Del. Lily Qi

Maddy summaryHB 1332 exempts property owned by Glenstone Foundation, Inc. from Maryland property taxes if used exclusively for specific purposes. The bill allows tax exemption for property storing art/equipment (Section 7-251(1)(I)), supporting environmental conservation through gardens/wildlife habitats (Section 7-251(1)(II)), or providing housing for essential museum staff like caretakers or security personnel (Section 7-251(1)(III)). This exemption applies to all taxable years beginning after June 30, 2025, and directly affects Glenstone Foundation’s qualifying properties. The bill creates a targeted tax exemption for one organization’s operational needs without altering broader tax policy.

Maddy summaryHB 1280 allows unaffiliated voters in Maryland to choose a political party during early voting for primary elections. Specifically, it permits voters who have not affiliated with a party to request affiliation at an early voting center in their county before a primary election. If residency is confirmed, election judges issue a voter authority card and a ballot for the chosen party. This change applies only to early voting periods before primary elections, not general elections, and takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1225 (Affordable Grid Act) requires Maryland's electric companies to develop and submit 3-year distribution plans to the Public Service Commission for approval by December 2025. These plans must track progress on specific state targets, including solar energy expansion, electric vehicle adoption, energy storage, and greenhouse gas reductions, using mandated metrics. Electric companies must also provide annual progress reports and public comment opportunities as part of the planning process. The bill directly affects utility providers (like BGE or Potomac Electric Power Company) and shapes how electricity infrastructure is planned and monitored across Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 1331 requires developers and deployers of high-risk artificial intelligence systems (those making decisions with legal or significant effects on consumers) to take specific protective measures. Developers must provide standardized disclosures about system purposes, risks of algorithmic discrimination, and limitations before selling to deployers, and publish this information publicly. Deployers must implement risk management policies, complete impact assessments, and make disclosures to consumers. Violations would be treated as unfair, deceptive, or abusive trade practices under Maryland's Consumer Protection Act, subject to enforcement and penalties. The bill directly affects businesses developing or using high-risk AI systems in consumer-facing applications like lending, hiring, or healthcare.

Maddy summaryHB 1360 prohibits storing road salt uncovered outdoors in Maryland, directly affecting municipalities, road maintenance crews, and any entity handling road salt for winter operations. The bill requires the Department of the Environment to create regulations for proper outdoor storage (including covered methods) and establish penalties for noncompliance. Enforcement will be handled by county stormwater authorities working with the Department, while exempting entities already covered by federal salt management plans. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, aiming to reduce salt runoff into waterways.

Maddy summaryHB 168 exempts all personal property, including manufacturing inventory, from property tax for small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses in Maryland. The bill creates a new Section 7-225.1 in the tax code, removing property tax liability for qualifying businesses' equipment, tools, machinery, and inventory used in manufacturing activities. This applies to state, county, and special district property taxes, but excludes property used in non-manufacturing activities like administration or sales. The exemption takes effect June 1, 2025, for taxable years beginning after June 30, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 97 expands naming options for county and municipal economic development authorities (allowing names like "redevelopment authority" beyond just "industrial development authority") and broadens their powers. It authorizes these authorities to issue bonds under specific requirements and increases allowable uses of tax increment funds for projects. The bill amends multiple sections of Maryland's economic development code (including Sections 12-101, 12-201, and 12-211) to implement these changes. These modifications directly affect all counties and municipalities operating such authorities across Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 823 requires developers of generative AI systems (like those creating text, images, or video) to publish detailed documentation about their training data before releasing or significantly updating these systems. Specifically, developers must post on their website by January 1, 2026, and after each major update, including data sources, how the data supports the AI's purpose, and dataset size (static or estimated for dynamic data). The law applies to public-facing AI systems released after January 1, 2022, but excludes specialized uses like hospital medical tools, aircraft safety systems, federal national security applications, and privacy protection tools. This mandate aims to increase transparency about the data powering AI systems that generate content for public use.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Maryland Insurance Administration to conduct a comprehensive study of professional employer organizations within the state. The study will examine how these organizations are regulated compared to federal rules and other states, review their history and health plan benefits, and analyze requirements for businesses to join them. Additionally, the administration will look at how these groups allow small business employees to access large group health plans and assess potential impacts on the local small group market. The agency must submit its findings to the House Health and Government Operations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee by December 31, 2024.

Maddy summaryThe Growing Apprenticeships and the Public Safety Workforce (GAPS) Act expands Maryland's apprenticeship program to include a broader range of public safety agencies, such as correctional facilities, in addition to traditional law enforcement departments. This bill increases the maximum grant amount for agencies participating in the program from $2,000 to $5,000 per apprentice and adjusts eligibility requirements to ensure apprentices live in areas with at least 10% poverty. Furthermore, the legislation mandates that the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission develop mental health wellness policies for law enforcement and correctional facilities while establishing a workgroup to study ways to increase employment in these sectors.