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Bill

SB 94

Commercial Law - Earned Wage Access - Revisions

2026 Regular Session

Maryland revises earned wage access regulations to clarify rules for employers and service providers offering workers early access to earned wages before payday.

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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 94

Legislative bill overview

SB 94 revises Maryland's commercial law regarding earned wage access (EWA) programs, which allow employees to access their earned wages before their regular paycheck. The bill establishes or modifies regulations governing how employers and third-party service providers can offer these advance wage programs to workers.

Why is this important

Earned wage access affects millions of low- to moderate-income workers who use these services to bridge financial gaps between paychecks. The regulatory framework determines whether these programs provide genuine financial relief or become predatory products with excessive fees and debt traps, impacting household financial stability and worker wellbeing.

Potential points of contention

  • Fee structures and affordability: Disagreement over what constitutes reasonable fees for EWA services, with worker advocates wanting caps and industry arguing fees must cover operational costs
  • Employer involvement and coercion: Concerns that employer-offered programs could pressure workers into using EWA or create surveillance of financial hardship, versus employer arguments that offering EWA improves recruitment and retention
  • Consumer protections vs. market flexibility: Tension between mandating robust disclosures, cooling-off periods, and debt limits versus allowing market competition and innovation in wage access products

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

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