Rep. Mike Griffith

Maddy summaryHB 622 (Juvenile Justice Restoration Act of 2025) requires law enforcement officers to consult with an attorney before questioning a child in custody. Specifically, officers must ensure the child has spoken with an attorney (either retained by parents or provided by the Public Defender) and make reasonable efforts to notify the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian before interrogation. Exceptions exist only for immediate public safety threats (with limited questions) or if the parent/guardian consents to skip the attorney consultation. Violating these rules creates a rebuttable presumption that any statement made by the child is inadmissible in court, though the state can overcome this with clear evidence the statement was voluntary. The bill directly affects children under 18 during police questioning and all Maryland law enforcement agencies.

Maddy summaryHB 652 prohibits Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services from hiring or retaining employees convicted of specific serious crimes, directly affecting individuals seeking or holding jobs in juvenile services. The bill bans hiring for 14 offenses including abduction, kidnapping, murder, rape, child abuse, sexual offenses against minors, and certain violent assaults. An exception allows hiring if the conviction was reversed or vacated. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1358 prevents the Division of Correction from counting time spent in a home detention program toward a sentence for individuals convicted of violating the program's conditions. It requires courts to consider the nature and circumstances of any pending cases when setting conditions for pretrial release. The bill also clarifies that time spent in home detention as a pretrial condition does not count toward a sentence if a defendant is returned to custody for violating those conditions. These changes directly affect individuals in home detention programs and courts handling pretrial release decisions.

Maddy summaryHB 1356 prohibits District Court commissioners from releasing defendants on personal recognizance or unsecured bail if the defendant was previously charged with a crime after being released on unsecured bail within the past 5 years, or failed to appear in court while on unsecured bail. The bill requires judges to authorize pretrial release for such defendants only on secured bail with conditions designed to prevent flight or community danger. It directly affects individuals with specific prior court-related violations involving unsecured bail. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and amends Maryland's Criminal Procedure code (Section 5-202(h)).

Maddy summaryHB 952 expands the list of offenses requiring juveniles to be placed on Maryland's sex offender registry, adding specific crimes like certain sexual assaults, child pornography violations, and offenses against minors. It also allows school administrators (local superintendents or their designees) to access the registry for school safety purposes. Juveniles on the registry must update their information and provide a digital photo every three months until they turn 18 or when juvenile court jurisdiction ends, whichever occurs later. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, and applies to juveniles adjudicated delinquent for qualifying offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Ratepayer Protection Act of 2025, prevents Maryland state and local governments from suing businesses for financial or economic damages caused by global warming or climate change. It achieves this by adding a new legal provision that explicitly bars government agencies from filing such lawsuits, while clarifying that the law does not stop governments from enforcing existing environmental, health, or zoning regulations. The legislation defines "business" broadly to include various entities and financial institutions, and it takes effect on October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1184 adjusts the size and scope of Port of Deposit State Historical Park in Cecil County, Maryland. It reduces the park's required size from 120-150 acres to 12-19 acres and removes the Tome School from the included property, keeping only the Snow Hill archaeological site and adjacent wooded conservation area. The bill extends the deadline for the Bainbridge Development Corporation to transfer qualifying property to the Department of Natural Resources from June 2025 to June 2026. It also creates a stakeholder advisory committee with specific local representatives and requires the Department to submit a report by September 2024 detailing suitable property, funding needs, and preservation plans for non-included land. Additionally, it allocates $400,000 for a Phase 1 archaeological survey of the Snow Hill site.

Maddy summaryHB 1218 creates a 19-member Task Force to study Maryland’s electricity needs through 2040 and recommend policies to reduce reliance on out-of-state power. The Task Force, including state officials, utility representatives (like BGE and Constellation), environmental groups, and ratepayer advocates, must analyze electricity forecasts, costs, and options to ensure Maryland imports no more than 25% of its power by 2030-2040. The bill also imposes a temporary 12-month pause (July 2025-May 2026) on the Public Service Commission approving new transmission line projects. This pause gives the Task Force time to develop recommendations on energy sources, grid upgrades, and cost impacts for Maryland ratepayers. The Task Force must submit its findings to the Governor and General Assembly by December 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1217 authorizes the construction, permitting, and operation of natural gas power plants in Maryland until the state meets 50% of its energy needs from renewable sources (including nuclear energy). The bill requires the Maryland Energy Administration to collaborate with natural gas facility owners to reduce their energy output at the same rate that renewable energy production increases once the 50% target is reached. This directly affects natural gas facility operators and the Maryland Energy Administration, mandating a structured transition toward renewable energy. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, without specifying further details about the transition timeline or enforcement mechanisms.

Maddy summaryHB 1224 modifies Maryland's Forest Conservation Act to exclude new electric transmission and distribution lines (constructed on or after October 1, 2025) from the definition of "linear project." This change directly affects electric companies, as it removes their requirement to comply with tree replacement and forest conservation rules for these new infrastructure projects. The bill revises specific sections of the law to clarify that such utility lines no longer trigger afforestation obligations, while maintaining the rules for other linear projects like roads or pipelines. The effective date is October 1, 2025, meaning the exemption applies only to new projects built after that date.