Rep. Jon Cardin

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies that attorney-client privilege applies when a person managing another's assets (like a trustee or executor) hires a lawyer for legal advice about those assets - even if the lawyer is paid using the assets they manage. It directly affects estate and trust fiduciaries (such as executors or trustees) and their beneficiaries by ensuring private communications with attorneys remain protected. The key provision explicitly states that using fiduciary funds to pay for legal services does not waive the privilege, and a fiduciary relationship alone cannot override this protection. The law aims to prevent unintended disclosure of sensitive legal advice in estate and trust matters.

Maddy summaryHB 563 strengthens protections for law enforcement and search/rescue animals by making it a crime to harm them during their duties. The bill prohibits intentionally harassing, interfering with, injuring, or killing emergency response animals (including police dogs, horses used by police, and search/rescue dogs), and adds penalties for these acts. Violations are classified as misdemeanors with fines up to $15,000 or jail terms up to 5 years, depending on the severity. This directly affects anyone who targets these animals while they are performing official law enforcement or rescue tasks. The law replaces an outdated provision that previously allowed intentional harm to such animals.

Maddy summaryHB 564, the Pet Cremation and Burial Services Consumer Protection Act, requires businesses that provide pet cremation services to give pet owners a written description of available services. This applies specifically to registered cemeterians, cemetery operators, and permit holders selling or offering pet cremation services for pet remains. The written description must be provided to the owner of a deceased pet or their agent when arranging for cremation. The bill aims to increase transparency and ensure pet owners receive clear information about service options before making arrangements.

Maddy summaryHB 721, the Uniformed Services Spouses Act, extends existing Maryland benefits for military service members and veterans to include their spouses. It adds "eligible spouse" as a defined term to priority registration at public colleges (within 15 years of service member’s last active duty, max four academic years), community college resource centers with tailored support, and senatorial/Delegate scholarships for spouses of active service members. The bill also modifies hiring preferences for state public service roles to include spouses of veterans. These changes directly affect spouses of active-duty service members and veterans living in Maryland who seek education, career support, or scholarships. The law updates multiple sections of Maryland’s education and employment codes to include spouses in eligibility criteria previously limited to service members themselves.

Maddy summaryHB 980 (Kanaiyah's Law) creates the Office of the Child Welfare Ombudsman within the Attorney General's office to handle complaints about Maryland's child welfare system. It requires juvenile courts to include specific information-sharing requirements in guardianship orders and expands criminal background checks to cover all adults living in a child's guardian's home. The bill also prohibits unlicensed placements for certain children, protects complainants from retaliation, and exempts certain complaint records from public disclosure. These changes directly affect child welfare agencies, guardians, and families navigating the system, aiming to improve transparency and accountability.

Maddy summaryHB 338 expands the jurisdiction of the Maryland Capitol Police (a unit within the Department of General Services) to cover all state-owned or leased buildings and the surrounding area up to 2,000 feet (previously 1,000 feet). It grants the Capitol Police statewide authority to enforce criminal laws and traffic regulations, with a requirement to notify specific local law enforcement agencies after enforcement actions. This change directly affects the Capitol Police by broadening their operational scope and impacts local police departments that must receive notifications. The bill does not alter the Capitol Police's structure or staffing but clarifies their jurisdictional boundaries under state law.

Maddy summaryHB 174 allows boat and car owners to name a beneficiary to automatically inherit their vehicle upon death, applying to sole owners or co-owners holding title as joint tenants with right of survivorship. Owners can add "TOD" (Transfer-on-Death) to their title, and the beneficiary gains ownership after the owner’s death if they survive. Owners may change or cancel the designation anytime before death without the beneficiary’s consent. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, and does not affect creditors’ rights or require title delivery to the beneficiary.

Maddy summaryHB 720 repeals the expiration date for the Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship, removing the current cutoff of June 30, 2030, for awarding new scholarships and eliminating restrictions on renewing scholarships for recipients who received their initial award before that date. This change directly affects eligible veterans, active service members, or their dependents (spouses, children) who served in the Afghanistan or Iraq conflicts and meet Maryland residency and enrollment requirements at participating institutions. The bill maintains all existing provisions, including the 50% tuition coverage limit, 2.5 GPA requirement, and 5-year full-time renewal period. It ensures the scholarship program continues indefinitely without time-based restrictions on new awards or renewals.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new misdemeanor offense called third-degree assault in Maryland, which prohibits intentionally causing offensive contact, attempting to cause such contact, or engaging in conduct meant to make someone fear offensive contact. The law defines offensive contact as nonconsensual physical contact that a reasonable person would find offensive, but explicitly excludes contact that causes physical injury, creates a risk of serious injury, or involves domestic or sexual crimes. People convicted of this offense could face up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both. The bill also updates legal procedures by clarifying how third-degree assault charges must be written in court documents and ensures that physical injury from a third-degree assault cannot be used as a defense against that charge. Additionally, it adjusts jurisdiction rules so that District Courts handle third-degree assault cases exclusively.

Maddy summaryHB 336 amends Maryland law to restrict District Court commissioners from issuing arrest warrants based on applications from anyone other than police officers or State’s Attorneys. It also adds specific circumstances under which warrants may be issued (e.g., if a defendant skipped a summons, is unknown to authorities, or is in custody for another offense). Additionally, the bill increases the penalty for knowingly making false statements about crimes or public safety dangers to officials, raising the maximum jail term from six months to three years. These changes directly affect law enforcement, prosecutors, and individuals who file complaints or reports with authorities.