Del. Steve Johnson

Maddy summaryHB 1001 designates "The Original Maryland Orange Crush" as Maryland's official state cocktail, recognizing its origin at Ocean City's Harborside Bar and Grill. The bill amends Maryland law by adding Section 7-313 to the Annotated Code, formally naming the cocktail in state statutes. This is a symbolic designation with no regulatory or financial impact on businesses, consumers, or state operations. It affects Maryland's official state symbols but does not change any existing laws governing alcohol or cocktails. The change takes effect June 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1220 defines "transportation protection agreements" as contracts primarily coordinating preparation and transportation of human remains, hydrolyzed remains, or soil remains. It explicitly excludes these agreements from being classified as "preneed burial contracts" under Maryland's Cemetery Act or "pre-need contracts" under the Morticians and Funeral Directors Act. The bill clarifies that such agreements are not insurance and are exempt from insurance regulations. This affects funeral service providers and consumers who use these transportation-focused agreements instead of full pre-need burial services. The law removes regulatory overlap by ensuring these agreements fall outside existing contract and insurance oversight frameworks.

Maddy summaryHB 960, the "Ratepayer Freedom Act," prohibits investor-owned electric, gas, and combined gas/electric utilities in Maryland from recovering certain costs through customer rates. It bans cost recovery for lobbying or political activities (including trade association dues, policy research, and advertising to attract new customers), executive travel, entertainment, and investor relations expenses - unless specific public interest criteria are met. Utilities must now report all costs tied to these prohibited activities in annual filings to the Public Service Commission, including itemized expenses, employee roles, and hours spent. This directly affects major utility companies like Baltimore Gas and Electric or Potomac Edison, aiming to prevent ratepayers from funding activities unrelated to core service delivery. The bill focuses on transparency and cost accountability, requiring detailed disclosures without altering utility service standards.

Maddy summaryHB 763 requires Maryland public and qualifying nonpublic schools to include age-appropriate material about human and sex trafficking awareness and prevention in health curricula for students in grades 6 through 8. This amendment to existing education law builds upon current sexual abuse and assault prevention programs by adding specific content about trafficking. The law mandates that this material be taught by trained instructors and integrated into standard health education. The policy change applies to all schools participating in the Nonpublic Schools Textbook and Technology Grants Program, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 468 establishes a 5-day initial limit for emergency mental health evaluation petitions in Maryland, allowing courts to extend them in 5-day increments (up to a 30-day total) for "good cause." It requires courts to include expiration dates on petitions and clarifies when peace officers may use reasonable force to execute them. The bill directly affects individuals seeking emergency evaluations, courts issuing petitions, and law enforcement officers carrying out the process. Key changes standardize timeframes, mandate expiration dates, and specify extension procedures for mental health emergencies.

Maddy summaryHB 1252 prohibits appointed members of Maryland county school boards from holding leadership roles like president, vice president, chair, or vice chair. It requires current appointed members in such positions to step down by August 1, 2025. If a school board violates this rule, the State Department of Education must notify them and can suspend administrative funding until corrected, with potential fines of up to $2,500 for individuals who continue violating the prohibition. The law applies specifically to members appointed by officials (not elected to fill vacancies) and takes effect July 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 307 requires boat operators involved in collisions causing injury or death to stay at the scene, provide assistance to those affected, and share their name and vessel details. It establishes fines up to $10,000 or jail time (up to 10 years) for leaving without meeting these duties, with harsher penalties if the operator knew injury or death might occur. Operators must report serious accidents (causing death, injury, or $2,000+ property damage) within 48 hours or 10 days, depending on severity. This applies to all vessels operating in Maryland waters and modifies existing boating safety laws.

Maddy summaryHB 885 requires that investigation records related to police misconduct complaints found "unfounded" (allegations not factually supported) or "exonerated" (officer followed law/policy) be removed from an officer’s personnel record three years after the finding by an administrative committee or trial board. This directly affects police officers whose complaints are dismissed, as it limits the duration those records remain in their official files. The bill amends Maryland law to mandate this removal, ensuring such records do not permanently impact an officer’s personnel history. It does not change how complaints are investigated or processed, only the retention period for dismissed cases. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 308 amends Maryland's criminal law to create an exception allowing retired law enforcement officials to carry concealed firearms on private property under specific conditions. The bill directly affects retired officers (in "good standing" from state, local, or federal agencies) who possess a valid permit or are authorized under state law to carry a concealed handgun. Key provisions require retired officers to visibly display their badge/credential, keep firearms concealed under clothing, and obtain owner permission to enter dwellings (homes). This exception does not apply to general property access but specifically modifies trespassing rules for entering homes with firearms. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.