Rep. Jazz Lewis

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 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 159 requires state agencies, universities, and Maryland Environmental Service to use a neutral arbitrator when collective bargaining for state employees reaches an impasse. If negotiations aren't resolved by September 1, the parties must select one arbitrator from a list of 15 nationally recognized labor arbitrators provided by the American Arbitration Association. The bill mandates that all agreements reached through this process become binding terms of employment, with budget bills required to include full funding for these agreements. This reform directly affects state employees, their bargaining representatives, and all state entities covered under collective bargaining agreements.

Maddy summaryHB 769 delays residential foreclosure filings by requiring a 90-day waiting period after a payment default and mandating a 45-day notice of intent to foreclose before filing. It requires lenders to provide written loan details (including payment history and current balance) in foreclosure filings and allows homeowners to raise a defense if lenders delay filing excessively. The bill specifically affects Maryland homeowners with owner-occupied residential properties (up to four units) and lenders seeking to foreclose on mortgages that are significantly overdue. These changes amend Maryland's foreclosure law to add procedural safeguards before foreclosure actions can proceed.

Maddy summaryHB 467 modifies how Maryland calculates its annual funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). It replaces a fixed $167 million appropriation with a formula-based calculation tied to WMATA's operating subsidy allocation, requiring a 3% annual increase after the first year (starting from the 2019 appropriation level). The bill also requires WMATA to submit detailed performance reports and financial data to avoid withholding 35% of funds if it receives a modified audit opinion without a corrective plan. This funding directly affects Maryland taxpayers and WMATA, as it alters the state's annual contribution to WMATA's capital costs. The bill's implementation depends on Virginia and DC enacting similar legislation.

Maddy summaryHB 1545 allows Maryland to withhold state payments to the federal government when the federal government fails to pay overdue funds that courts have ruled it must pay. The Board of Public Works would first determine if the federal government is delinquent in paying funds owed to Maryland, based on court decisions upholding congressionally approved spending. The Comptroller could then withhold up to the amount of the overdue funds, after consulting with the Board. This bill directly affects how Maryland manages its financial transactions with the federal government when payments are overdue.

Maddy summaryHB 1546 requires Maryland's Central Collection Unit (CCU) to collect delinquent federal funds owed to the state, specifically when the federal government fails to comply with court decisions upholding congressionally approved spending. The Board of Public Works gains authority to officially declare the federal government delinquent in these cases, and the CCU can place liens on federal property within Maryland under those circumstances. This bill amends existing state law (sections 3-302, 3-304, and 10-208 of the State Finance and Procurement Article) to formalize these collection procedures and lien mechanisms. It directly affects how Maryland handles unpaid federal obligations, streamlining the state's ability to recover funds through established legal channels.

Maddy summaryHB 1129 proposes amending Maryland’s constitution to replace gendered pronouns (like "his" and "him") with gender-neutral language in sections describing constitutional officers. It specifically targets Articles II (Executive Department), V (Attorney General), VI (Treasury), and IX (Militia), updating phrases such as "his election" to "the Governor’s election" and "himself" to "themselves." The bill does not alter the roles, powers, or eligibility requirements for these offices - only the language used to describe them. This is a purely linguistic change aimed at modernizing constitutional text to be inclusive of all gender identities.

Maddy summaryHB 1254 establishes a state program to provide funding to Maryland public and nonpublic schools participating in the federal child nutrition program's community eligibility provision. The program covers the difference between federal paid and free meal reimbursement rates, helping schools avoid financial shortfalls when serving more students at no cost. The State Department of Education will distribute funds based on poverty concentration and geographic diversity in school districts. The state will appropriate $10 million annually starting in fiscal year 2027 to support this program.

Maddy summaryHB 1453 (Child Influencers Protection Act) requires vloggers who feature minors in their social media content to compensate those minors under specific conditions. It applies to vloggers (individuals or businesses) who earn compensation based on views (at least $0.10 per view or qualified for platform payments) and feature a minor in at least 30% of their content over any 30-day period. The bill mandates that vloggers pay a percentage of relevant earnings into a separate trust fund for each minor, to be accessed when the child turns 18. Additionally, it grants minors (or their guardians) the right to request permanent deletion of their content from social media platforms, requiring platforms to take "reasonable steps" to comply.