---
type: "Bill"
title: "Election Law – Absentee Voting – References in Public Communications and Prepaid Postage for Return of Ballots"
description: "Election Law – Absentee Voting – References in Public Communications and Prepaid Postage for Return of Ballots"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2020"
identifier: "HB 37"
citation: "Maryland HB 37 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["A"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Palakovich Carr"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 20
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2019-09-20"
last_action: "2020-05-08"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/4bdfbac5-7e53-4e11-9185-2ef0267036eb"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0037?ys=2020RS&search=True"
source_hash: "e7410141ff7dc15f275d4559468aab05f06970289f10d5b07cec26fd530eaa64"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-md"]
---

# Maryland HB 37 (2020) — Election Law – Absentee Voting – References in Public Communications and Prepaid Postage for Return of Ballots

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Chapter - Election Law – Absentee Voting – References in Public Communications and Prepaid Postage for Return of Ballots** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2020RS/Chapters_noln/CH_36_hb0037e.pdf)
2. **Enrolled - Election Law – Absentee Voting – References in Public Communications and Prepaid Postage for Return of Ballots** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2020RS/bills/hb/hb0037e.pdf)
3. **First - Election Law - References to Absentee Voting in Communications - Mail-In Voting** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2020RS/bills/hb/hb0037f.pdf)
4. **Third - Election Law - References to Absentee Voting in Communications - Mail-In Voting** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2020RS/bills/hb/hb0037t.pdf)

## Votes

- On Third Reading — **99–37** (pass) · lower
- On Third Reading (Amend) — **45–0** (pass) · upper
- On Third Reading and Final Passage (Hse concurred) — **97–33** (pass) · lower
- Suspened Rule 24 to allow two readings of a bill in the same day — **30–14** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Palakovich Carr — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-09-20** Pre-filed `introduction`
- **2020-01-08** First Reading Ways and Means `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-07** Hearing 1/16 at 1:30 p.m.
- **2020-01-30** Favorable with Amendments Report by Ways and Means `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2020-01-30** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2020-01-30** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2020-01-31** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2020-02-03** Referred Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2020-03-16** Favorable Report by Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2020-03-16** Favorable `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2020-03-16** Motion Special Order until 3/17 (Senator Kagan) Adopted
- **2020-03-18** Favorable Adopted `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2020-03-18** Floor Amendment {
- **2020-03-18** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2020-03-18** Motion Rules Suspend Two Readings Same Day Const/Rule 24 (Senator Kagan)
- **2020-03-18** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2020-03-18** House Concurs Senate Amendments
- **2020-03-18** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2020-03-18** Passed Enrolled
- **2020-05-08** Enacted under Article II, Section 17(c) of the Maryland Constitution - Chapter 36 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/4bdfbac5-7e53-4e11-9185-2ef0267036eb`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).