Legislation would have gradually raised state minimum wage through 2029, tied future increases to inflation
ANNAPOLIS, MD – A scheduled hearing in the Maryland House of Delegates on a bill to raise the state minimum wage to $18 an hour has been canceled, halting movement on one of the session’s most closely watched labor proposals.
The measure, titled the Maryland Raise the Wage Act, sought to increase the state’s minimum wage to $18 by 2028 for large employers and 2029 for small employers. The proposal also would have indexed future wage hikes to the Consumer Price Index beginning in 2029 and 2030, respectively.
A new date for the hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Key Points
- Hearing on the Maryland Raise the Wage Act was canceled on March 3
- The bill proposed raising the minimum wage to $18 by 2028–2029
- Future increases would have been tied to inflation under the legislation
Canceled before public testimony
The hearing, originally set for March 5 before the House Government, Labor, and Elections Committee, was canceled Monday, according to the Maryland General Assembly’s legislative calendar. No new date has been announced, and lawmakers have not provided an explanation for the cancellation.
The legislation, sponsored by Delegates Boafo, Charkoudian, Amprey, Bhandari, Fennell, A. Johnson, Kaiser, Lehman, Terrasa, Turner, and White Holland, would have continued the state’s multi-year wage increases that began under prior legislation enacted in 2019.
Bill would impose local government mandate
The proposal includes a local government mandate requiring counties and municipalities to comply with the new wage standards, potentially increasing payroll costs for public-sector employers. If enacted, the law would take effect October 1, 2026.
It remains unclear whether the hearing will be rescheduled or if the measure will advance later in the session.
Tags: Maryland, minimum wage, Annapolis
