DISSINTER

SB 697 — Maryland

Election Law - Actions to Influence an Election - Social Media Platform Algorithms and Bots Purchased by Foreign Nationals

Establishing a rebuttable presumption that a social media platform has made an independent expenditure to a certain candidate if the social media platform knowingly and purposefully alters its algorithm to amplify certain political content for the benefit of the candidate; prohibiting a foreign national from using a bot to publish, distribute, or disseminate campaign material or artificially amplify political content to users of an online platform for a certain purpose; etc.

Latest action: Hearing 4/01 at 1:00 p.m. · Mar 24, 2026

Passed one chamberCivil ActionsDisclosureElectionsEthicsFinesInformation TechnologyInternational AffairsInternetInvestigations and InquiriesNoticesOpen GovernmentPenalties and SentencesPolitical CandidatesPublic InformationRecordsReportsRules and RegulationsSocial MediaStandards and Best PracticesSubpoenasTechnology

Synopsis written by the legislature's own staff, as published on the official bill page. Status label is derived from the recorded actions. The full text below is the record.

Committees: Education, Energy, and the Environment (Senate); Government, Labor, and Elections (House of Delegates)

Updated Mar 30, 2026

Timeline

  1. First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment

    Feb 6, 2026 · Senate

  2. Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m.

    Feb 10, 2026 · Senate

  3. Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment

    Mar 16, 2026 · Senate

  4. Favorable with Amendments {

    Mar 18, 2026 · Senate

  5. Second Reading Passed with Amendments

    Mar 18, 2026 · Senate

  6. Third Reading Passed

    Mar 19, 2026 · Senate

  7. Referred Government, Labor, and Elections

    Mar 20, 2026 · House of Delegates

  8. Hearing 4/01 at 1:00 p.m.

    Mar 24, 2026 · House of Delegates

Sponsored by Brian Feldman, Katie Hester

Senate vote — 45–0

On Third Reading · Mar 3, 2026 · result: pass

45 yea · 0 nay · 2 absent, excused, abstain or not voting

Arthur EllisDistrict 28YeaSteve HersheyDistrict 36YeaClarence LamDistrict 12YeaBryan SimonaireDistrict 31YeaDalya AttarDistrict 41YeaBrian FeldmanDistrict 15YeaKatie HesterDistrict 9YeaKaren YoungDistrict 3YeaWill SmithDistrict 20YeaMalcolm AugustineDistrict 47YeaBill FoldenDistrict 4YeaShelly HettlemanDistrict 11YeaSara LoveDistrict 16YeaCharles SydnorDistrict 44YeaJack BaileyDistrict 29YeaJason GallionDistrict 35YeaCarl JacksonDistrict 8YeaJohnny MautzDistrict 37YeaJeff WaldstreicherDistrict 18YeaPam BeidleDistrict 32YeaDawn GileDistrict 33YeaMary-Dulany JamesDistrict 34YeaCory McCrayDistrict 45YeaAlonzo WashingtonDistrict 22YeaBen BrooksDistrict 10YeaGuy GuzzoneDistrict 13YeaJ.B. JenningsDistrict 7YeaMike McKayDistrict 1YeaMary WashingtonDistrict 43YeaMary Beth CarozzaDistrict 38YeaKevin HarrisDistrict 27YeaCheryl KaganDistrict 17YeaJustin ReadyDistrict 5YeaRon WatsonDistrict 23YeaNick CharlesDistrict 25YeaAntonio HayesDistrict 40YeaNancy KingDistrict 39YeaJim RosapepeDistrict 21YeaChris WestDistrict 42YeaPaul CordermanDistrict 2YeaShaneka HensonDistrict 30YeaBen KramerDistrict 19YeaJohnny SallingDistrict 6YeaCraig ZuckerDistrict 14YeaJoanne BensonDistrict 24AbsentAnthony MuseDistrict 26Absent
Mr. Presidentas recorded — not linked to a profileYea
Official record — Maryland General Assembly roll call
Fiscal and Policy Note — official analysis by legislative staff (PDF) Bill text (First reading) — Maryland General Assembly (PDF) Bill text (Third reading) — Maryland General Assembly (PDF) Official record — Maryland General Assembly bill page

Official records. Maryland legislators, bills and roll-call votes from the Maryland General Assembly, imported through Open States on Oct 27, 2026 (partial import — not yet the full session). Accuracy review against the official site is still under way. Campaign-finance records for Maryland are not imported yet.