Rep. Malcolm Ruff

Maddy summaryHB 918 authorizes Baltimore City to create and enforce local laws that are stricter than state rules for regulating the sale and distribution of cigarettes, other tobacco products, and electronic smoking devices. It allows the Baltimore City Council and Mayor to implement these stricter local rules, while still requiring compliance with state licensing and tax laws under Title 12 of Maryland’s Tax-General Article. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026, and directly affects Baltimore City’s ability to tailor tobacco and e-cigarette regulations to local needs.

Maddy summaryHB 1105 sets a 3-year statute of limitations for prosecuting or enforcing local consumer protection codes in Maryland. It requires that legal actions for fines, penalties, or equitable relief must be filed within 3 years after local authorities knew or reasonably should have known about a violation. This applies directly to municipalities with their own consumer protection codes and affects businesses or entities violating those local rules. The bill modifies Maryland's judicial code to establish this timeframe for enforcement actions.

Maddy summaryHB 982 modifies Maryland's tuition exemption program for foster care recipients by changing the eligibility age requirement. It lowers the required age from 13 to 8 for youth who were in out-of-home placement and later adopted or placed under guardianship. This change expands eligibility to include more foster youth who transitioned to permanent families after age 8. The bill affects current and future foster care recipients seeking tuition-free public college education, maintaining existing requirements like enrollment by age 25 and filing for financial aid. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 523 (Real Property - Residential Foreclosures - Commencement Restrictions) delays foreclosure actions on residential properties by requiring a 90-day waiting period after a default or notice of intent to foreclose, whichever is later. It directly affects homeowners facing foreclosure and mortgage lenders by adding this waiting period, with limited exceptions for fraud, no payments, property destruction, bankruptcy, or vacant properties. Key provisions include mandatory affidavits verifying default details and notice accuracy, a $450 filing fee, and requirements for loss mitigation documentation. The bill modifies Maryland's foreclosure law to provide additional time for homeowners to seek alternatives before a foreclosure case can proceed.

Maddy summaryHB 336 amends Maryland law to restrict District Court commissioners from issuing arrest warrants based on applications from anyone other than police officers or State’s Attorneys. It also adds specific circumstances under which warrants may be issued (e.g., if a defendant skipped a summons, is unknown to authorities, or is in custody for another offense). Additionally, the bill increases the penalty for knowingly making false statements about crimes or public safety dangers to officials, raising the maximum jail term from six months to three years. These changes directly affect law enforcement, prosecutors, and individuals who file complaints or reports with authorities.

Maddy summaryHB 577 prohibits the manufacture, sale, purchase, possession, or transfer of "machine gun convertible pistols" in Maryland after a specified date. These are defined as semiautomatic pistols with a special trigger mechanism that can be easily converted to automatic fire using common tools or a "pistol converter" device. The bill creates new criminal penalties for violating this ban, with key exceptions allowing law enforcement use, licensed dealer transactions for specific purposes, and inheritance by qualified individuals. It does not affect standard semiautomatic firearms or restrict existing lawfully owned weapons.

Maddy summaryHB 687 (the PACE Act) protects criminal defendants and juvenile respondents in Maryland from having their creative works (like music, poetry, visual art, or film) used as evidence against them in court. It blocks such evidence unless a court finds, by a preponderance of evidence, that the creator intended the work to be literal (not fictional), it directly references the specific facts of the alleged crime, and it's relevant to a disputed fact. The bill explicitly excludes this protection for juvenile cases where creative expression is used to evaluate mental health or diversion programs. This law directly affects artists facing criminal or juvenile charges in Maryland, changing how their original creative expression can be considered as evidence. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1458 establishes Maryland's State Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Refugees and Asylees, providing food assistance to specific groups who lost federal SNAP eligibility after July 3, 2025. The program directly affects refugees, asylees, parolees (including Afghan and Ukrainian humanitarian parolees), and other noncitizens who met SNAP eligibility requirements under pre-2025 federal rules but became ineligible due to changes in federal law. It requires the Maryland Department of Human Services to administer the program using the same eligibility standards that were in effect on July 3, 2025, ensuring households with qualifying individuals receive benefits. The program takes effect July 1, 2026, restoring access to nutrition assistance for affected individuals.

Maddy summaryHB 627 establishes the Commission on History, Culture, and Civics in Education to improve how Maryland public schools teach U.S. and Maryland history, culture, and civics. The commission, composed of 16 members representing diverse groups (including Indigenous tribes, LGBTQIA+ communities, disabled individuals, teachers, and racial/ethnic communities), must examine contributions of marginalized groups and make recommendations to the State Board of Education. Key provisions require the commission to examine topics like Native American contributions, LGBTQIA+ history, and disability community impacts, while ensuring recommendations promote equitable learning for all students. The commission must publicly share meeting materials, reports, and livestream sessions online, with members serving four-year terms without pay but receiving travel reimbursements. This bill directly affects Maryland public school curricula and student learning experiences through its recommendations.

Maddy summaryHB 1241 expands Maryland's bereavement leave eligibility by redefining "qualified relationships" to include more individuals beyond immediate family. The bill adds grandparents, siblings, domestic partners, step-relatives, adoptive/foster relations, and de facto partners to the list of relationships qualifying for paid bereavement leave. This change directly affects Maryland employees who experience the death of these individuals, allowing them to take paid leave under state law. The bill amends Section 3-802 of the Maryland Annotated Code without altering leave duration or pay structure, maintaining existing employer thresholds (15+ employees) and excluding federal FMLA coverage.