Del. Chris Adams

Maddy summaryHB 482, the "Fair Districts for Maryland Act," proposes constitutional changes to overhaul Maryland's redistricting process. It establishes an independent Legislative and Congressional Redistricting and Apportionment Commission to draw both state legislative and congressional districts, replacing the current Governor-led process. The bill mandates new boundary rules requiring districts to respect natural geography, community interests, and geographic compactness, while explicitly prohibiting consideration of voter registration, past voting patterns, or political party affiliation. If the General Assembly fails to adopt a redistricting plan within 45 days of the census, the Commission would submit a plan to the Supreme Court for approval. This directly affects all Maryland residents by changing how voting districts are drawn, aiming to reduce partisan influence in the redistricting process.

Maddy summaryHB 1347 exempts cannabis security agents employed by licensed cannabis businesses or security guard agencies from needing state/national criminal history background checks, provided they are already authorized to provide security services under Maryland’s existing security guard laws. This directly affects cannabis security workers and cannabis businesses that employ them, as it removes a specific barrier to their employment. The bill modifies registration requirements by requiring cannabis agents to register with the Administration (valid for 2 years) but eliminates the criminal check requirement for those meeting security guard certification standards. Other provisions include annual training requirements for agents and maintaining registration validity for pre-July 2023 registrations. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 602 requires Maryland's State Board of Nursing to negotiate mutual recognition agreements with nursing boards in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The bill aims to create reciprocity for advanced practice nursing licenses and specialty certifications, specifically to increase access to qualified nurses, improve license portability across borders, and simplify telehealth services in border regions. The Board must report annually to legislative committees starting November 1, 2025, detailing progress, agreements reached, challenges, and needed policy changes. This bill directly affects nursing boards in Maryland and the five neighboring jurisdictions, focusing on streamlining licensure for advanced practice nurses without altering current licensing standards. It is a procedural measure to facilitate future agreements, not a change to existing licensure rules.

Maddy summaryHB 893 changes Maryland's oyster fishing regulations by replacing license revocation with license suspension for certain violations. It requires the Department of Natural Resources to suspend (not revoke) oyster licenses for up to 2 years for first offenses or up to 10 years for repeat offenses involving violations like harvesting near closed areas, using prohibited gear, or harvesting outside time restrictions. The bill also creates a reinstatement process: individuals whose licenses were revoked before July 1, 2025, can regain their license after 2 years for a first violation or 10 years for a repeat violation. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies directly to oyster harvesters in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 1200 expands Maryland's existing property tax credit program to include judicial officers, who were previously excluded. The bill modifies the tax code to allow counties or municipalities to grant a property tax credit on a dwelling owned by a judicial officer who is disabled, a surviving spouse of a judicial officer who died in the line of duty, or a qualifying cohabitant. It defines "judicial officer" and "public safety officer" to explicitly include judicial roles, requires local governments to define these terms in their laws, and applies the credit retroactively to past years. This change directly affects judicial officers, their families, and cohabitants who meet the eligibility criteria for the tax credit.

Maddy summaryHB 227 clarifies that unclaimed capital credits owed to past members of electric cooperatives - after at least five years of being retired and unclaimed - are not considered "abandoned property" under Maryland law. This bill directly affects electric cooperatives and their former members by preventing these funds from being turned over to the state. Cooperatives may only use these "nonescheat capital credits" to assist current members (per their charter powers) or make donations to approved nonprofit organizations. The law specifically defines these funds and ensures cooperatives remain obligated to refund them if a past member claims them.

Maddy summaryHB 616 modifies Maryland law to better protect cemeteries by extending the time limit for prosecuting crimes involving cemetery damage and adding specific prohibitions. It changes the statute of limitations to allow prosecution within 3 years after local authorities knew or should have known about violations (previously tied to when the offense occurred). The bill prohibits willfully destroying, damaging, defacing, or removing funerary objects, cemetery structures (like walls or fences), or landscaping without permission, while allowing normal maintenance and repairs with consent from cemetery owners or heirs. Violations of these provisions carry misdemeanor penalties, with fines up to $10,000 for structural damage and $500 for plant-related damage. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 320 prohibits individuals from standing in roadways, median dividers, or intersections in Wicomico County to ask drivers for money or donations. It amends Maryland’s transportation code (Section 21-507(c)) to explicitly include Wicomico County among counties where such solicitation is banned, extending an existing restriction that previously applied to other counties. The law directly affects people attempting to solicit funds from vehicle occupants in these specific public spaces within Wicomico County. The bill takes effect on October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1558 restricts fundraising activities for Maryland state elected officials during legislative sessions. It prohibits the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, Treasurer, and state legislators (or their staff acting on their behalf) from receiving contributions, hosting events, soliciting funds, or depositing money raised during the session - except for specific cases. Exceptions include activities solely for their own federal or local election campaigns, contributions made electronically before the session began, and gubernatorial campaign financing under the Public Financing Act. Violations result in civil penalties paid into the Fair Campaign Financing Fund.

Maddy summaryHB 889 requires Maryland's Department of Natural Resources to expand its annual juvenile striped bass and rockfish survey by adding sampling sites in the central Chesapeake Bay region. Specifically, the bill mandates 12-20 new survey locations in seven designated waterways: Maggoty River, Severn River, Chester River, South River, West River, Eastern Bay, and Miles River. This change supplements existing surveys in northern and southern Bay regions to improve data on young fish populations. The bill directly affects the Department of Natural Resources, which must implement these new survey requirements starting June 1, 2025. The goal is to enhance scientific understanding of striped bass and rockfish stock health in Maryland waters.