smaller waste-transfer operation. 

Curtis Bay residents have pushed for action at this facility for years, documenting what they were seeing in their neighborhood and working with community organizations and scientists to raise concerns about emissions. I’m grateful to Secretary McIlwain, Attorney General Brown and their teams for pursuing this case — and especially to the residents who refused to let these concerns be ignored.

This is a meaningful result for a community that has carried the burden of industrial pollution for decades.
 

Medicaid Eligibility Changes

 

Beginning October 1, a new federal law changes Medicaid eligibility for certain non-citizens, including some refugees, asylees, and other humanitarian immigrants. Maryland estimates that approximately 4,500 current Medicaid members will lose coverage because of the new federal eligibility rules; affected Marylanders have been notified and will receive information about appeals and other health coverage options.

 

If you or someone you know is affected, please carefully review notices from Maryland Medicaid, Maryland Benefits or Maryland Health Connection. Marylanders who lose Medicaid may be eligible for other low-cost health coverage and generally have 60 days after losing coverage to enroll through Maryland Health Connection.

For more information, please reach out to the Maryland Department of Health.
 

Johns Hopkins marks 150 years rooted in Baltimore

 

Johns Hopkins has spent 150 years growing alongside Baltimore. What that relationship looks like today is bigger than any campus: thousands of Baltimoreans employed, local businesses growing through Hopkins purchasing and construction, pathways into higher education for City students, world-class health care and research, and partnerships throughout our neighborhoods.

 

I was glad to join President Ron Daniels, Mayor Brandon Scott and so many community partners last week as Johns Hopkins marked its 150th anniversary and HopkinsLocal its 10th — celebrating that history and the work still ahead.
 

A devastating loss in Fells Point

Earlier this week, 76-year-old Claudia and her husband, Wade, were attacked and robbed while walking on Fleet Street after breakfast at Broadway Market. On Thursday, Claudia died from her injuries. 

The couple has been part of the Fells Point community for more than 35 years, and neighbors came together for a candlelight vigil Thursday evening. My heart is with Wade, her family, and a community grieving someone who was part of the fabric of the neighborhood. No one should experience this kind of violence simply walking through the place they call home. 

Baltimore Police have made an arrest, and the investigation is now being handled as a homicide. I am grateful for the swift response, and I expect the justice system to pursue full accountability for what happened.
 
 

If you need help navigating a State agency, have a question about legislation, or want to raise an issue affecting you or your neighborhood, please reach out. Include a brief description of the issue and the best way to contact you so my team can follow up.

 

Email bill.ferguson@senate.state.md.us or call 410-841-3600.

Senator Bill Ferguson

46th Legislative District | Baltimore City

President of the Maryland Senate

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