Rep. Seth Howard

Maddy summaryHB 1558 restricts fundraising activities for Maryland state elected officials during legislative sessions. It prohibits the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, Treasurer, and state legislators (or their staff acting on their behalf) from receiving contributions, hosting events, soliciting funds, or depositing money raised during the session - except for specific cases. Exceptions include activities solely for their own federal or local election campaigns, contributions made electronically before the session began, and gubernatorial campaign financing under the Public Financing Act. Violations result in civil penalties paid into the Fair Campaign Financing Fund.

Maddy summaryHB 668 designates November 7 as "Victims of Communism Memorial Day" in Maryland, requiring the Governor to annually proclaim this day. The bill directs the Department of Legislative Services to send a copy of the act to the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington, D.C. This ceremonial observance, effective October 1, 2025, does not impose new taxes or regulations but formally recognizes the historical impact of communist regimes. The legislation aligns with existing federal recognition of the day, as established by President Trump in 2017.

Maddy summaryHB 1268 requires Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations to cover the full duration of long-term antibiotic treatment (over 4 weeks) for Lyme disease and related tick-borne illnesses (like Babesiosis or Ehrlichiosis) when ordered by a licensed physician for therapeutic purposes. It prohibits these entities from imposing quantity limits on such coverage or denying it solely because the treatment is labeled "unproven," "experimental," or "investigational." The law applies to all health insurance policies issued, delivered, or renewed in Maryland on or after January 1, 2026. This directly affects patients diagnosed with Lyme disease or related illnesses who require extended antibiotic therapy, ensuring insurers must cover medically necessary treatment without arbitrary restrictions.

Maddy summaryHB 1289 requires Maryland’s Department of Health to establish regulations for drug and alcohol treatment programs regarding patient discharges and referrals. It mandates that programs cannot discharge patients who would become homeless without appropriate residential care referrals, and must provide timely referrals to services like medical care, mental health support, employment assistance, and substance use treatment within 3 working days. The law also requires programs to ensure continuity of care during transitions between facilities or to homeless shelters by securing referrals before transfer. These standards apply to certified treatment programs and aim to improve coordinated care for individuals with substance use disorders.

Maddy summaryHB 1275 requires the Anne Arundel County Board of Education to hire a constituent services liaison by the start of the 2025-2026 school year, with a $120,000 annual salary. The liaison will directly assist community members in accessing Anne Arundel County Public Schools services and other education-related resources, while acting as a communication link between the school board and residents. The position can be removed by the board president under terms outlined in the employment agreement. This bill establishes a new role focused on community engagement and service coordination within the county's public school system.

Maddy summaryHB 403 requires Maryland correctional facilities to transfer undocumented immigrants serving sentences for certain crimes to U.S. Homeland Security (DHS) under specific circumstances. It directly affects undocumented immigrants incarcerated in Maryland facilities who have been convicted of or suspected of: terrorism/espionage, gang-related offenses under federal law, gang participation as a minor, or aggravated felonies. The bill mandates transfer if the individual meets any of these four criteria, creating a legal mechanism for state-federal coordination. It takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 982, the "Gun Theft Felony Act of 2025," reclassifies the theft of any firearm as a felony regardless of the firearm's value. Currently, firearm theft could be charged as a misdemeanor if the value was below $1,500, but this bill makes all firearm thefts automatically felonies. The bill amends Maryland’s Criminal Law to require that anyone convicted of stealing a firearm must restore the firearm to the owner or pay its value, with penalties including up to 20 years in prison or fines up to $25,000 based on the firearm’s value. This change directly affects individuals who steal firearms, increasing penalties for this specific offense.

Maddy summaryHB 1451, the Climate Solutions Affordability Act of 2025, modifies Maryland's Climate Solutions Now Act to require certain climate measures "to the extent economically practicable." It directs building owners to annually measure and report direct emissions data to the Department of the Environment starting in 2025, and sets goals for covered buildings to achieve a 20% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2030 (compared to 2025 levels) and net-zero emissions by 2040. The bill also updates statewide targets to reduce emissions 60% below 2006 levels by 2031 and reach net-zero statewide emissions by 2045, while adding provisions for zero-emission state vehicle fleets and school buses. These changes apply to building owners, utility contractors, and state agencies implementing climate programs.

Maddy summaryHB 1532 clarifies the specific reasons a vehicle can fail an emissions inspection or test under Maryland's program. It restricts failure determinations to three scenarios: missing required emissions equipment, vehicle misfueling, or non-compliance with emissions standards for exhaust tests. This bill directly affects vehicle owners undergoing inspections and the facilities conducting those inspections. The law amends existing code to explicitly limit failure grounds, ensuring inspections are based only on these defined criteria. The changes take effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 734, the Real Time for Violent Crime Act, prohibits incarcerated individuals convicted of first- or second-degree murder from earning sentence reduction credits (diminution credits) that shorten their prison time. It also limits sentence reductions for violent crimes to no more than 10% of the total sentence for those convicted of crimes of violence (as defined in Maryland law), and restricts judges from granting pretrial release to defendants charged with violent crimes if they have pending charges or recent convictions for specific violent offenses. The bill directly affects people serving sentences for murder or violent crimes in Maryland correctional facilities and changes how courts handle sentence reductions and pretrial releases for these cases.