Maryland is about to let artificial intelligence pick up the 3-1-1 line. The state is poised to be the first in the country with a statewide AI-powered 3-1-1 network after lawmakers passed SB114 and sent it back to the governor on April 13, 2026. Gov. Wes Moore is scheduled to sign the measure on May 12, 2026, according to reporting, and the statute is set to take effect on July 1, 2026. Supporters say the phased rollout will steer nonemergency questions away from 9-1-1, with chatbots slated for pilot use in 2027 and a plan for statewide implementation by mid-2028.
What SB114 Does
SB114 creates a Maryland 3-1-1 Oversight Board inside the Maryland Information Network and tasks it with choosing vendors, approving statewide data standards and coordinating county memoranda of understanding. The bill requires the board to launch pilot chatbots in designated counties and to set clear escalation rules so the AI can hand off complex or emergency issues to live agents, according to the Maryland General Assembly. The Department of Legislative Services' fiscal note sets the timetable and milestones, including chatbots by June 30, 2027, and a required progress report by December 1, 2027, as detailed by the Department of Legislative Services.
Why Lawmakers Pushed It
Lawmakers and the workgroup that studied the idea said nonemergency calls are clogging up emergency dispatch centers. The final workgroup report cites a Baltimore Sun finding that roughly 80% of calls to Baltimore's 9-1-1 center were non-emergencies and recommends a phased rollout - pilots in four counties followed by voice-bot expansion - noting that only six of Maryland’s 24 counties currently operate some form of 3-1-1. The workgroup laid out its findings in the Final 3-1-1 Workgroup Report.
Who Will Run It and the Price Tag
The Maryland Information Network, which operates the statewide 2-1-1 referral service and will staff the new oversight board, will handle procurement and day-to-day program work, according to MdInfoNet. The Department of Legislative Services' analysis, incorporating MdInfoNet's preliminary estimates, says the program will need roughly $1.4 million in fiscal 2027 to hire a program manager, county liaisons, and a data specialist, procure chatbot and voice-bot services, and fund outreach and coordination. The analysis notes those administration and expansion costs could continue annually as the state scales the system.
Safeguards and Oversight
Under SB114, the AI is limited to answers pulled from curated, agency-approved government pages, and vendors must investigate any user-flagged inaccuracies, with specific escalation paths to human operators. Those checks and the board's duties are detailed in the bill text posted by the Maryland General Assembly.
What To Watch Next
Gov. Moore's calendar reportedly includes a bill-signing event on May 12, 2026; the Tampa Free Press first reported the schedule. In the months after the signing, MdInfoNet will solicit vendor proposals and the board will designate pilot counties. The law requires a December 1, 2027, progress report and a comprehensive implementation plan and statewide rollout by July 1, 2028. Residents should keep an eye out for county announcements about pilot participation and for state outreach explaining how to use the new 3-1-1 "front door."
