---
type: "Bill"
title: "Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Advance Directives – Electronic Execution"
description: "Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Advance Directives – Electronic Execution"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 1261"
citation: "Maryland HB 1261 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["W. Fisher"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 15
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2021-02-08"
last_action: "2021-05-30"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d9788dfc-ffec-43eb-b61c-f11b8501704f"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb1261?ys=2021RS&search=True"
source_hash: "359b0f44d737d5558e32b99ca3969b660c135d137d34bd6198cec5754c9b6c63"
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 1261 (2021) — Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Advance Directives – Electronic Execution

## Version chain

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

1. **Chapter - Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Advance Directives – Electronic Execution** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/Chapters_noln/CH_686_hb1261e.pdf)
2. **Enrolled - Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Advance Directives – Electronic Execution** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/bills/hb/hb1261e.pdf)
3. **First - Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Advance Directives – Electronic Execution** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/bills/hb/hb1261f.pdf)
4. **Third - Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Advance Directives – Electronic Execution** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/bills/hb/hb1261t.pdf)

## Votes

- On Third Reading — **130–5** (pass) · lower
- On Third Reading (Amend) — **46–1** (pass) · upper
- On Third Reading and Final Passage (Hse concurred) — **134–3** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- W. Fisher — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-02-08** First Reading Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-10** Hearing 2/22 at 1:30 p.m.
- **2021-03-16** Favorable with Amendments Report by Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-16** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-16** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2021-03-17** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-03-18** Referred Judicial Proceedings `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-31** Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-01** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-01** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2021-04-06** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-04-10** House Concurs Senate Amendments
- **2021-04-10** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-04-10** Passed Enrolled
- **2021-05-30** Enacted under Article II, Section 17(c) of the Maryland Constitution - Chapter 686 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d9788dfc-ffec-43eb-b61c-f11b8501704f`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).