---
type: "Bill"
title: "Access to Counsel in Evictions - Task Force and Special Fund"
description: "Access to Counsel in Evictions - Task Force and Special Fund"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2025"
identifier: "SB 154"
citation: "Maryland SB 154 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Guzzone", "Hettleman"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 16
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2024-10-30"
last_action: "2025-05-13"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/4388868e-e9a0-402b-8f52-9bd63caf9472"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0154?ys=2025RS&search=True"
source_hash: "4ceb360dc6dd0d80f136f885a8e151bb9801c5126fce356fbafe0f2b00688a3f"
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 SB 154 (2025) — Access to Counsel in Evictions - Task Force and Special Fund

## Version chain

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

1. **Chapter - Access to Counsel in Evictions - Task Force and Special Fund** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_457_sb0154t.pdf)
2. **First - Access to Counsel in Evictions – Task Force Termination and Special Fund** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0154f.pdf)
3. **Third - Access to Counsel in Evictions - Task Force and Special Fund** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0154t.pdf)

## Votes

- On Third Reading — **99–40** (pass) · lower
- On Third Reading — **35–11** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Guzzone — primary (person)
- Hettleman — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-10-30** Pre-filed `introduction`
- **2025-01-08** First Reading Budget and Taxation and Judicial Proceedings `referral-committee`
- **2025-01-08** Hearing 1/15 at 10:30 a.m. (Budget and Taxation)
- **2025-03-17** Favorable with Amendments Report by Budget and Taxation `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-17** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-17** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2025-03-17** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2025-03-18** Referred Appropriations Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-19** Hearing 3/26 at 1:00 p.m. (Appropriations)
- **2025-03-26** Hearing canceled (Appropriations)
- **2025-03-26** Hearing 3/26 at 2:30 p.m. (Appropriations)
- **2025-04-07** Favorable Report by Appropriations `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-07** Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-07** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2025-04-07** Returned Passed
- **2025-05-13** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 457 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/4388868e-e9a0-402b-8f52-9bd63caf9472`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).