---
type: "Bill"
title: "Education - Public Libraries - Collective Bargaining (Library Workers Empowerment Act)"
description: "Education - Public Libraries - Collective Bargaining (Library Workers Empowerment Act)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2024"
identifier: "HB 609"
citation: "Maryland HB 609 (2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["A. Johnson", "D. Jones", "Forbes", "Harris", "J. Lewis", "Ruff", "S. Johnson", "Shetty", "Solomon"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 22
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2024-01-25"
last_action: "2024-04-25"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/427d5e6d-d323-4e42-8e26-45bfe61dc227"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0609?ys=2024RS&search=True"
source_hash: "029039b8af18d6343d5b5a1eea9fe8f3af294662a663b15e3ac04a2084121ffe"
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 609 (2024) — Education - Public Libraries - Collective Bargaining (Library Workers Empowerment Act)

## Version chain

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

1. **Chapter - Education - Public Libraries - Collective Bargaining (Library Workers Empowerment Act)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/Chapters_noln/CH_132_hb0609e.pdf)
2. **Enrolled - Education - Public Libraries - Collective Bargaining (Library Workers Empowerment Act)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/bills/hb/hb0609e.pdf)
3. **First - Education - Public Libraries - Collective Bargaining (Library Workers Empowerment Act)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/bills/hb/hb0609f.pdf)
4. **Third - Education - Public Libraries - Collective Bargaining (Library Workers Empowerment Act)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/bills/hb/hb0609t.pdf)

## Votes

- On Third Reading — **100–33** (pass) · lower
- FLA Del. Tomlinson /103425/1 — **39–101** (fail) · lower
- On Third Reading (Amend) — **35–12** (pass) · upper
- On Third Reading and Final Passage (Hse concurred) — **98–35** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- A. Johnson — primary (person)
- D. Jones — primary (person)
- Forbes — primary (person)
- Harris — primary (person)
- J. Lewis — primary (person)
- Ruff — primary (person)
- S. Johnson — primary (person)
- Shetty — primary (person)
- Solomon — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-01-25** First Reading Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-26** Hearing 2/13 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2024-02-01** Hearing canceled
- **2024-02-01** Hearing 2/13 at 12:00 p.m.
- **2024-03-04** Favorable with Amendments Report by Appropriations `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-05** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-05** Motion Special Order until 3/6 (Delegate Tomlinson) Adopted
- **2024-03-06** Floor Amendment {
- **2024-03-06** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2024-03-08** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2024-03-11** Referred Finance Education, Energy, and the Environment `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-15** Hearing 3/20 at 1:00 p.m. (Finance)
- **2024-04-01** Favorable with Amendments Report by Finance `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-04-02** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-04-02** Motion Special Order until 4/3 (Senator Gallion) Adopted
- **2024-04-03** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-04-03** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2024-04-03** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2024-04-05** House Concurs Senate Amendments
- **2024-04-05** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2024-04-05** Passed Enrolled
- **2024-04-25** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 132 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/427d5e6d-d323-4e42-8e26-45bfe61dc227`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).