Del. Marlon Amprey

Maddy summaryHB 877 extends deadlines for the Prison Education Delivery Reform Commission. It pushes the interim report deadline from June 1, 2025, to June 1, 2028, and the final report deadline from January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2029. The bill also extends the commission's operational period from 2 years to 5 years and 1 month, meaning it will end on June 30, 2029, without needing further legislative action. This bill only modifies timing requirements and does not change the commission's purpose or responsibilities.

Maddy summaryHB 646 extends the deadline for a task force studying the creation of a Division of Returning Citizens and expanded reentry services. The bill delays the task force's report submission date from December 31, 2025, to October 31, 2026, and extends the task force's termination date from 2026 to 2027. This procedural bill amends previous legislation (Chapters 936 and 937 of the 2024 Acts) without changing the task force's purpose or creating new services. It directly affects the existing task force by providing additional time to complete its work.

Maddy summaryHB 1424, the "Protect Our Federal Workers Act," expands state financial assistance to Maryland residents affected by federal government disruptions beyond just shutdowns. It renames the "Federal Government Shutdown Employee Assistance Loan Fund" to the "Federal Government Employee Assistance Loan Fund" and broadens eligibility to include current federal employees not paid during shutdowns *and* Maryland residents recently terminated due to federal office closures, relocations, or mass layoffs. The bill allows funds from the state’s Catastrophic Event Account to cover costs for these individuals, administered by the Maryland Department of Labor. This changes existing law to provide loans for both ongoing shutdowns and post-layoff financial hardship from federal facility changes.

Maddy summaryHB 601 amends Maryland's Small Business Guaranty Fund program (Section 5-540 of the Economic Development Article) to expand how loan guarantees can be supported. It now allows guarantees to be backed by the State’s full faith and credit *or* by alternative financial instruments like irrevocable letters of credit, treasurer’s checks, escrow accounts, or other instruments promising reimbursement for lender losses. The bill also adds a requirement that the Authority must determine a loan will have "substantial economic impact" before approving a guarantee, considering factors like job creation and loan terms. This directly affects small businesses seeking loans (applicants) and financial institutions providing those loans by making guarantee options more flexible and adding a new review step. The changes take effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1241 establishes new procedures for seizing electronic smoking devices and other tobacco products sold in violation of Maryland law, allowing the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission Executive Director or peace officers to seize such items without a warrant. It requires wholesalers of electronic smoking devices to obtain a specific license and maintain detailed records of their inventory and sales. The bill mandates that seized items must be documented with descriptions, quantities, reasons for seizure, and destruction methods, and it gives owners 30 days to claim property before forfeiture. These provisions directly affect wholesalers, retailers, and sellers of electronic smoking devices who violate tobacco product regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 1348 bans home improvement contractors and their representatives from soliciting disaster victims within 48 hours after a disaster, such as a fire, flood, or hurricane. It defines "disaster" broadly to include natural events causing property harm and specifies that "contractor" covers those performing home renovations, repairs, or installations like decks or fences. Violating this ban is treated as an unfair trade practice under Maryland’s consumer protection law, subject to existing enforcement and penalties. The law applies to all affected contractors, excluding those with pre-existing business relationships with victims before the disaster.

Maddy summaryHB 1226 authorizes Baltimore City to use stop sign monitoring systems in school zones, if permitted by local law, to capture vehicles failing to stop. It establishes a process where drivers recorded violating stop signs receive citations and face civil penalties, with fines required to fund public safety programs like pedestrian safety initiatives. The bill prohibits contractors from being paid based on the number of citations issued and specifies that contested cases must go through district court. This applies specifically to Baltimore City school zone enforcement, not statewide.

Maddy summaryHB 1189 authorizes Baltimore City to establish a special property tax rate for nonprofit-owned properties no longer used for their charitable purpose for at least three consecutive tax years. It creates a new tax subclass for such properties, allowing the city to impose a rate up to 10 times the standard rate. This directly affects nonprofit organizations in Baltimore whose properties have been vacant or unused for their intended purpose. The bill requires the city to report annually on the tax rate, number of properties affected, revenue generated, and whether properties could be repurposed. It takes effect for taxable years beginning after June 30, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 503, the Housing Development Act, requires Maryland’s Department of Housing and Community Development and Department of Planning to calculate regional housing infrastructure gaps (such as water, sewer, and road capacity shortfalls) and assign these gaps to specific counties and cities. Local governments must then take steps to reduce these gaps and are required to expedite approvals for certain housing projects - particularly those addressing the gaps - without denying them without specific justifications. The bill directly affects all counties and incorporated municipalities in Maryland, especially those identified as having significant housing infrastructure deficits. It creates a new framework for streamlining housing development by shifting approval responsibilities to local jurisdictions based on regional needs.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Baltimore City to set different property tax rates for specific property classes (like commercial buildings or residential units) instead of applying a single rate to all properties. It directly affects Baltimore property owners whose properties fall into these defined categories, such as those designated as vacant or unfit for use. The city must annually report on these special rates, including revenue generated and how funds are spent. The policy change takes effect for taxable years beginning after June 30, 2025.