Humane World Action Fund, a national animal advocacy group, has released its annual scorecard grading Maryland lawmakers on votes related to animal welfare ahead of the state’s June 23 primary election.
Published on Thursday, the 2026 Maryland Humane Scorecard evaluates members of the Maryland General Assembly on legislation affecting pets, wildlife, and animals used in research.
According to the organization, 42 out of Maryland’s 47 state senators scored 80% or higher, including 38 who received perfect scores. In the House of Delegates, 93 out of 141 members earned a score of 100%.
The scorecard highlights several animal protection measures approved during the 2026 legislative session, including the Animal Research Modernization and Best Practices Act. The new law requires laboratories to replace animal testing with federally approved non-animal alternatives when available and mandates reporting on the use and adoption of dogs and cats involved in research.
Other measures signed into law include protections for donors of pet supplies, new consumer transparency requirements for pet cremation services and updated protections for endangered and threatened migratory bird species.
Lawmakers received a check mark for each vote that the Humane World Action Fund considered “pro-animal,” and an “X” mark for each vote deemed “anti-animal.” The fund also identified whether a lawmaker was the prime sponsor of “pro-animal” legislation, as well as cases in which a lawmaker did not vote, either due to absence/absention or being excused by the presiding officer.
The fund notes that “In some cases, legislators must miss votes for unavoidable personal reasons, such as a death in the family, serious illness, birth of a child or emergency in their district.”
Humane World Action Fund said the scorecard is intended to help voters assess lawmakers’ records on animal welfare issues. The organization publishes annual state and federal legislative scorecards tracking votes and other actions related to animal protection.
The full scorecard can be found here.
