Rep. Stuart Schmidt

Maddy summaryHB 1053 makes it a misdemeanor to intentionally cause physical injury to a sports official (such as an umpire, referee, or judge) during a sporting event when the attacker knows the person's role. The bill amends Maryland’s assault law to specifically include these officials under second-degree assault protections, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison or a $2,500 fine. It also expands warrantless arrest authority for police to immediately detain individuals who commit this specific assault, as it now qualifies under the list of crimes allowing such arrests. This directly affects athletes, coaches, or spectators who assault officials at sports events.

Maddy summaryHB 970 renames Maryland's "Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard" to the "Clean Energy Portfolio Standard" and changes related terms like "renewable energy credits" to "clean energy credits." The bill explicitly adds electricity generated from certain nuclear power plants as an eligible Tier 2 source for meeting the standard, expanding the types of energy that can count toward compliance. This change directly affects utilities and energy providers required to meet the state's clean energy targets, applying retroactively to prior compliance periods. The bill focuses on updating terminology and eligibility criteria within existing energy policy frameworks.

Maddy summaryHB 496 would allow Maryland voters unaffiliated with any political party to choose either the "unaffiliated voters" primary ballot or any political party's primary ballot in a primary election. It specifically prevents these voters from automatically becoming affiliated with a party simply by voting in that party's primary. The bill amends election law to clarify this choice and ensures unaffiliated voters cannot cast more than one primary ballot. This directly affects unaffiliated voters in Maryland's primary elections, changing how they participate without altering their party registration status. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 454, the "SAVE Our Elections Act of 2026," requires Maryland to join the federal SAVE Program (Systematic Alien Verification of Entitlement) to verify U.S. citizenship for voter registration applicants. It directly affects individuals applying to register to vote in Maryland, mandating that the State Board of Elections use the federal SAVE system to confirm citizenship during the registration process. Key provisions include requiring the State Administrator to enroll in SAVE, establishing a verification process for applicants, and creating an appeal mechanism for voters who dispute citizenship determinations. The bill replaces current self-declaration requirements with federal verification, amending election law sections governing voter registration eligibility and processing.

Maddy summaryHB 857 modifies Maryland's income tax rules to reduce the tax deduction for military retirement income for retirees under age 55. Currently, those under 55 receive a $12,500 deduction, but this bill would lower it to $20,000 (effectively increasing their taxable income by $7,500 annually). The change applies to military retirement income received during the taxable year, directly affecting Maryland residents who are military retirees under 55. The bill amends Section 10-207(q) of Maryland's tax code and takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 761 modifies Maryland's income tax code to increase the tax break for military retirees. It removes the age requirement for the full tax deduction on military retirement income, raising the deduction from $12,500 (under 55) or $20,000 (55+) to $25,000 for 2026-2026 and $40,000 starting in 2027. This directly affects Maryland residents who receive military retirement income from active or reserve service, including death benefits. The bill amends Section 10-207(q) of Maryland’s tax code to apply the higher deduction regardless of the retiree’s age. The change takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a sales and use tax exemption for cut flowers sold by farmers in Maryland. It directly affects agricultural producers by removing the tax burden on their cut flower sales, while leaving other floral products like uncut and living flowers subject to existing tax rules. The change is implemented by adding a new provision to the state's tax code that explicitly excludes cut flower sales from taxation. The exemption takes effect on July 1, 2026, allowing farmers to sell cut flowers without paying the applicable sales tax.

Maddy summaryHB 863 reclassifies the theft of a firearm as a felony under Maryland law, previously treated as a lower-level offense. It establishes felony penalties based on the firearm's value: up to 5 years in prison or a $10,000 fine for theft valued at $1,500-$25,000, up to 10 years for $25,000-$100,000, and up to 20 years for $100,000 or more. Convicted individuals must also return the firearm or pay its value to the owner. The bill directly affects anyone who steals a firearm or knowingly possesses stolen firearms, raising penalties for these offenses under Section 7-104 of Maryland’s Criminal Law.

Maddy summaryHB 935 requires Maryland to establish a dedicated prerelease facility for female incarcerated individuals, directly affecting women eligible for prerelease programs at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women. The bill mandates a separate facility meeting specific criteria: at least 3 acres, not within 1 mile of other prisons, and designed to house 1.25 times the 2024 prerelease-eligible population. It requires the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to provide comprehensive rehabilitative services (including gender-responsive programming) and report progress to legislative committees by a specified deadline. The facility must operate by June 1, 2023, with the Department of General Services directing procurement for its construction.

Maddy summaryHB 924, the "Safe Kids Act," creates a new civil legal remedy allowing parents or legal guardians of minors depicted in or exposed to child exploitation material to sue online platforms directly. It prohibits platforms from knowingly distributing such material - including AI-generated images defined as "computer-generated" under the law - and requires them to remove it. The bill updates definitions to explicitly include AI-created images in child pornography laws and increases the age threshold for victims in certain criminal cases. This allows civil lawsuits for damages (including attorney fees) without needing prior criminal convictions, targeting platforms that facilitate distribution rather than just criminalizing possession.