Rep. Ken Kerr

Maddy summaryHB 1173 prohibits state contractors and vendors from using public funds to influence employees of their company (including subcontractors) regarding union membership or support for employee organizations. It specifically bans using state funds to fund anti-union campaigns, efforts to prevent collective bargaining rights, or activities opposing union certification. The law applies to all contractors and vendors working with state government units, covering both direct employee influence and third-party anti-union activities. Exceptions include standard collective bargaining processes, grievance resolution, and activities required by law. This bill directly affects state contractors, vendors, and their employees by restricting how public funds can be used in labor relations.

Maddy summaryHB 1462 renames Maryland's Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs to include "Disability" and updates the Special Secretary title to reflect this change. It expands the Special Secretary's duties to specifically address matters concerning individuals with disabilities and adjusts the purpose of the Department of Social and Economic Mobility Special Fund. The bill updates several sections of Maryland law to ensure disability-owned businesses are explicitly included in procurement processes for state contracts and community service providers. This directly affects disability-owned businesses and the Department of Social and Economic Mobility, clarifying their role in state procurement and support programs. The changes aim to integrate disability business support into existing state government structures without creating new programs.

Maddy summaryHB 1610 removes a requirement that Maryland school buses must be constructed with materials meeting specific fire safety tests outlined in National School Transportation standards. Instead, it directs the Motor Vehicle Administration (with input from the Department) to develop new fire safety regulations for school buses. This bill directly affects all Maryland public school buses and their manufacturers by changing the compliance standard from a fixed national test to a new regulatory process. The change takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1131 (Pregnancy Outcome Protection Act) prohibits law enforcement and agencies from investigating, prosecuting, or imposing civil liability on individuals who experienced pregnancy loss (including miscarriage, stillbirth, or self-managed abortion), except when independent evidence of unrelated criminal conduct exists or the individual consents. It protects healthcare providers from liability for supporting patients during or after pregnancy loss and restricts disclosure of medical records related to pregnancy loss without evidence of abuse, unrelated criminal conduct, or patient consent. The bill creates a private right to sue for violations and establishes misdemeanor penalties for knowingly violating its provisions. These changes apply to all Maryland residents and healthcare providers within the state’s health system.

Maddy summaryHB 424 modifies Maryland law governing retirement communities that provide continuing care services. It allows resident associations (not the governing body) to select resident representatives ("subscriber members") for these boards, removing prior requirements that such members meet specific selection criteria like religious standards. This change directly affects residents who pay for continuing care services and the retirement communities operating under Maryland law. The bill repeals outdated sections of the law that previously dictated how these representatives were chosen.

Maddy summaryHB 1066 authorizes Maryland municipalities to conduct local elections using secure electronic voting systems that meet strict security standards. The bill defines a "qualified electronic transmission system" as one with end-to-end encryption, verifiability, biometric ID verification, and paper record backup. Municipalities may use these systems for elections but are prohibited from using voter data collected through them for any purpose beyond election administration or voter participation statistics. This bill directly affects local governments in Maryland planning to adopt electronic voting methods for municipal elections, effective July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 704 establishes Maryland's Community Eligibility Provision Expansion Program within the State Department of Education. It provides state funding to cover the difference between federal reimbursement rates for free and paid school meals, directly supporting Maryland schools with high poverty rates (25%+ students qualifying for free meals) that participate in the federal child nutrition program. The state will appropriate $10 million annually starting in fiscal year 2028 to complement federal funds, with funds distributed based on school poverty concentration and geographic diversity. Schools must report on program outcomes, meal debt resolution, and reasons for opting out of federal eligibility, with annual reports published online.

Maddy summaryHB 897 (the "Lower Bills and Local Power Act of 2026") requires electric companies operating high-voltage transmission lines (>69,000 volts) in Maryland to join regional transmission organizations. It mandates new application details for certain utility projects, creates a Solar and Energy Storage Market Stabilization Program within the Maryland Energy Administration, and redirects funds from the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund to provide refunds or credits to residential electricity customers. The bill also requires studies on siting transmission lines and battery storage systems within existing rights-of-way and sets deadlines for the Public Service Commission to review project certificates. These provisions directly affect electric utilities, the Public Service Commission, and residential electricity customers through cost adjustments.

Maddy summaryHB 632 removes psychiatry and all subcategories of psychiatric services from the definition of "medical service" requiring a Certificate of Need (CON) in Maryland. This exempts psychiatric health care facilities and providers of psychiatric or mental health services from needing state approval before establishing or operating these services. The bill amends Maryland law by deleting "psychiatry" from the list of medical services subject to CON requirements, which currently includes services like surgery, pediatrics, and rehabilitation. This change directly affects psychiatric hospitals, clinics, and mental health programs seeking to expand or open without prior state review. The policy shift simplifies regulatory requirements for mental health service providers.

Maddy summaryHB 489 repeals a Maryland law that previously prohibited electronic health networks and medical record vendors serving nursing homes from charging fees for releasing patient records. The bill allows these vendors to charge fees when releasing records or electronic health transactions to nursing homes' business associates, as directed by the nursing home. Key provisions require vendors to provide records in standardized electronic formats and ensure timely access for patient care, but no longer ban fee-charging for these releases. This change affects nursing homes, their business associates, and the vendors managing their electronic health records, effective October 1, 2026.