On, Monday, April 7, the Maryland 2025 regular legislative session adjourned sine die.
Good news, no gun-control bills that would affect sportsmen made it to the governor and the following sportsmen bills are headed to the governor for consideration.
HB 40 raises fees on senior sport fishing licenses, angler licenses and the trout stamp. It also repeals the exemption from the requirement to obtain a trout stamp under certain circumstances for a holder of a resident consolidated senior sport fishing license. HB 40 passed the House 96 to 40 and passed the Senate 34 to 12.
HB 857 allows a person who is authorized by the Department of Natural Resources to hunt deer and who wounds a deer during legal hunting hours to pursue and kill the deer after legal hunting hours using the means authorized for the applicable hunting season or permit, which may include use of a light or throw or cast the rays of a spotlight, a headlight, an artificial light, a battery, or any other device while pursuing the wounded deer. HB 857 passed the House by a vote of 131 to 3 and passed the Senate unanimously.
SB 335 required, during the migratory Canada goose (Atlantic population) hunting season, the bag limit for all Canada geese in certain areas of the state, including geese found in the Atlantic Flyway Resident Population Hunt Zone and the Atlantic Population Hunt Zone, to conform to the bag limit for Atlantic population Canada geese adopted annually by the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. SB 335 passed both the Senate and House unanimously.
Sportsmen Bills that Failed
The following bills were introduced, but failed make it through the legislative process to the governor’s desk.
HB 387, the Comprehensive Community Safety Funding Act, imposed an 11% excise tax on firearms dealers derived from the sales of firearms in the state. The monies from the excise tax would have gone towards funding programs whose sole purpose was to pay for
gun violence” prevention, research, healing and recovery programs.
HB 483 repealed the limitation on the maximum amount of a credit against the State income tax that an individual may claim for certain expenses incurred for a donation of deer meat to certain organizations – failed
HB 511 prohibited the Department of Natural Resources from prohibiting certain licensed bowhunters from openly carrying a handgun under certain circumstances in Frederick County and Washington County during deer hunting season.
HB 654 repealed certain time restrictions that apply to the hunting of game birds and mammals on certain Sundays on private property and public land designated for Sunday hunting in Wicomico County.
HB 741 / SB 634 altered the definition of “hunt” to no longer exclude the sport of fox chasing; establishing the Deer Management Assistance Program in the Department of Natural Resources; requiring the Department to require, through a certain phasing-out process, the use of nonlead ammunition on or before July 1, 2029; and establishing certain exemptions and requirements for any person who participates in the sport of fox chasing.
HB 766 required that the Wildlife Advisory Commission member appointed to represent the farming community be selected from a list of candidates provided by the Maryland Farm Bureau.
HB 832 / SB 417 authorized a person to hunt in Carroll County on each Sunday of the game bird and game mammal seasons.
HB 854 / SB 128 required the Department of Natural Resources to print an assigned permanent identification number in a certain manner for a person who completes the course of instruction in conservation and in competency and safety in the handling of firearms.
HB 857 authorized a person who is authorized by the Department of Natural Resources to hunt deer and who wounds a deer during legal hunting hours to pursue and kill the deer after legal hunting hours using the means authorized for the applicable hunting season or permit which may include use of a light or throw or cast the rays of a spotlight, a headlight, an artificial light, a battery, or any other device while pursuing the wounded deer.
HB 882/ SB 272 authorized the Department of Natural Resources to allow a person to hunt deer on each Sunday of the deer bow hunting season in Prince George’s County; and adding Prince George’s County to the list of counties in which the safety zone for archery hunters extends a distance of 50 yards from a dwelling house, residence, church, or any other building or camp occupied by human beings.
HB 937 imposed a 12% excise tax on firearms dealers derived from the sales of firearms, firearm accessories and ammunition in the state.
HB 1158 authorized persons who suffer injury or loss to bring an action against a firearm industry member for certain unlawful or unreasonable conduct.
SB 796 repealed the time restrictions that apply to Sunday hunting in Dorchester County.
SB 870 prohibited a person from operating a vessel, including a kayak or a paddle boat, within 500 yards of a stationary blind or blind site that is occupied and being used for hunting migratory waterfowl during open season.
If you would like to view the bills the Sportsmen’s Alliance monitored during the legislative session, check out our interactive legislative map.
Even though the 2025 legislative session is over, the Sportsmen’s Alliance will continue to monitor activities in the Old Line State. You never know when issues that sportsmen need to be aware of may arise.
Please share this message with your family and friends as sportsmen. Urge them to join you and the Sportsmen’s Alliance in standing up to fight, protect, and defend against the relentless attacks from animal extremists. The extremists work tirelessly to crater our rights, values and heritage and we must work harder to ensure they are secure today, tomorrow, and for the future.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
