---
type: "Bill"
title: "Tree Expert Licenses - Application and Renewal Fee Alterations and Insurance Requirements"
description: "Tree Expert Licenses - Application and Renewal Fee Alterations and Insurance Requirements"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2024"
identifier: "HB 561"
citation: "Maryland HB 561 (2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Watson"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 17
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2024-01-24"
last_action: "2024-05-09"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0a0bc74a-d2c3-45e2-bb2c-d833cdadf26d"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0561?ys=2024RS&search=True"
source_hash: "36e58df691d17eb77aa2ff2ebbd6b3b3939e140ef778111f6091918c437b11f4"
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 561 (2024) — Tree Expert Licenses - Application and Renewal Fee Alterations and Insurance Requirements

## Version chain

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

1. **Chapter - Tree Expert Licenses - Application and Renewal Fee Alterations and Insurance Requirements** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/Chapters_noln/CH_511_hb0561e.pdf)
2. **Enrolled - Tree Expert Licenses - Application and Renewal Fee Alterations and Insurance Requirements** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/bills/hb/hb0561e.pdf)
3. **First - Tree Expert Licenses - Workers' Compensation Insurance Requirements and Application and Renewal Fee Alterations** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/bills/hb/hb0561f.pdf)
4. **Third - Tree Expert Licenses - Application and Renewal Fee Alterations and Insurance Requirements** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2024RS/bills/hb/hb0561t.pdf)

## Votes

- On Third Reading (Amend) — **33–11** (pass) · upper
- On Third Reading and Final Passage (Hse concurred) — **106–25** (pass) · lower
- On Third Reading — **114–25** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Watson — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-01-24** First Reading Environment and Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-25** Hearing 2/16 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2024-02-15** Hearing canceled
- **2024-02-15** Hearing 2/16 at 12:30 p.m.
- **2024-02-26** Favorable with Amendments Report by Environment and Transportation `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-02-27** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-02-27** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2024-02-29** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2024-03-01** Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment `referral-committee`
- **2024-04-04** Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-04-04** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-04-04** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2024-04-05** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2024-04-06** House Concurs Senate Amendments
- **2024-04-06** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2024-04-06** Passed Enrolled
- **2024-05-09** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 511 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0a0bc74a-d2c3-45e2-bb2c-d833cdadf26d`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).