US Edition173 Bills Signed Into Law in Maryland Following End of 2026 Legislative Session, Including Vax Act
The law lets Maryland set vaccine recommendations and requires insurers to cover state-endorsed shots, while families can avoid some out-of-pocket costs.
- On Tuesday, Governor Wes Moore signed the Vax Act and the Jillian and Lindsay Wiener Short-Term Rental Safety Act into law in Annapolis, following the 2026 legislative session's conclusion.
- The Vax Act decouples Maryland's vaccine policy from federal guidelines, allowing the state to set its own schedule after U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reduced routine childhood vaccines from 17 to 11.
- Named for two sisters who died in a 2022 vacation rental fire, the Short-Term Rental Safety Act mandates fire detection equipment and annual inspections for all rental units statewide.
- Implementation of the Vax Act will be funded through the Maryland Insurance Administration, drawing more than $50 million annually from special funds designated for specific uses.
- Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey expressed skepticism about the system's costs and structure, while the Wiener Act takes effect October 1, 2026, concluding a session marked by state-versus-federal tensions.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Maryland Governor Signs Legislation Decoupling Vaccine Recommendations From CDC
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on April 14 signed a bill that empowers the state’s secretary of health to issue vaccine recommendations and requires insurers to cover vaccines and other services recommended by the secretary. The legislation, Senate Bill 385, changes several aspects of state law regarding health policy. Under existing law, insurers must cover immunizations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, they’ll be re…
Hanford Sentinel
Maryland severs vaccine ties with CDC policies
As of July 1, a new law will allow the state of Maryland to determine what vaccines can be administered to individuals at least seven years of age, while also reducing certain out-of-pocket costs for families. Gov. Wes Moore on…
Gneral Assembly wraps up; governor signs bills
By Capital News Service staff Gov. Wes Moore signed 146 bills into law after Maryland legislators rushed Monday to pass legislation before the midnight deadline. Lawmakers rallied to address affordability and accountability as the state reacted to the Trump-Vance administration’s agenda, legislative leaders said Tuesday. “What we are watching just South of us is for the past 90 days, we watched chaos unfold,” Moore, a Democrat, said at Tuesday’s…
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