Del. Lorig Charkoudian

Maddy summaryHB 853 (Maryland Second Look Act) allows individuals serving prison sentences of 20+ years to petition courts for sentence reduction under specific conditions. To qualify, petitioners must have served at least 20 years and wait 5 years after any prior petition, with a maximum of three petitions total. Courts must hold hearings considering factors like rehabilitation, victim input, the individual’s age at the offense, and safety risks, and must publicly state their reasons for granting or denying relief. The law applies retroactively to eligible individuals already serving long sentences.

Maddy summaryHB 15 creates a new legal structure for worker cooperatives in Maryland, allowing businesses where employees jointly own and manage the company to form under standardized rules. It establishes specific requirements for formation, governance, conversion, and dissolution through new sections (4A-12A-01 to 4A-12A-22) in Maryland’s business law code. The bill requires worker cooperatives to file Articles of Organization and a Cooperative Agreement (similar to bylaws for other entities) and pay annual reporting fees like other business structures. This directly affects businesses seeking to operate as employee-owned cooperatives by providing a clear, state-approved framework for their legal operation.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Maryland's tax code to exempt properties owned by public housing authorities (including Baltimore Housing Authority, Howard County Housing Commission, and Montgomery County Housing Authority) and certain nonprofit housing corporations from state and local taxes when used for housing eligible low-income residents. It requires these entities to make "payments in lieu of taxes" to local governments through negotiated agreements. The exemption applies to properties directly owned or held through subsidiary entities of these housing authorities. The changes update existing tax law under Maryland's Housing and Community Development code (Section 12-104).

Maddy summaryHB 1424, the "Protect Our Federal Workers Act," expands state financial assistance to Maryland residents affected by federal government disruptions beyond just shutdowns. It renames the "Federal Government Shutdown Employee Assistance Loan Fund" to the "Federal Government Employee Assistance Loan Fund" and broadens eligibility to include current federal employees not paid during shutdowns *and* Maryland residents recently terminated due to federal office closures, relocations, or mass layoffs. The bill allows funds from the state’s Catastrophic Event Account to cover costs for these individuals, administered by the Maryland Department of Labor. This changes existing law to provide loans for both ongoing shutdowns and post-layoff financial hardship from federal facility changes.

Maddy summaryHB 61 requires Maryland public schools to include underground infrastructure in new construction or major renovation projects involving parking lots, starting after December 31, 2025. This infrastructure must be designed to support future installation of solar canopies over parking areas. The bill directly affects all public school projects that include parking lot construction or renovation after the 2025 deadline. It does not mandate solar canopies themselves but ensures the necessary underground systems are built in advance. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 296 repeals a law that prevented Maryland's tax department from requiring businesses with business personal property valued under $20,000 in original cost to file tax returns or provide property information. This change allows the department to collect necessary details from these businesses to confirm their exemption eligibility. The bill directly affects small businesses that qualify for the personal property tax exemption based on the $20,000 threshold. The exemption itself remains unchanged, meaning these businesses continue to be exempt from paying the tax.

Maddy summaryHB 23 allows counties and Baltimore City to create a special property tax rate for certain commercial and industrial properties, which must be in addition to existing taxes and cannot exceed specific limits. This special rate can only fund transportation projects (within designated districts) or county education budgets. The bill requires counties to automatically grant tax exemptions or credits for residential portions in mixed-use buildings and offers tax credits to small businesses (under 50 employees) owning qualifying commercial property. It directly affects commercial/industrial property owners, mixed-use building owners, and small businesses, while ensuring residential sections of buildings receive tax relief.

Maddy summaryHB 829 amends Maryland's public utilities law to address overhead transmission line projects. It requires applicants seeking construction permits to include specific environmental and technical analyses, and directs the Public Service Commission to evaluate alternatives (like advanced transmission technologies) before approving projects. The bill defines "advanced transmission technologies" as grid-enhancing tools, high-performance conductors, or storage used for transmission, and mandates annual reports from transmission line owners to the Commission. These changes directly affect utility companies applying for line construction permits and the Commission’s review process. The bill focuses on improving transparency and evaluating modern infrastructure options during project approvals.

Maddy summaryHB 1198, the Monica Cooper Prerelease Act, requires Maryland to establish a dedicated prerelease facility for female incarcerated individuals in Baltimore City (on at least 3 acres) by 2027. The facility must serve women with low violence/escape risk and satisfactory behavior, offering evidence-based programs like education, vocational training, trauma-informed healthcare, and family reunification support. It mandates the Department of Public Safety to provide comprehensive rehabilitative services - including help with public health benefits applications - and report progress to lawmakers by 2026. This bill directly affects female inmates eligible for prerelease status, aiming to reduce recidivism through gender-responsive reentry planning.

Maddy summaryHB 960, the "Ratepayer Freedom Act," prohibits investor-owned electric, gas, and combined gas/electric utilities in Maryland from recovering certain costs through customer rates. It bans cost recovery for lobbying or political activities (including trade association dues, policy research, and advertising to attract new customers), executive travel, entertainment, and investor relations expenses - unless specific public interest criteria are met. Utilities must now report all costs tied to these prohibited activities in annual filings to the Public Service Commission, including itemized expenses, employee roles, and hours spent. This directly affects major utility companies like Baltimore Gas and Electric or Potomac Edison, aiming to prevent ratepayers from funding activities unrelated to core service delivery. The bill focuses on transparency and cost accountability, requiring detailed disclosures without altering utility service standards.