Rep. Barry Beauchamp

Maddy summaryHB 3, the Maryland Fallen Heroes Tuition Benefits Act, exempts financially dependent children of state or local public safety employees who died while on duty from paying out-of-state or out-of-county tuition at Maryland public colleges. It directly affects children of firefighters, police officers, EMTs, correctional officers, and Maryland National Guard members who were residents of Maryland at the time of their death. The bill amends Maryland law to define "public safety employee" broadly and requires the Commission to create implementing regulations. The exemption applies to public higher education institutions statewide and takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 591, the Wicomico County Highway Pedestrian Safety Act, prohibits people from standing in roadways, shoulders, median dividers, or intersections in Wicomico County that the county or a local municipality has officially designated as "inherently dangerous" (meaning posing serious injury risk that can't be avoided with ordinary care). The law requires clear, state-compliant traffic signs to be posted before police can issue citations for violations, and it specifically applies only to Wicomico County, not statewide. The bill takes effect June 1, 2026, and does not create new penalties but sets conditions for enforcing existing standing restrictions. It directly affects pedestrians, drivers, and local law enforcement in Wicomico County by clarifying when standing in certain locations is prohibited.

Maddy summaryHB 1599 establishes Maryland's Chesapeake Bay Enhancement Program within the Department of Natural Resources. The program provides $2 million annually (starting fiscal year 2028) from the Transportation Trust Fund to fund oyster propagation and replenishment projects. These projects specifically mitigate harm to the state's oyster population caused by transportation projects at the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore, including dredging, pier/bridge construction, and channel maintenance. The law requires the Governor to include this funding in the annual budget bill, directly affecting oyster restoration groups and transportation project developers needing to offset environmental impacts.

Maddy summaryHB 1400 creates penalties for shellfish aquaculture permit and registration card holders who violate specific regulations. It directly affects commercial shellfish harvesters in Maryland who hold these permits. Key violations include harvesting oysters too close to closed areas, using prohibited gear, exceeding time restrictions, harvesting from leased areas without authorization, or taking oysters commercially without proper permits. For a first violation, permits may be suspended for up to 5 years; repeat violations result in permanent revocation. During suspension or revocation, individuals cannot work in any aquaculture activity, even if unrelated to shellfish.

Maddy summaryHB 1395 requires farmers who purchase new agricultural equipment to provide written notice (via certified mail) to manufacturers or dealers about defects during the warranty period. It mandates that manufacturers or dealers correct defects within 30 days at no cost to the farmer, even if repairs occur after the warranty expires. If repeated repair attempts fail to fix issues that substantially impair the equipment’s use or value, farmers can choose a replacement or refund. The bill applies to self-propelled farm vehicles (excluding lawn mowers, ATVs, or off-road vehicles) sold on or after January 1, 2026, and makes warranty violations subject to enforcement under Maryland’s Consumer Protection Act.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits placing children in unlicensed settings (such as hotels, motels, or nonresidential offices) under Maryland's out-of-home placement program for foster care, with limited exceptions for kinship caregivers or parental placements. It creates a new Child and Youth Placement Review Panel within the Governor’s Office to oversee placements and requires the Placement Manager to convene a Rapid Response Team for urgent cases. The bill also establishes an Advisory Council to improve Maryland’s system of care for children and families and modifies hospital overstay protocols for pediatric patients. These changes directly affect children in foster care, hospitals, and the agencies managing their care, aiming to ensure safer, licensed placements.

Maddy summaryHB 972 establishes the Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund, a permanent fund to provide annual grants supporting agricultural fairs and education. The fund will receive lottery proceeds (before allocation to the general fund) and replace previous requirements for horse racing fund allocations. It directs specific annual grants: $825,000 to the Maryland Agricultural Fair Board, $75,000 to the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, $550,000 to the Maryland State Fair Society (for youth programs like 4-H and FFA), and $50,000 to the Maryland FFA Association. These grants aim to advance agricultural fairs, education, and youth programs across Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 980 (Kanaiyah's Law) creates the Office of the Child Welfare Ombudsman within the Attorney General's office to handle complaints about Maryland's child welfare system. It requires juvenile courts to include specific information-sharing requirements in guardianship orders and expands criminal background checks to cover all adults living in a child's guardian's home. The bill also prohibits unlicensed placements for certain children, protects complainants from retaliation, and exempts certain complaint records from public disclosure. These changes directly affect child welfare agencies, guardians, and families navigating the system, aiming to improve transparency and accountability.

Maddy summaryHB 911 authorizes licensees at Laurel Park (and Pimlico Race Course) to conduct live Arabian breed horse racing under specific conditions. The bill requires that Arabian races occur in addition to existing thoroughbred races (not replacing them), with a maximum of one per day and three per race meet, and prohibits using thoroughbred purse funds for these races. All Arabian races must follow existing takeout rules, pay standard taxes/fees, and receive approval from the State Racing Commission. This directly affects racetrack operators seeking to add Arabian breed racing without altering current thoroughbred race schedules or funding.

Maddy summaryHB 395 repeals a requirement that new Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) must obtain a general discharge permit from Maryland's Department of the Environment before beginning construction. This directly affects developers and operators planning new CAFO facilities by removing a pre-construction permitting step. The bill modifies Maryland's Environment Article by deleting Section 9-323(a)(2), which previously mandated this permit for new CAFO construction. The change only applies to the construction phase, not to operating permits or existing CAFOs.