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SB 285

An Act making an appropriation from a restricted revenue account within the General Fund to the Office of Small Business Advocate in the Department of Community and Economic Development.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Vincent Hughes

SB 285 keeps AG's authority to pursue economic damages from the Key Bridge collapse and Port closure, but shifts reporting to General Assembly from monthly to semiannual.

Referred to Appropriations
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 285

SB 285 — Maryland Protecting Opportunities and Regional Trade (PORT) Act

Chapter 98 (Approved by Governor April 22, 2025)

Main purpose

SB 285 amends the reporting schedule in the Maryland Protecting Opportunities and Regional Trade (PORT) Act requiring the Attorney General to update the General Assembly on efforts to pursue and recover economic damages stemming from the March 2024 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the related closure of the Port of Baltimore. The bill reduces the reporting frequency from monthly to once every six months.

Key provisions

  • Amends Chapters 2 and 3 of the Acts of 2024 (PORT Act), specifically Section 2(g).
  • Maintains the existing directive that the Attorney General:
    • “pursue all available options, including filing actions against the applicable parties, to recover for the State all possible economic damages” arising from the Port closure and bridge collapse; and
    • report to the General Assembly on the status of those recovery efforts.
  • Changes the reporting cadence: reports are now required beginning July 1, 2024 and every 6 months thereafter (instead of monthly) until all pursued options are exhausted or resolved.
  • Reports must be submitted in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article (standard legislative report procedures).

Who is affected

  • Attorney General’s Office — reduced frequency of statutory reporting to the legislature (less administrative/reporting burden; more time between updates).
  • Maryland General Assembly — will receive less frequent formal updates (semiannual instead of monthly) on the recovery efforts.
  • State agencies, Port of Baltimore stakeholders, impacted businesses, and the public — ongoing litigation and recovery efforts continue, but legislative transparency checkpoints occur less often.
  • Parties to litigation or claims related to the bridge allision (e.g., the owner/operator of the motor vessel Dali, which the Attorney General sued on Sept. 24, 2024) — no substantive change to recovery authority; only reporting schedule modified.

Timeline and procedural notes

  • Governor approved (chaptered) as Chapter 98 on April 22, 2025.
  • Effective date: July 1, 2025.
  • The reporting obligation continues until the Attorney General’s pursued options are exhausted or resolved; only the frequency was altered.

Fiscal impact

  • Fiscal and policy analysis concluded the change has no effect on State or local finances; no small-business impact.

Practical effect / rationale

SB 285 preserves the Attorney General’s directive and authority to pursue economic recovery related to the Port closure and bridge collapse while reducing the cadence of mandatory status reports to the legislature from monthly to semiannual. The change is administrative in nature — intended to balance transparency with allowing the Attorney General sufficient time to pursue complex legal and recovery actions between formal legislative updates.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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