Rep. Robbyn Lewis

Maddy summaryHB 1282 prohibits licensed tobacco sellers from advertising or marketing tobacco products, electronic smoking devices, or vaping liquids to anyone under 21 years old. It bans specific tactics like using cartoons, superheroes, food images targeting minors, or symbols associated with youth in advertisements. The bill also restricts advertising in media where 15% or more of the audience is under 21, or within 500 feet of schools. This directly affects retailers and manufacturers licensed to sell tobacco products in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 1073 (Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act) prohibits landlords from requiring or using criminal history checks to screen prospective tenants before making a conditional lease offer. Landlords may only consider specific criminal convictions *after* extending a conditional offer and must allow tenants to provide evidence about inaccuracies or rehabilitation. The bill also bans housing ads that discriminate based on criminal records and requires the Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs to publish model documents and annual data on criminal history use in leasing. It makes violations subject to penalties under Maryland’s consumer protection laws. The law directly affects residential landlords and prospective tenants in Maryland seeking housing.

Maddy summaryHB 723 requires Maryland electric companies to submit cost containment plans to the Public Service Commission by January 1, 2027, and every three years thereafter. These plans must detail strategies to reduce peak electricity demand through specific mechanisms, including "nonwires solutions" (like distributed energy resources and grid-enhancing technologies), demand flexibility programs, and grid flexibility-enabled building electrification. The bill mandates that plans avoid or minimize capital spending on infrastructure while improving system reliability and efficiency. This directly affects all electric distribution and transmission companies operating in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 818 requires Maryland public colleges to cover tuition, room, board, required books, course materials, supplies, and equipment for foster care recipients and homeless youth who qualify. It defines "foster care recipient" as individuals in out-of-home placements (with specific age or guardianship criteria) and "homeless youth" as those verified under federal McKinney-Vento guidelines. To qualify, students must enroll before age 25 for a vocational certificate, associate’s, or bachelor’s degree, file for federal/state financial aid, and cannot use scholarships/grants toward covered costs. The exemption lasts until the student earns their degree or 10 years after starting their program, whichever comes first.

Maddy summaryHB 932 requires the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) to complete construction of its fifth bus division facility by June 30, 2032. The bill directly affects the MTA, mandating it to identify necessary funding in the 2027-2033 Consolidated Transportation Program to ensure the facility is operational by the deadline. Key provisions include a fixed completion date and annual funding planning requirements for the MTA’s capital budget. This bill does not alter service operations but sets a concrete timeline and funding process for a new infrastructure project.

Maddy summaryHB 1299 requires appraisers to notify buyers, sellers, or their designated point of contact if an appraisal value may be below the contract price or refinance estimate. Interested parties (like lenders or real estate agents) can then submit verified sales data or pending sale documentation within 48 hours for the appraiser to consider. The final appraisal report must include an addendum detailing the notification, submitted data, and whether the additional information changed the valuation. This applies to residential property transactions in Maryland and aims to standardize communication during the appraisal process.

Maddy summaryHB 1371 establishes the Maryland-Africa and the Caribbean Investment and Development Program within the Department of Commerce to study and promote trade and investment between Maryland's African diaspora communities and Africa/Caribbean nations. The program creates an Advisory Board (with members from diaspora businesses, community groups, academic institutions, labor, and finance) to study trade opportunities and recommend actions to the Department. It also creates the Maryland African Diaspora Investment and Development Fund, a permanent fund providing grants, low-interest loans, and business support services to diaspora-owned businesses for expansion, startup capital, and job creation - particularly focusing on Northeast Baltimore communities. The bill directly affects businesses owned by Maryland residents of African or Caribbean descent, defined as first-generation immigrants and their descendants.

Maddy summaryHB 444 prohibits Maryland state and local governments, including county sheriffs and agencies, from entering into new agreements with federal authorities to enforce civil immigration law. It requires existing agreements to be terminated by July 1, 2026, or immediately upon the law’s effective date (June 1, 2026). The bill specifically targets contracts, memorandums, or agreements that allow local entities to assist in federal immigration enforcement under federal laws like 8 U.S.C. § 1103 or § 1357. This directly affects local law enforcement agencies and government bodies that previously collaborated with federal immigration authorities. The law aims to prevent state/local resources from being used for immigration enforcement under federal programs.

Maddy summaryHB 1131 (Pregnancy Outcome Protection Act) prohibits law enforcement and agencies from investigating, prosecuting, or imposing civil liability on individuals who experienced pregnancy loss (including miscarriage, stillbirth, or self-managed abortion), except when independent evidence of unrelated criminal conduct exists or the individual consents. It protects healthcare providers from liability for supporting patients during or after pregnancy loss and restricts disclosure of medical records related to pregnancy loss without evidence of abuse, unrelated criminal conduct, or patient consent. The bill creates a private right to sue for violations and establishes misdemeanor penalties for knowingly violating its provisions. These changes apply to all Maryland residents and healthcare providers within the state’s health system.

Maddy summaryHB 1202 requires Maryland's State Board of Education to develop content standards on Palestinian culture and history for inclusion in social studies curriculum standards by December 2026. These standards must cover historical presence, cultural traditions, impacts of displacement, and Palestinian identity as a distinct ethnic group, while emphasizing factual, nonpartisan teaching and critical thinking. Starting in the 2027-2028 school year, all public schools must integrate this content into social studies. The bill also updates bullying policies to explicitly prohibit anti-Palestinian bias and mandates county boards to create age-appropriate curriculum guides in collaboration with educators and community stakeholders.