Rep. Lorig Charkoudian

Maddy summaryHB 1479 (Maryland Raise the Wage Act) increases Maryland's minimum wage for most employers to $15 per hour starting January 1, 2024, rising to $18 per hour beginning January 1, 2028, with future increases tied to the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Consumer Price Index (CPI). Small businesses (with 49 or fewer employees) receive a phased transition: $15 per hour from January 2024 through December 2028, then $18 per hour starting January 2029. The law automatically adjusts the wage annually based on CPI growth (capped at 5% per year), preventing freezes during periods of no CPI increase. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026, directly affecting all Maryland employers and their hourly workers.

Maddy summaryHB 332 (the "No Kings Act") creates a new civil rights lawsuit option in Maryland for individuals deprived of constitutional rights by officials acting "under color of law." It allows victims to sue state or local officials (including law enforcement or judicial officers) for damages, injunctions, or declaratory relief when their rights under the U.S. Constitution, Maryland Declaration of Rights, or Maryland Constitution are violated. Key provisions include a 3-year statute of limitations for filing claims, special rules limiting injunctive relief against judicial officers, and protections for officials claiming qualified immunity. The law applies to all pending cases as of its effective date (October 1, 2026).

Maddy summaryHB 386 modifies Maryland's funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) by requiring the Governor to withhold 35% of annual grants under specific conditions. It directly affects WMATA and Maryland's budget process, mandating that the Governor withhold funds if WMATA fails to submit required reports (like safety assessments and financial data) or if it doesn't develop a rail signaling workforce transition plan by July 2028. The bill also requires WMATA to provide detailed annual reports on safety, ridership, finances, and capital investments to trigger full funding. If WMATA receives a modified audit opinion without a corrective plan, or misses the workforce plan deadline, the Governor must withhold the funds until these conditions are met.

Maddy summaryHB 1048 requires Maryland chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to display warning icons next to menu items containing high sodium (1,150mg+ per serving) or high added sugars (25mg+ per serving) starting January 1, 2028. The Maryland Department of Health must adopt regulations by January 2027 establishing the icon designs, minimum sizes, and accompanying text. The bill also mandates a 2027 public education campaign to help restaurants comply with the new requirements. This directly affects large chain restaurants operating in Maryland, aiming to increase consumer awareness of nutritional content in menu items.

Maddy summaryHB 952 requires operators of "companion chatbots" (AI systems designed to meet social needs through human-like interactions) to establish safety protocols, including preventing harmful content like self-harm discussions and sexually explicit material for minors. Operators must publish these protocols online, display clear warnings that chatbots are AI (not human), and provide crisis resource referrals for users expressing suicidal thoughts. The bill also mandates that operators of chatbots used by minors display mandatory break reminders after 3 hours of continuous use. It excludes business customer service bots, video game features, and basic voice assistants from these requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 658 establishes Maryland’s Community Forensic Aftercare Program within the Department of Health. The program monitors two groups: individuals found not criminally responsible due to mental illness who are on conditional release, and people with mental illness or intellectual disability requiring community monitoring under specific legal circumstances. Key provisions require the Program to create a community monitoring board to make decisions about conditional release and out-of-state travel for these individuals. The bill amends existing criminal procedure and health codes to implement this new oversight structure, replacing outdated sections with the new program framework.

Maddy summaryHB 639, the Aviation Health and Safety Act, requires the Maryland Aviation Administration to create a form for passengers traveling involuntarily or in restraint (detained individuals). The form collects medical history (allergies, conditions, medications), legal details (attorney contact, case status), and minor/guardianship information. Flight crews must distribute and collect the forms, while fixed-base operators (FBOs) must verify forms are on board before providing services like fueling. The bill also prohibits refueling an aircraft while a restrained person is aboard and mandates specific services for restrained individuals when they disembark for refueling. These requirements apply to all aircraft carrying detained individuals within Maryland's jurisdiction.

Maddy summaryHB 476 repeals Maryland's current caps on noneconomic damages in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. It removes the $350,000 limit for personal injury cases (since 1986) and the $500,000 limit for both personal injury and wrongful death cases (since 1994), eliminating annual inflation adjustments. This change directly affects plaintiffs filing such lawsuits and defendants facing potential larger awards. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026, applying only to cases arising after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 410 requires food manufacturers, processors, and retailers in Maryland to use standardized date labels on packaged food starting July 1, 2027. It mandates replacing "Sell By" with "Best If Used By" for quality dates and "Use By" for safety dates, while prohibiting the sale of items labeled with "Sell By" after that date. The bill also requires the Maryland Department of Health to create and post educational materials about these labels online by July 2027. This affects all food businesses selling packaged products to consumers, excluding infant formula, beer, and malt beverages.

Maddy summaryHB 1268 requires new or renewed environmental permits for facilities in Maryland neighborhoods identified as "at-risk" (based on high pollution levels or proximity to pollution sources like power plants or landfills) to include a "burden report" detailing existing environmental health issues. The state Department of the Environment must deny permits if approval would worsen pollution stressors in these areas, using Maryland’s Environmental Justice Tool to define "at-risk" census tracts. It applies specifically to air quality permits for construction and water discharge permits for facilities like power plants, waste sites, or mining operations. The bill mandates public participation in permit reviews for these facilities and requires the Department to document its assessment for judicial review.