Rep. Stuart Schmidt

Maddy summaryHB 792 increases the Maryland income tax subtraction for retirement income from public safety careers. It raises the deductible amount from $15,000 to $20,000 annually for retired correctional officers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel aged 55 or older. This change applies to retirement income attributable to their public safety service, reducing taxable income for qualifying retirees. The bill amends Maryland’s tax code (Section 10-207(mm)) and takes effect July 1, 2025, for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

Maddy summaryHB 800 modifies Maryland's income tax code to provide a tax deduction for military retirement income. It sets a $12,500 annual deduction for military retirees under age 55, while those aged 55 or older receive a $20,000 deduction. This change directly affects Maryland residents who receive military retirement income and are under 55. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

Maddy summaryHB 650 establishes the Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund, a special non-lapsing fund to provide annual grants for agricultural fairs and education. The bill directs $825,000 to the Maryland Agricultural Fair Board, $75,000 to the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, and $550,000 to the Maryland State Fair and Agricultural Society for fair promotion, statewide education, and youth programs like 4-H and FFA. It replaces previous funding from the horse racing special fund by requiring a portion of state lottery proceeds (before General Fund allocation) to fund the new Promise Fund. Interest earnings from the fund must be credited back to it, and the fund is administered by the Comptroller with grants paid annually.

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 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 677 allows Maryland courts to admit certain out-of-court statements made by vulnerable adult victims or witnesses in criminal trials, specifically for cases involving assault, sexual offenses, financial crimes, or abuse against vulnerable adults. It directly affects vulnerable adults aged 68+ or those lacking physical/mental capacity to meet daily needs. The bill requires courts to hold an evaluation hearing to assess the statement’s trustworthiness, considering factors like the adult’s cognitive ability, whether the statement was spontaneous, and context of the statement. This applies only to statements not covered by other evidence rules and mandates that prosecutors notify defendants 20 days before trial if such statements will be used.

Maddy summaryHB 462 prohibits intentionally causing physical harm to a sports official (umpire, referee, or judge) during a sporting event. It specifically adds sports officials to the list of protected individuals under Maryland's second-degree assault law, making such acts a misdemeanor punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a $2,500 fine. Unlike assaults against police or first responders (which become felonies), assaults against sports officials remain misdemeanors under this bill. The bill also updates arrest procedures to allow warrantless arrests for this specific assault type, as it is now listed in the criminal procedure code.

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 461 exempts the sale of cut flowers from Maryland's sales and use tax, effective July 1, 2025. This directly affects flower sellers (such as florists and growers) who will no longer charge tax on cut flowers sold to customers. The bill amends tax law to explicitly state that "the sales and use tax does not apply to the sale of cut flowers," while maintaining that uncut or living flowers, sod, and nursery products remain taxable. The exemption applies only to cut flowers, not other floral products like living plants or arrangements.