Del. Mark Fisher

Maddy summaryHB 739 requires local governments to approve solar energy projects before the state can approve them. The bill prohibits the Public Service Commission from granting state approval for a solar generating station unless every county or city where the project is proposed has provided written consent. This directly affects solar developers, who must now secure local written approvals, and local governments, which gain formal authority to approve or deny projects. The key provision mandates that local consent is a mandatory step in the state approval process for solar energy facilities.

Maddy summaryHB 742 prohibits solar energy developers from using eminent domain to acquire private land for constructing solar generating stations. The bill amends Maryland's public utilities code (specifically sections 7-207, 7-207.1, 7-207.2, and 7-208) to explicitly state that no person may exercise eminent domain rights for solar energy projects. This directly affects solar energy companies seeking to build facilities without landowner consent. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and removes an existing legal pathway for solar developers to compel land purchases.

Maddy summaryHB 680 requires all Maryland municipalities to implement voter registration for local elections and mandates that only U.S. citizens may register to vote in municipal elections. It repeals previous exceptions allowing municipalities to operate without registration (e.g., those using pre-1990 voter lists) and removes provisions for supplemental voter lists. The bill directly affects every city, town, and municipal election in Maryland by standardizing registration rules and enforcing citizenship requirements. It takes effect October 1, 2025, and amends Maryland’s Election Law and Local Government Code to reflect these changes.

Maddy summaryHB 695 repeals a requirement that Maryland's motor fuel tax rates automatically increase annually based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), changing how fuel tax revenue is calculated. The bill bans vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) taxes and similar fees, including requiring devices to track mileage in private vehicles. It also sets specific farebox recovery targets for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), limits when MTA can raise fares, and removes public hearing requirements for certain fare changes. This directly affects drivers (through fuel tax changes), MTA (via fare rules), and local governments (by prohibiting new transportation fees). The bill modifies existing tax and transportation laws without adding new funding mechanisms.

Maddy summaryHB 471 prohibits nonresident aliens, businesses, and government employees from countries subject to U.S. arms embargoes (as listed under 22 C.F.R. § 126.1) from purchasing agricultural land in Maryland or participating in non-food-safety state agricultural programs. The bill directly affects these specific foreign entities by restricting their access to farmland and certain state agricultural initiatives. Key provisions add these restrictions to Maryland’s agricultural code, explicitly excluding programs related to food or food safety regulations. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and automatically ends if federal law permits states to enforce such restrictions.

Maddy summaryHB 548 restricts Maryland's Governor from deploying the state militia (including the National Guard) into "active duty combat" without specific congressional action. It prohibits such deployments unless the U.S. Congress has passed an official declaration of war (per Article I, Section 8, Clause 11) or taken a specific action under Clause 15 to "call forth" the militia for federal purposes. The bill explicitly preserves the Governor's authority to deploy the militia under Title 32 of U.S. law for domestic support, such as disaster response within Maryland. This directly affects the Governor's power to commit state military forces to overseas combat roles without federal congressional authorization.

Maddy summaryHB 374 prohibits incarcerated individuals convicted of first-degree murder (under §2-201 of Maryland's Criminal Law Article) from earning diminution credits, which reduce prison sentences through good behavior or program participation. This applies to offenders whose crimes occurred on or after October 1, 2025, directly affecting those serving sentences for first-degree murder in state or local correctional facilities. The bill amends Maryland law by removing eligibility for these sentence reductions in Section 3-702 and Section 11-502, ensuring such individuals serve their full sentences without credit for time served. The change takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 355 modifies Maryland's income tax deduction for retirement income, allowing eligible residents to subtract a larger portion of their retirement earnings from taxable income over time. Starting in 2025, residents aged 65+ or disabled (or whose spouse is disabled), or retired forest/park/rangers meeting specific criteria, can deduct 30% of retirement income in 2025-2026, rising to 60% in 2026-2027, and 100% after 2026. The bill expands the definition of "qualified retirement plan" to include IRAs and Roth accounts (previously excluded), while clarifying that certain income types (like Social Security) cannot be double-counted for this deduction. This change takes effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, with full 100% deduction applicable after 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 357 removes a $1,000 minimum price requirement for tax exemption on precious metal bullion or coins in Maryland. The bill expands the existing sales tax exemption to cover all sales of qualifying precious metal bullion (refined metal where value depends on content) or coins used as currency, regardless of price. It specifically excludes jewelry and art made from precious metals. This change directly affects sellers and buyers of bullion, coins, and related products by eliminating the previous price threshold for tax exemption. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Maryland's Right to Try Act to include individualized investigational treatments, such as gene therapies and personalized vaccines, for patients with life-threatening or severely debilitating illnesses rather than only those with terminal conditions. It allows manufacturers to charge patients for these treatments and removes previous restrictions on profiting from them, while also permitting health insurance carriers and government agencies to cover the costs. The law requires a detailed informed consent process that outlines available alternatives, potential risks, and the possibility that the treatment could hasten death, and it clarifies that patients remain liable for expenses unless covered by law or contract.