---
type: "Bill"
title: "Local Government - Humane Society and Animal Control Officers - Education and Training Requirements"
description: "Local Government - Humane Society and Animal Control Officers - Education and Training Requirements"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 281"
citation: "Maryland HB 281 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Chang"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 18
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2020-10-05"
last_action: "2021-05-18"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/51fded72-abbc-4bcc-85d5-96f9280c8479"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0281?ys=2021RS&search=True"
source_hash: "996c017748d32405d03dfa3d95cc8727119b4488ad79621c6129d1d934c7cc30"
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 281 (2021) — Local Government - Humane Society and Animal Control Officers - Education and Training Requirements

## Version chain

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

1. **Chapter - Local Government - Humane Society and Animal Control Officers - Education and Training Requirements** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/Chapters_noln/CH_226_hb0281e.pdf)
2. **Enrolled - Local Government - Humane Society and Animal Control Officers - Education and Training Requirements** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/bills/hb/hb0281e.pdf)
3. **First - Criminal Law - Humane Society and Animal Control Officers - Education and Training Requirements** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/bills/hb/hb0281f.pdf)
4. **Third - Local Government - Humane Society and Animal Control Officers - Education and Training Requirements** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/bills/hb/hb0281t.pdf)

## Votes

- On Third Reading and Final Passage (Hse concurred) — **137–1** (pass) · lower
- On Third Reading — **130–1** (pass) · lower
- HB 281 HB 541 — **45–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Chang — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-10-05** Pre-filed `introduction`
- **2021-01-13** First Reading Environment and Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2020-12-22** Hearing 1/29 at 1:30 p.m.
- **2021-01-04** Hearing canceled
- **2021-01-04** Hearing 1/29 at 11:00 a.m.
- **2021-02-15** Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-02-16** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-02-16** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2021-02-18** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-02-19** Referred Judicial Proceedings `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-10** Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-12** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-12** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2021-04-12** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-04-12** House Concurs Senate Amendments
- **2021-04-12** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2021-04-12** Passed Enrolled
- **2021-05-18** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 226 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/51fded72-abbc-4bcc-85d5-96f9280c8479`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).