MD SB471

Maximum annual salary for circuit court clerks and registers of wills changes from a fixed cap of $146,500 to the salary of a State employee at Grade 26, Step 20 of the Maryland Standard and Bargaining Salary Scale

Salary rate is locked in on the day before a clerk or register begins a new term of office; any changes to the state salary scale during their term do not apply until the next term begins

Board of Public Works retains authority to set individual salaries based on relative volume of business, receipts, county population, and 5-year fee/tax collection history

Repeals the obsolete $12,000 minimum annual salary requirement for the Baltimore City register of wills

Takes effect October 1, 2026, with salary changes applying only to terms of office beginning after that date (per Article III, § 35 of the Maryland Constitution)