Terminology and Obsolete References – Maryland State Firefighters Association and Related Terms
Summary
HB580 is a technical cleanup bill that updates Maryland statutes to replace obsolete references to the “Maryland State Firemen’s Association” with the current “Maryland State Firefighters Association,” and to modernize related terminology such as “fire fighter,” “fireman,” and “squadman” in a number of code sections. The bill does not create a new program or materially change eligibility standards; instead, it aligns statutory language with current usage and the association’s present name.
The bill makes conforming amendments across multiple articles of the Annotated Code, including Courts and Judicial Proceedings, Education, Health–General, Labor and Employment, Public Safety, Tax–General, and Transportation. These changes affect provisions involving firefighter and rescue squad benefits, scholarships for children of volunteer firefighters and rescue squad members, exposure-notification rules for contagious diseases, tax subtraction reporting for volunteer service points, and transportation regulations consulted with the association. It also directs the code publisher to correct related cross-references and terminology, with the act taking effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
HB580 updates numerous statutory references throughout Maryland law to reflect the current name of the Maryland State Firefighters Association and to use gender-neutral, modernized occupational terms. The practical effect is limited to terminology and cross-reference cleanup; the bill preserves existing rights, duties, benefits, reporting requirements, and administrative procedures for volunteer firefighters, rescue squad members, emergency medical personnel, correctional officers, and related agencies. It also authorizes the code publisher to make conforming editorial corrections without further legislative action.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the House 138-0 and the Senate 43-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The absence of committee transcript discussion and the technical nature of the measure suggest general agreement that the bill was a routine statutory update rather than a policy change.
Contention
There is no notable recorded contention in the available materials. Because the bill is primarily a terminology and obsolete-reference cleanup measure, there were no apparent disagreements over policy, fiscal impact, or eligibility rules. Any issues addressed by the bill were limited to conforming language changes and modernization of statutory references rather than substantive changes to firefighter or volunteer rescue benefits.