Del. Jeff Long

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 551 repeals specific sections of Maryland's Criminal Law that prohibited certain drug paraphernalia and controlled paraphernalia. It removes prohibitions related to items like syringes, packaging materials, and cutting agents used with controlled substances (excluding cannabis). The bill directly affects individuals who might possess these items under current law, as the repeal eliminates criminal penalties for such possession. This change modifies Maryland's legal definitions and prohibitions regarding drug paraphernalia by deleting the referenced sections from the Annotated Code.

Maddy summaryHB 507 extends the funding period for a grant program supporting nonprofit organizations that provide automotive repair training and reentry services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. The bill allows the Governor to appropriate $1 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2029 (previously ending in 2028) for qualifying nonprofits that train at least 50 people yearly, provide nationally recognized automotive repair certificates, and achieve a 50% job placement rate for participants. These organizations must report on fund usage, participant numbers, and employment outcomes to the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention. The extension ensures continued access to job training and employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals in Maryland.

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 345, the "Affordable Solar Act," creates new rules for solar energy systems in Maryland. It allows homeowners to install portable solar systems (max 1,200 watts) without utility approval or fees, while establishing two new credit types: SRECs for smaller residential systems and SREC-IIs for larger distributed or utility-scale projects (over 5MW). The bill requires utilities to procure specific SREC-II credits and redirects certain fees into new escrow accounts instead of the Strategic Energy Investment Fund. These changes directly affect residential solar users, utilities, and solar developers by altering renewable energy compliance standards and financial mechanisms.

Maddy summaryHB 500, the Procurement Reform Act of 2025, streamlines Maryland state government purchasing by transferring key authority from the Secretary of General Services to the Chief Procurement Officer. It adjusts dollar thresholds requiring public notice or reporting for procurements, modifies small business preference programs (including expanding eligibility for small business reserves), and adds new requirements for contractors to submit workforce diversity plans for contracts over $500,000. The bill also creates a procurement preference for businesses certified for "good labor practices" and mandates that certain agencies establish working groups to address procurement issues. These changes directly affect state agencies, contractors (especially small businesses), and the Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs, which gains oversight of new workforce diversity rules.

Maddy summaryHB 1222 (Maryland Values Act) requires Maryland correctional facilities to detain and transfer individuals who are not lawfully present in the U.S. and have been convicted of a violent crime to federal immigration authorities within 48 hours when requested. It prohibits law enforcement officers from detaining people or prolonging arrests based on immigration status during routine stops or investigations, and bans transferring individuals to federal immigration authorities except for the defined "covered individuals" (those with violent crime convictions and unlawful presence). The bill also terminates existing immigration enforcement agreements between Maryland entities and federal authorities by a specified deadline. This directly affects state/local correctional facilities, law enforcement officers, and individuals with certain immigration statuses and violent crime convictions.

Maddy summaryHB 970 prohibits Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations from requiring patients to try less expensive diabetes medications before covering insulin. It directly affects people with type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes who rely on insulin or similar insulin analogs for treatment. The bill bans "step therapy" or "fail-first" protocols - where insurers force patients to attempt alternative drugs first - regardless of how insurers label these policies. This change takes effect for all new or renewed health insurance policies on or after January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 666 requires Maryland's Medicaid program (Maryland Medical Assistance Program) and most health insurance plans to cover calcium score testing for individuals with specific heart disease risk factors. It directly affects people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a family history of early heart disease - requiring coverage if they have at least three of these risk factors. The law mandates coverage starting January 1, 2026, for Medicaid and all health insurance policies issued or renewed after that date. This change applies to insurers, nonprofit health plans, health maintenance organizations, and managed care organizations operating in Maryland. The bill does not alter coverage for other medical services but specifically adds calcium scoring to required benefits.

Maddy summaryHB 798 requires Maryland's Office of Overdose Response (with the Department of Health) to create and maintain a public interactive dashboard tracking how settlement funds from opioid-related lawsuits are spent. The dashboard must show, by state, county, and municipality: payment schedules, past spending, spending plans, funded initiatives, and public hearing details. Local governments receiving these funds must submit required financial data through an online portal to the Department for inclusion on the dashboard. The dashboard will be developed and maintained using existing Opioid Restitution Fund money from the state budget, not new appropriations. This bill focuses solely on transparency, with no new policy changes or funding mechanisms.