Rep. Andrew Pruski

Maddy summaryHB 842 repeals a requirement that a surviving spouse of a service member who died in the line of duty must acquire a dwelling house within two years of the service member's death to qualify for a property tax exemption. The bill directly affects surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty, allowing them to qualify for the exemption regardless of when they purchase or acquire the home. Key provisions remove the 2-year acquisition deadline from existing law (Maryland Code, Tax-Property § 7-208(b)), making the exemption available as long as the surviving spouse meets other eligibility criteria. This change takes effect June 1, 2026, applying to all taxable years beginning after June 30, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 894, the Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act, automatically designates qualifying transit-oriented developments (near rail stations with at least hourly service Monday-Friday 8am-6pm) as enterprise zones, granting tax incentives without separate approval. The bill requires the Maryland Development Corporation to prioritize redevelopment projects near transit in its loan programs and delays certain development fees for residential housing projects. It also changes local land use regulations near transit stations by altering municipal authority to restrict development in these areas.

Maddy summaryHB 320 creates a property tax credit for Anne Arundel County landowners who sell development rights under the Rural Legacy Program. It allows the county to grant a credit against the county property tax for real property located in a designated Rural Legacy Area (as defined in Maryland’s Natural Resources Article) where the owner has sold development rights. This directly affects rural landowners participating in the Rural Legacy Program who choose to restrict future development on their land. The credit replaces an existing provision and becomes effective for tax years beginning after June 30, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 519 creates three new entertainment permit types for alcohol license holders in Anne Arundel County, replacing previous categories. It allows Background Permits (for piped music/one TV, $100 fee), General Permits (for background entertainment plus live music up to four musicians, trivia, karaoke, $200-$300 fee), and Full Permits (for stage shows, dance floors, etc., $200-$400 fee). The bill requires outdoor events under these permits to be at least 100 feet from residential zones and restricts Full Permits near schools or places of worship within 1,000 feet. It directly affects bars, restaurants, and venues with Class B, BLX, D, or H liquor licenses seeking to offer live music, karaoke, or stage events.

Maddy summaryHB 512 increases minimum annual salaries for Anne Arundel County's Board of License Commissioners and part-time inspectors, effective July 1, 2026. The bill sets a new minimum $21,240 annual salary for the board chair (up from $18,000), $17,700 for other board members (up from $15,000), and $8,260 for each of the 18 part-time inspectors (up from $7,000). All salaries must include any cost-of-living adjustments available to Anne Arundel County employees. Additionally, part-time inspectors receive a $300 monthly expense allowance subject to approval. The bill directly affects these specific county positions handling alcohol beverage licensing.

Maddy summaryHB 522 modifies Anne Arundel County's fee structure for temporary Class C alcoholic beverage licenses (for events). It changes fees from a flat daily rate to a per-point-of-sale location charge for events with 500+ attendees. Specifically, for events under 500 people, fees remain $25/day for beer/wine licenses and $50/day for full liquor licenses. For events of 500+ people, fees increase to $25 per serving location per day for beer/wine licenses and $50 per location per day for full liquor licenses. The bill applies only to Anne Arundel County and takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 396 requires operators of licensed residential child care programs (like group homes and emergency shelters) to ensure children aged 5-16 in their care receive proper education. It mandates enrolling children in local schools (or approved in-house programs), transferring academic records, meeting with teachers, and providing study time, homework help, and support for extracurricular activities or individualized education plans. The bill also sets new training standards for child care practitioners, requiring background checks, education credentials, and approved training on child development and their role. These changes directly affect residential programs receiving state funding and their staff in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 586 allows Maryland county library boards to appoint a student member to their board. The student must be a junior or senior at a local high school in good standing, selected through a process set by the board, and serve a one-year term. This student member has voting rights on all policy matters, with the board able to extend voting to non-policy issues if desired. The bill directly affects county library boards and high school students across Maryland by adding this new membership role to existing governance structures.

Maddy summaryHB 623 creates Maryland's Purple Star Colleges Program to recognize colleges providing strong support for military-connected students, while updating the existing Purple Star Schools Program. The bill directly affects military-connected students (including service members, veterans, and their spouses/dependents) and colleges, including both public/private higher education institutions and private career schools. Key provisions require colleges to appoint a military liaison to assist new military-connected students with transitions, and maintain an easily accessible website with resources on relocation, enrollment, academic planning, and support services. The Maryland Higher Education Commission will administer the program and establish minimum criteria for colleges to earn Purple Star designation.

Maddy summaryHB 660 revises funding formulas for Maryland's public library system. It adjusts the per-resident funding rates for two key components: (1) regional resource centers (increasing from $9.79 to $9.99 per resident starting fiscal year 2027), and (2) the State Library Resource Center (increasing from $2.07 to $2.64 per state resident by fiscal year 2032). The bill directly affects all public libraries participating in Maryland's regional resource centers and the State Library Resource Center. These changes, effective July 1, 2026, maintain the existing per-resident calculation structure while updating specific annual funding amounts for operating and capital expenses.