Del. Barrie Ciliberti

Maddy summaryHB 475, the Juvenile Offender Protection Act, prohibits Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services from hiring or retaining employees convicted of specific serious crimes, including abduction, kidnapping, murder, rape, sexual offenses against minors, and certain assaults. It directly affects individuals seeking or holding jobs with the Department of Juvenile Services who have prior convictions for the listed offenses. The law adds these restrictions to Maryland's Code, with an exception allowing hiring if the conviction was reversed or vacated. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 460 limits solar energy generating station construction in Maryland's priority preservation areas (protected lands established before 2025) to 2% of the total acreage, down from a previous 5% cap. It requires counties to report when this 2% limit is reached and prohibits local zoning laws from blocking solar projects meeting specific criteria. The bill also mandates the Maryland Department of the Environment to study the environmental impact of disposing of solar panels at end-of-life and report findings by September 2027. This directly affects counties, developers, and landowners in priority preservation areas by restricting solar development space and creating new reporting requirements. The policy change aims to balance renewable energy growth with conservation of sensitive lands.

Maddy summaryHB 446 creates a new commercial fishing license specifically for harvesting blue and flathead catfish using trotlines in the Chesapeake Bay. It directly affects licensed commercial fishers by allowing them to fish in the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, a location previously restricted by Department regulations. The bill prohibits the Department of Natural Resources from banning this activity within that area while requiring license holders to pay a $15 annual fee for a one-year license. This establishes a permanent regulatory framework for targeted commercial fishing of these species, rather than implementing a temporary pilot program.

Maddy summaryHB 1466 requires counties and municipalities in Maryland to adopt local rules allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) - small secondary homes like backyard cottages or converted garages - on properties zoned for single-family homes by a specified deadline. It sets standards for approving ADU permits, calculating development fees, requiring parking spaces (both on- and off-street), and limiting utility fees or connection requirements for ADUs. The bill also prohibits property sale documents from restricting ADU development and allows homeowners associations to treat ADUs as separate lots for voting and fee purposes. This law directly affects single-family homeowners, local governments, and property associations by expanding housing options through updated zoning rules.

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 1374 expands eligibility for publicly funded prekindergarten to include 3-year-olds in certain private providers. It modifies the definition of "Tier I child" to include 3-year-olds whose families meet income requirements (≤300% federal poverty level) or are homeless, live in counties where private providers have opted to enroll them, and choose full-day programs. Eligible private providers (licensed, charging tuition ≤ "cost of quality," meeting quality standards) must sign a memorandum of understanding with the State Department of Education and county boards to enroll these children. The bill directly affects qualifying 3-year-olds, eligible private prekindergarten providers, and local departments responsible for notifying families about enrollment options.

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 1271 requires healthcare providers to perform a transabdominal ultrasound before most abortions, with a mandatory 24-hour waiting period after the ultrasound (or 2 hours if the patient lives 100+ miles from the facility). The bill mandates specific ultrasound standards, including measuring fetal development, offering to show the image or fetal heartbeat, and documenting results. Crucially, it states patients cannot be forced to accept any offered services during the ultrasound, such as viewing the image or receiving a printout. This law directly affects women seeking abortions in Maryland and the healthcare providers performing them, adding procedural requirements to the existing abortion access framework.

Maddy summaryHB 734, the Real Time for Violent Crime Act, prohibits incarcerated individuals convicted of first- or second-degree murder from earning sentence reduction credits (diminution credits) that shorten their prison time. It also limits sentence reductions for violent crimes to no more than 10% of the total sentence for those convicted of crimes of violence (as defined in Maryland law), and restricts judges from granting pretrial release to defendants charged with violent crimes if they have pending charges or recent convictions for specific violent offenses. The bill directly affects people serving sentences for murder or violent crimes in Maryland correctional facilities and changes how courts handle sentence reductions and pretrial releases for these cases.

Maddy summaryHB 1349 prohibits using drones to intentionally enter another person’s property within 50 feet of a dwelling with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or secretly photograph/video the property or people there. It directly affects drone operators who target residential areas for these purposes, while exempting those with property owner consent or operating under federal law. Violations are classified as misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail, a $5,000 fine, or both. The law aims to protect residents from unauthorized drone surveillance and harassment by defining clear criminal boundaries for drone use near homes. It takes effect October 1, 2025.