Del. Linda Foley

Maddy summaryHB 972 establishes the Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund, a permanent fund to provide annual grants supporting agricultural fairs and education. The fund will receive lottery proceeds (before allocation to the general fund) and replace previous requirements for horse racing fund allocations. It directs specific annual grants: $825,000 to the Maryland Agricultural Fair Board, $75,000 to the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, $550,000 to the Maryland State Fair Society (for youth programs like 4-H and FFA), and $50,000 to the Maryland FFA Association. These grants aim to advance agricultural fairs, education, and youth programs across Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 35 authorizes Maryland counties and municipalities to create local rules regulating Tree of Heaven (an invasive species), directly affecting property owners and local governments. The bill allows communities to ban the sale, planting, or growth of Tree of Heaven on private property, and requires property owners to remove it. Local governments may also establish cash reward programs to incentivize removal, and enforce rules through civil fines or requiring damage mitigation. This bill provides concrete tools for local management of the invasive tree without mandating statewide action.

Maddy summaryHB 480 requires transportation network companies (like Uber or Lyft) operating in Maryland to create and follow a clear written policy for deactivating drivers. The bill mandates companies must notify drivers of deactivation reasons and provide specific information, and prohibits deactivation unless it follows the published policy. It defines "egregious misconduct" (such as repeated traffic violations or safety threats) as the only valid reason for deactivation, excluding minor violations. This directly affects drivers who could be deactivated and companies required to maintain transparent, consistent procedures.

Maddy summaryHB 429 establishes two grant programs to reduce food waste and promote composting. The On-Farm Organics Diversion Grant Program (under Agriculture) funds farmers, urban farmers, and related entities to implement on-farm composting, food rescue, and waste prevention. The Wasted Food Reduction Grant Program (under Environment) funds projects like food rescue infrastructure, community composting, and education to reduce wasted food statewide. Eligible projects must meet specific standards, such as producing certified compost and prioritizing underserved communities, with grants awarded annually starting July 2028.

Maddy summaryHB 613 requires property owners in Calvert and St. Mary's Counties to use natural erosion control methods (like marsh creation, native plants, and oyster reefs) instead of hard structures (such as seawalls) for shoreline stabilization. It exempts these counties from general state requirements for nonstructural measures and creates a new waiver process where owners must demonstrate to the Department of Natural Resources that natural methods are not feasible due to factors like extreme erosion or narrow shorelines. The bill defines "living shorelines" as projects using natural materials and ecological principles to absorb wave energy and restore habitats, while still allowing structural measures in specific high-energy areas. This directly affects property owners along navigable waters in those two counties, changing how they must address shoreline erosion.

Maddy summaryHB 427 extends the deadline for the Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances to complete its work. The bill modifies existing law (Chapter 793 of the 2024 Acts) to delay the Task Force's report submission date from July 31, 2025, to a new date specified in the bill. This procedural extension affects the Task Force members (including state health officials, university representatives, and community experts) and the Maryland General Assembly, which will receive the final report. The Task Force's duties remain unchanged: studying psychedelic substances like psilocybin, making recommendations for legal access programs, and addressing criminal justice impacts.

Maddy summaryHB 663 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to report to the state legislature on changes in federal greenhouse gas emissions policies. Starting July 1, 2026, and every six months thereafter, the department must report any legally validated federal policy changes - including court-approved repeals of vehicle or stationary source emissions standards - and detail Maryland's response to those changes. The bill specifically mandates that reports cover policy shifts since January 1, 2024, for the first report, and each subsequent report must address changes from the prior six-month period. This reporting requirement expires on May 31, 2029, after a three-year term. The bill directly affects state environmental agencies and the General Assembly, creating a formal process to track federal regulatory shifts impacting climate policy.

Maddy summaryHB 1071 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to create regulations and a model ordinance for local stormwater management programs to enforce rules on agricultural land. It mandates that local programs must work with soil conservation districts to implement these rules and specifies that farm-related uses (like on-farm processing) must be clearly distinguished from commercial development in stormwater regulations. The bill also adds flexibility for enforcing stormwater management on agricultural land, rather than applying standard commercial development rules. This directly affects farmers, local governments, and soil conservation districts by changing how agricultural land is regulated under stormwater management.

Maddy summaryHB 1389 updates Maryland law to explicitly include female genital mutilation (FGM) under the legal definition of "abuse" for child protection purposes. This requires healthcare workers, educators, and others to report suspected FGM cases - just like other forms of child abuse - and increases penalties for violations. The bill also allows victims to file civil lawsuits and mandates the Maryland Department of Health to create educational materials about FGM. These changes directly affect mandated reporters, medical professionals, and individuals at risk of FGM.

Maddy summaryHB 1221 requires short-term rental hosts (for stays under 30 days) to post evacuation diagrams and emergency contact numbers, provide working fire extinguishers, and install interconnected smoke alarms that meet specific sound and placement standards in their units. Booking services must notify hosts of these requirements and collect verification documentation. Counties and Baltimore City must enforce inspections through local regulations and report data to the State Fire Marshal, who will then submit an annual report to the General Assembly. The bill directly affects hosts, booking platforms, local governments, and fire safety oversight bodies. It amends Maryland law to establish these fire safety standards for short-term rentals.