Del. Jamila Woods

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a three-year pilot program to create a statewide network of free financial empowerment centers across Maryland, targeting residents seeking assistance with personal financial management. Each center will provide one-on-one counseling on increasing savings, reducing debt, accessing banking services, and improving credit scores, with materials available in English, Spanish, and other required languages. The Comptroller’s Office will administer the program, requiring counselors to complete training meeting established standards, and the state will fund it through budget appropriations for fiscal years 2028 and 2029. The program will run from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2029, after which it will automatically end without further legislative action.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a rule that a minor's statement during a custodial interrogation is presumed involuntary and inadmissible in court if law enforcement intentionally used false information to obtain it. It directly affects minors facing juvenile or criminal charges, as their statements could be excluded from proceedings under this presumption. The presumption can be overcome only with clear and convincing evidence proving the statement was voluntary despite the false information. The law applies to all custodial interrogations of minors in Maryland, modifying admissibility standards under Maryland's judicial code.

Maddy summaryHB 642 requires Maryland electric companies to submit annual reports to the Public Service Commission by April 1. These reports must include geographic and demographic data on customers affected by: (1) service outages lasting 2+ hours, (2) scheduled maintenance outages (regardless of duration), (3) outages during severe weather (with restoration times), and (4) rate increases from the previous year. The bill directly affects all electric companies operating in Maryland and the Public Service Commission, which will use this data to assess customer impacts. It becomes effective October 1, 2026, adding this reporting requirement to Maryland’s Public Utilities law.

Maddy summaryHB 556 creates a property tax credit for Maryland households that spend a significant portion of their income on utilities. It allows Baltimore City or local counties to grant a credit against property taxes for "eligible individuals" who pay at least 25% of their household net income on utility services (electricity, gas, water, or internet) for their primary residence. Local governments would determine the credit amount, duration, and additional eligibility rules through their own ordinances. The credit applies to property taxes on the dwelling, not utility bills directly, and would take effect for taxable years starting after June 30, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 414 changes Maryland's jury service rules by removing a disqualification for people currently on parole or probation for crimes punishable by more than one year in prison. Previously, individuals serving such sentences (including parole) were barred from jury duty, but this bill eliminates that specific barrier. The bill maintains disqualifications for crimes involving perjury, witness intimidation, jury intimidation, or certain offenses under Maryland's Criminal Law (Title 8). It also preserves requirements that jurors must understand English to complete qualification forms. This change would allow more people with past convictions to serve on juries, provided they meet all other eligibility criteria.

Maddy summaryHB 465 (Stop Silencing Survivors Act) creates legal immunity for individuals who in good faith disclose allegations of sexually assaultive behavior (defined as acts meeting Maryland’s criminal law standards for sexual offenses or equivalent offenses). It protects disclosers from liability claims unless proven to have acted with actual malice or intentionally shared false information. The bill also requires courts to award attorney fees and costs to successful defendants in such cases. This directly affects survivors reporting abuse, individuals sharing such information, and courts handling related civil cases. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 540, the "Public Service Company Transparency Act," requires investor-owned electric, gas, and combined gas/electric utilities in Maryland to increase transparency around potential rate changes. Specifically, it mandates that these companies notify customers via bill inserts or email before seeking rate adjustments, provide a detailed 10-year rate trend report showing visual graphs and cost breakdowns, and include a standardized statement on all customer bills explaining the Public Service Commission’s role. Utilities must also distribute annual rate reports to customers and post them online, while the Public Service Commission must publish an annual rate trend report using data from these filings. The bill applies only to investor-owned utilities (excluding municipal or cooperative providers) and takes effect October 1, 2026, with first reports due January 1, 2028.

Maddy summaryHB 510 requires Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administration to partner with Virginia to obtain data on Maryland residents who own vehicles improperly registered in Virginia. The bill creates a searchable database of this information, making it available to law enforcement for automated speed enforcement citations. It increases penalties for drivers or owners of such vehicles, raising the maximum fine for speeding violations from $40 to $250 for offenses recorded by automated systems. This directly affects Maryland residents who register vehicles in Virginia instead of Maryland, impacting how speed violations are enforced and fined for these specific vehicles.

Maddy summaryHB 181 requires restaurants in Maryland to provide written disclosure of main food allergens (like peanuts, shellfish, or dairy) present in each menu item, using common names or simple pictograms. This directly affects restaurants serving food (excluding grocery stores or prepackaged items covered by federal labeling rules) and helps customers with food allergies make informed choices. Restaurants can meet this requirement by including allergen information on menus, digital menus via QR codes, or separate allergen charts/booklets. The bill updates existing health code sections to implement this disclosure rule, with penalties for noncompliance including fines up to $2,500 for repeat violations.

Maddy summaryHB 140 changes how Maryland county school boards and Baltimore City’s School Commissioners fill vacancies on their boards. For elected board positions, it requires holding a special election if a vacancy occurs 55 or more days before the primary filing deadline; otherwise, remaining board members must appoint a replacement within 60 days using a public process (reviewing candidate resumes, holding livestreamed interviews, and voting publicly). For appointed positions, the bill mandates appointments within 60 days of a vacancy. These rules directly affect all 24 Maryland county school boards and Baltimore City’s School Commissioners, altering existing procedures for filling vacancies based on timing and candidate availability.