Committee advances bill changing firefighters' overtime threshold despite city cost warning
March 14, 2026 | Finance Committee, SENATE, SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Maryland
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SB 445, which would require governmental units that employ firefighters to pay overtime for each hour worked beyond 160 hours in a 28‑day work period and to provide detailed pay notices, was advanced by the Senate Finance Committee on March 13.
Presenter (S2) told the committee the bill also mandates that counties and municipalities provide each firefighter, at hiring and whenever pay changes, notice of regular pay periods and overtime rates, and a per‑pay‑period statement of hours worked, gross earnings and deductions. The committee adopted an amendment extending the bill's effective date to Oct. 1, 2028, and voted to report the bill favorably.
A committee member (S4) said he would vote for the bill but warned the change could have a substantial fiscal impact on Baltimore City. "It has been brought to my attention that this is an increase of $6,000,000 annually to the city of Baltimore," the committee member said, adding concern that the increase "may ripple down and cause the possible closing of other fire stations." The chair (S1) asked whether the $6 million estimate accounted for current overtime; the committee member replied the estimate assumes overtime would increase once the threshold is lowered.
The clerk read the roll: the bill passed on a 7–3 vote. Voting members recorded in the roll call included Vice Chair Hayes, Senator Kramer and others as announced by the clerk (see committee minutes for full roll call). The amendment changing the effective date to 10/01/2028 was incorporated into the favorable report.
Why it matters: The bill changes the overtime calculation that applies to many career and volunteer fire department schedules and adds transparency requirements to individual pay notices; jurisdictions already struggling with tight municipal budgets flagged the possibility of additional fiscal strain.
What happens next: SB 445 will move from committee with a favorable report and go to the full Senate for further consideration according to the chamber's procedures.
Presenter (S2) told the committee the bill also mandates that counties and municipalities provide each firefighter, at hiring and whenever pay changes, notice of regular pay periods and overtime rates, and a per‑pay‑period statement of hours worked, gross earnings and deductions. The committee adopted an amendment extending the bill's effective date to Oct. 1, 2028, and voted to report the bill favorably.
A committee member (S4) said he would vote for the bill but warned the change could have a substantial fiscal impact on Baltimore City. "It has been brought to my attention that this is an increase of $6,000,000 annually to the city of Baltimore," the committee member said, adding concern that the increase "may ripple down and cause the possible closing of other fire stations." The chair (S1) asked whether the $6 million estimate accounted for current overtime; the committee member replied the estimate assumes overtime would increase once the threshold is lowered.
The clerk read the roll: the bill passed on a 7–3 vote. Voting members recorded in the roll call included Vice Chair Hayes, Senator Kramer and others as announced by the clerk (see committee minutes for full roll call). The amendment changing the effective date to 10/01/2028 was incorporated into the favorable report.
Why it matters: The bill changes the overtime calculation that applies to many career and volunteer fire department schedules and adds transparency requirements to individual pay notices; jurisdictions already struggling with tight municipal budgets flagged the possibility of additional fiscal strain.
What happens next: SB 445 will move from committee with a favorable report and go to the full Senate for further consideration according to the chamber's procedures.
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