Finance Committee holds SB 60 after chair's amendments; bill to strengthen workplace‑fraud enforcement returned for review

Senate Bill 60, a departmental bill aimed at strengthening enforcement under the Workplace Fraud subtitle and clarifying contractor liability, was reviewed by the Finance Committee with multiple chair's amendments and reprints. Committee members requested additional time to digest the changes and the item was held for the committee’s next voting session.

What changed: The chair’s reprint and amendments removed an earlier insertion that would have folded certain false‑record provisions into the Maryland False Claims Act, adjusted joint‑and‑several liability language to focus restitution for impacted employees, and added indemnification language requiring subcontractors to indemnify general contractors for damages and fees unless the contract provides otherwise. The amendments also added a requirement that the Commissioner of Labor and Industry develop a publicly available training course on workplace‑fraud requirements and require contractors who violate the subtitle to complete it. The monthly meeting requirement with the Attorney General was revised to monthly information sharing to reduce operational burden.

Why members paused: Senators said the extent and complexity of the new language — changes to liability, enforcement referral, debarment provisions, and the addition of training and form redesign — warranted more time for review. One senator asked whether the amendments preserved protections for employees to recover unpaid unemployment or workers’ compensation costs; staff said the amended language focuses liability toward restitution for impacted employees.

Next steps: The committee agreed to take SB 60 up in the next voting session so members could examine the reprints in full. Chair’s staff will provide the reprints and explanatory materials in advance of the next meeting.

The committee did not vote on the bill during this session; sponsors said the amendments respond to contractor concerns and aim to make compliance easier while preserving remedies for affected employees.