Del. Dana Jones

Maddy summaryHB 586 updates Maryland's election judge compensation rules. It requires local election boards to pay for required training courses only after judges actually serve on election day or early voting day, not before. The bill sets minimum daily pay at $250 for new judges and $350 for returning judges (which is $100 more per day), with the state reimbursing local boards for $50 of the extra amount paid to returning judges. Public school students serving as election judges can also earn service-learning hours toward graduation while receiving the standard compensation.

Maddy summaryHB 541 establishes a Nonprofit Organizations Navigator within Maryland's Department of Commerce to directly assist nonprofits in accessing state grant programs. The navigator provides technical help with grant applications, resolves bureaucratic delays, shares federal/state grant opportunities, and represents nonprofits on the Maryland Efficient Grant Application Council. This bill amends the council's structure to include the navigator as a nonvoting member and updates membership rules for the council.

Maddy summaryHB 881 requires all child support payments received in a month to fully pass through to families enrolled in Maryland's Family Investment Program (FIP) and prohibits local agencies from counting child support when calculating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This bill amends Maryland law to ensure child support payments do not reduce FIP assistance amounts or SNAP benefits for eligible households. It specifically updates Section 5-310(a)(4) of the Maryland Code to disregard all child support in benefit calculations, rather than the current partial disregard. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, directly affecting low-income families receiving FIP or SNAP benefits.

Maddy summaryHB 1121 establishes a temporary pilot program to help foster youth aged 16-22 access childcare subsidies. It directly affects youth who were in state foster care at age 18 or older, removing specific barriers like proof of employment, parental information, or parental authorization from the application process. The program, running from 2026-2028, requires the Department to track subsidy usage monthly and report annually to the legislature on progress. It aims to simplify access to childcare support during critical transitions to adulthood. The bill does not change subsidy amounts but streamlines eligibility for this specific group.

Maddy summaryHB 397 creates a loan program administered by the Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation to support oyster processing businesses. It allows loans up to $250,000 for eligible seafood dealers to create or retain seasonal full-time jobs (420 hours over 12 weeks), reducing the required licensing period from 5 to 3 years. Loan forgiveness is tied to environmental actions: returning oyster shells to the Chesapeake Bay or planting spat-on-shell, with forgiveness calculated at $25 per bushel of spat planted. The bill allocates $1 million for fiscal year 2024 to fund these loans and program administration, directly benefiting Maryland seafood processors focused on oyster shell conservation.

Maddy summaryHB 698 requires certain Maryland counties to report annually on development impact fees, surcharges, and excise taxes collected from new construction. Specifically, charter counties with such fees, code counties with local laws imposing them, and commission counties that have both authorization and enacted them must submit reports by July 1 each year to the Governor and General Assembly. The reports must detail total amounts collected, how funds are distributed to specific districts (like legislative or commissioner districts), and how much is used for capital projects such as transportation improvements, school construction, or other related infrastructure. Counties must make these reports publicly available on their websites or through other accessible means.

Maddy summaryHB 598 creates a property tax credit for supermarkets in Anne Arundel County that complete eligible construction (new stores or major renovations) in designated "food desert retail incentive areas." It defines a "supermarket" as a grocery store meeting specific size and product requirements (e.g., major departments, over 50% food sales). The county or municipal corporation must designate these food desert areas by law, and the tax credit cannot exceed the personal property tax owed. The credit applies to taxable years starting June 1, 2025, and local governments may set additional limits or eligibility rules.

Maddy summaryHB 389 exempts personal property used in "large family child care homes" (a specific type of registered child care operation) from property tax, expanding existing exemptions. It increases the maximum annual property tax credit for qualifying child care centers, day care centers, and child care homes from $3,000 to $10,000 and removes outdated requirements about when property improvements must be completed to qualify for credits. The bill directly affects child care providers operating in Maryland and local governments (cities, counties) that administer these tax credits. It clarifies that credits apply to property used for child care services regardless of improvement completion dates, streamlining access to tax relief.

Maddy summaryHB 1343 exempts personal property used in registered large family child care homes from taxation in Anne Arundel County, and allows the county or its municipalities to grant property tax credits for real property used by qualifying child care centers. The bill specifically covers centers registered as family child care homes under Maryland law, licensed child care centers, and day care centers for elderly or adults. Property tax credits are capped at $10,000 annually or the actual property tax owed on the relevant portion, whichever is less. These changes directly affect child care providers operating in Anne Arundel County by reducing their property tax burden.

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.