The following article was submitted by Sixth District Delegate Ric Metzgar about the upcoming session and his legislation for the 2026 session
The 448th Session of the Maryland General Assembly begins its 90 Day Session of January 14, 2026 and ends on April 13, 2026.
Delegate Metzgar has pre-filed seven (7) bills. Some bills are being reintroduced, and some bills are new bills. He will reintroduce the Incarcerated Job Training Act.
This bill would give inmates the opportunity to learn skills or trades and receive certification in an area to be able to earn a living. After his/her time served is up, he/she will be released from prison with job skills to become a taxpayer, a productive member of society, and start a new life for himself/herself. Delegate Metzgar has always been a firm believer in giving people second chances.
He will reintroduce The Heartbeat Bill. This bill would allow the mother to listen to the heartbeat of a fetus before deciding to terminate her pregnancy.
To deal with the threat of school violence, Delegate Metzgar will reintroduce The School Chaplain Bill. This way students will feel better talking to a non-school administrator about any personal or family problems or issues they may be having at the time.
These nonsectarian School Chaplains will be volunteers and must pass normal background checks and procedures such as fingerprints.
He will also reintroduce The Ten Commandments Bill for the grounds of the Maryland State House which would be at no cost to the taxpayers.
The Ten Commandments are the bases of Judo-Christian Law which is the bases for our modern laws. Several states already allow The Ten Commandments to be displayed on the grounds of state houses, courthouses, and other public places.
For new legislation that Delegate Metzgar will introduce is a bill for a 30% property tax credit for public safety officers and school system employees who work hard and do so much for our communities.
Another new bill which is near and dear to his heart is the Levi Bowen Airway Clearance Bill. Levi was a Maryland Special Needs Student who died from choking.
This bill would require an anti-choking device in every school to save lives. This bill became law in Texas and is under consideration in several other states including New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. Fox 45 News is closely following this bill which it feels has merit.
Finally, he will introduce a bill to create the Henrietta Lacks Commission. This commission would be made up of volunteers to preserve the memory and impact of the life of Henrietta Lack.
She was the 31-year-old Turner Station resident who had her cells taken from her without her permission for Cervical Cancer Research before she passed away. These cells known as HeLa Cells are used in medical research today.
Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa, Delegate Metzgar would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you and your families a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
