Rep. Stuart Schmidt

Maddy summaryHB 632 removes psychiatry and all subcategories of psychiatric services from the definition of "medical service" requiring a Certificate of Need (CON) in Maryland. This exempts psychiatric health care facilities and providers of psychiatric or mental health services from needing state approval before establishing or operating these services. The bill amends Maryland law by deleting "psychiatry" from the list of medical services subject to CON requirements, which currently includes services like surgery, pediatrics, and rehabilitation. This change directly affects psychiatric hospitals, clinics, and mental health programs seeking to expand or open without prior state review. The policy shift simplifies regulatory requirements for mental health service providers.

Maddy summaryHB 644 amends Maryland's property tax law to simplify the application process for surviving spouses of disabled veterans seeking a property tax exemption on their primary residence. The bill updates the required documentation, allowing surviving spouses to submit either a VA disability certification or a VA rating decision (including the effective date) instead of previous, more complex forms. This change directly affects unmarried surviving spouses of veterans who were honorably discharged with a 100% service-connected disability, ensuring they can more easily qualify for the exemption on their current home or a newly acquired home meeting specific conditions. The exemption remains tied to the property's use as a primary residence and the veteran's qualifying disability status.

Maddy summaryHB 690, the "Economic Competitiveness Act of 2026," lowers Maryland's corporate income tax rate gradually over several years. It directly affects corporations doing business in Maryland that pay state corporate income tax. The bill reduces the rate from 8.25% (for tax years 2026-2027) to 7.75% (2027-2028), then to 7.25% (2028-2029), 6.75% (2029-2030), and finally to 6.25% starting in 2030. The changes take effect July 1, 2026, as specified in the bill's provisions.

Maddy summaryHB 650, the Maryland Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, creates a procedural shield against strategic lawsuits meant to silence public debate. It allows individuals or groups who spoke about government matters or public issues (e.g., activists, journalists) to file a "special motion" within 60 days of being sued to dismiss the case, pausing all other court proceedings. The law covers communications in government proceedings, public issue discussions, or protected speech rights under state/federal constitutions, but excludes lawsuits by government entities, public health/safety enforcement, or commercial speech about goods/services. It replaces existing law (Section 5-807) with new provisions (Sections 5-1301 through 5-1313) to expedite dismissal of such cases.

Maddy summaryHB 349 requires specific Maryland law enforcement agencies to mandate body-worn cameras for all sworn officers during public duties while in uniform. It applies immediately to the State Police, Anne Arundel County Police, Howard County Police, and Harford County Sheriff’s Office, with all other county agencies required to comply by July 1, 2025. The law specifies officers must wear cameras "regardless of rank" during public interactions, subject to each agency’s existing camera policy. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026, and does not alter existing policies governing camera usage.

Maddy summaryHB 508 requires Maryland police departments to remove certain investigation records from an officer’s personnel file 3 years after a determination that the officer was not administratively charged, the complaint was deemed unfounded, or the officer was exonerated. It directly affects police officers whose misconduct complaints were cleared through administrative or trial processes. The key provision mandates this removal for records related to internal affairs investigations, disciplinary decisions, or hearing records, excluding cases where formal charges were filed. This change aims to limit the long-term impact of unsubstantiated or cleared complaints on officers’ records. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 463 prohibits incarcerated individuals serving sentences for specific first-degree murder convictions from earning time-off credits (diminution credits) that reduce their prison terms. It directly affects people convicted of murder under Maryland law, including those convicted of murder involving a child under 16 (under older statutes), repeat child murder offenders, or any first-degree murder (§2-201 of the Criminal Law Article). The bill amends Maryland’s Correctional Services law to block these credits for the specified offenses, effective October 1, 2026. This change applies only to sentences for offenses committed on or after that date, not past cases.

Maddy summaryHB 465 (Stop Silencing Survivors Act) creates legal immunity for individuals who in good faith disclose allegations of sexually assaultive behavior (defined as acts meeting Maryland’s criminal law standards for sexual offenses or equivalent offenses). It protects disclosers from liability claims unless proven to have acted with actual malice or intentionally shared false information. The bill also requires courts to award attorney fees and costs to successful defendants in such cases. This directly affects survivors reporting abuse, individuals sharing such information, and courts handling related civil cases. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 356 creates new Maryland law (subtitles 13) to protect religious freedom by requiring government actions to meet strict standards before burdening religious exercise. It prohibits governmental authorities from substantially burdening religious practice unless the action serves a "compelling governmental interest" using the "least restrictive means," applying to state/local governments and their employees. Individuals or religious organizations harmed by violations can seek remedies like injunctions or damages in court, though it does not override existing constitutional protections or affect funding decisions. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and directly affects anyone whose religious practices might intersect with government regulations or policies.

Maddy summaryHB 521 repeals a surcharge on electric and gas utility bills that previously funded energy efficiency programs supporting Maryland's greenhouse gas reduction goals. The bill removes the requirement for utilities to recover costs related to these programs through customer bills, eliminating a mandatory surcharge that had been in place since at least 2008. This directly affects residential and commercial utility customers who previously paid this fee, as it no longer requires utilities to include these costs in billing. The repeal also removes disclosure requirements about the surcharge's purpose and duration.