Del. Sheila Ruth

Maddy summaryHB 572 authorizes Maryland’s Attorney General to sue large fossil fuel companies (with over $1 billion in market capitalization involved in extracting or processing coal, oil, or gas) for unlawful conduct contributing to climate change, including fraud or deception. It creates the Climate Crimes Accountability Fund, financed by settlements or judgments from these lawsuits, to pay for programs addressing specific climate harms like flooding, extreme heat, drought, and waterborne pathogens. The fund is a special, non-lapsing account managed by the state, with interest earnings automatically added to it. All money must directly support climate harm prevention, mitigation, or repair efforts as defined in the bill.

Maddy summaryHB 155 requires all Maryland law enforcement agencies to adopt policies prohibiting officers from wearing face coverings (like opaque masks or helmets) during routine duties, with specific exceptions. The Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission must create a model policy emphasizing transparency and excluding religious items, medical masks, or safety gear (such as helmets for motorcycle operations). Officers violating this rule face potential fines or loss of civil immunity, but exceptions cover religious garments, medical protection, and occupational safety needs. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 507 extends the funding period for a grant program supporting nonprofit organizations that provide automotive repair training and reentry services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. The bill allows the Governor to appropriate $1 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2029 (previously ending in 2028) for qualifying nonprofits that train at least 50 people yearly, provide nationally recognized automotive repair certificates, and achieve a 50% job placement rate for participants. These organizations must report on fund usage, participant numbers, and employment outcomes to the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention. The extension ensures continued access to job training and employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 540, the "Public Service Company Transparency Act," requires investor-owned electric, gas, and combined gas/electric utilities in Maryland to increase transparency around potential rate changes. Specifically, it mandates that these companies notify customers via bill inserts or email before seeking rate adjustments, provide a detailed 10-year rate trend report showing visual graphs and cost breakdowns, and include a standardized statement on all customer bills explaining the Public Service Commission’s role. Utilities must also distribute annual rate reports to customers and post them online, while the Public Service Commission must publish an annual rate trend report using data from these filings. The bill applies only to investor-owned utilities (excluding municipal or cooperative providers) and takes effect October 1, 2026, with first reports due January 1, 2028.

Maddy summaryHB 47 establishes a 24-member commission to identify Maryland state and local government properties (such as streets, parks, or buildings) bearing Confederate names, which commemorate the Confederacy or its figures. The commission must develop a framework to catalog these properties and recommend renaming options to state and local governments by October 1, 2033. Crucially, the commission cannot directly rename properties - it only provides recommendations for consideration by elected officials. The bill expires automatically on June 30, 2034, after a 7-year term.

Maddy summaryHB 334 requires state procurement officers to mandate that all bidders and contractors certify they are not violating the U.S. or Maryland Constitution and will refrain from such actions during the contract period. This applies to every entity seeking state contracts, including affiliates and divisions of bidders. The bill adds specific certification requirements to Maryland’s procurement law (sections 13-212.2 and 13-230), making constitutional compliance a condition for bidding and contract execution. It takes effect October 1, 2026, with no defined scope for what constitutes a constitutional violation. The policy change directly affects all businesses competing for state procurement contracts.

Maddy summaryHB 517 clarifies that counties and cities in Maryland can adopt stricter local emission standards or air quality rules than state or federal levels, provided their standards are equally or more stringent. It also confirms local governments retain authority to regulate solid waste management systems without being limited by certain state provisions. The bill requires the Department of the Environment to publish clear information about this local authority on its website by October 1, 2026. This law directly affects local governments seeking to implement more protective environmental regulations within their jurisdictions. It does not change existing state standards but removes ambiguity about local regulatory power.

Maddy summaryHB 473 repeals the current ban preventing public school employers in Maryland from negotiating class size limits with teacher unions. It removes the prohibition in Section 6-406(c)(3) that previously barred discussions about "the maximum number of students assigned to a class" during collective bargaining. This change directly affects certificated school employees (like teachers) and their unions, as well as public school employers (county school systems). The bill enables these parties to negotiate class size as part of their collective bargaining agreements, alongside other terms like salaries and working conditions.

Maddy summaryHB 560 repeals two tax exemptions for data centers in Maryland: one that exempted sales and use tax on qualifying equipment purchases and another that allowed local governments to reduce property tax on data center equipment. This bill directly affects data centers previously eligible for these breaks, requiring them to pay standard sales and use tax on equipment and full property tax on their assets. The repeal removes Sections 11-239 (Tax-General) and 7-248 (Tax-Property) from Maryland law, eliminating the eligibility requirements and certification process for these exemptions. As a result, data centers will no longer qualify for these specific tax benefits under current law.

Maddy summaryHB 90 allows Maryland counties and Baltimore City to create a special property tax rate for commercial and industrial properties - including mixed-use buildings - to fund transportation projects or school budgets. It requires counties to automatically exempt the residential portion of mixed-use properties from this special tax using public records, without requiring owner applications. The special rate must be in addition to the general tax rate, cannot exceed 12.5 cents per $100 assessed value total, and cannot apply to residential parts of qualifying buildings. This directly affects commercial/industrial property owners, particularly those with mixed-use properties, by modifying how their taxes are calculated for specific public funding purposes.