The organizers behind a ballot question struck down by the Maryland Supreme Court last year before it reached voters are giving it a second shot — and this time they’re not taking chances.

The Maryland Child Alliance, the group behind the “baby bonus” ballot question, has gotten permission to circulate petitions in support of a similar question that organizers believe will this time pass constitutional muster.

The group’s original proposal would have asked voters if they wanted to require the city to provide one-time payments of at least $1,000 to new parents in the city upon the birth or adoption of a child. The high court ruled that the proposal impeded on the authority of the City Council, “leaving no meaningful discretion to the legislature.”

This time around, organizers want to ask voters to establish a dedicated fund to be used exclusively for “enhancing the economic stability of families with newborns in Baltimore City” but without the explicit requirement for $1,000 payments. In court last year, attorney Mark Stichel argued that the baby bonus proposal closely matched the existing Baltimore Children & Youth Fund, which was approved by voters through a charter amendment, but some justices still took issue with the “baby bonus” specificity.

In a news release circulated Thursday, the group said the new question, dubbed the Baltimore Baby Fund, was written to meet standards set by the Supreme Court ruling.

“Though the proposal provides fewer specifics, it keeps the original spirit of the Baby Bonus — every child born in Baltimore City should have the resources they need to reach their full potential," the group said.

The court barred two questions from appearing on the ballot last year — the baby bonus and a proposal from Renew Baltimore to freeze and then step down the city’s property tax rate.

Now, almost two years ahead of the 2026 general election, the Maryland Child Alliance is trying again. The group needs at least 10,000 signatures from registered city voters to place a question on the ballot.

Election board approval is a required first step to circulate petitions, but it does not signify whether a ballot question will be considered legally viable. That decision is made at the end of the circulation process. In 2024, election officials approved the baby bonus, but Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and the City Council successfully challenged it in court.

Neither Scott’s office nor City Council President Zeke Cohen immediately responded to a request for comment Thursday morning.

In hopes of avoiding a similar legal battle, organizers behind the Baltimore Baby Fund filed a request in Baltimore City Circuit Court on Monday seeking declaratory judgment before they begin collecting signatures.

“Before thousands of residents add their names, we want to be certain that the future of the Baby Fund is decided at the ballot box, not by last-minute court decision,” the group said in its Thursday news release. “Such a result is better not only for the children and families of Baltimore City but also reaffirms our democratic process.”

The courts have become the battleground for citizen-driven ballot questions in recent years as they become an increasingly popular tool in the city. When the measures make it onto the ballot, they are almost assured passage. Baltimore voters have approved all but two ballot questions in the last 25 years.