Del. Chris Tomlinson

Maddy summaryHB 521 repeals a surcharge on electric and gas utility bills that previously funded energy efficiency programs supporting Maryland's greenhouse gas reduction goals. The bill removes the requirement for utilities to recover costs related to these programs through customer bills, eliminating a mandatory surcharge that had been in place since at least 2008. This directly affects residential and commercial utility customers who previously paid this fee, as it no longer requires utilities to include these costs in billing. The repeal also removes disclosure requirements about the surcharge's purpose and duration.

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 482, the "Fair Districts for Maryland Act," proposes constitutional changes to overhaul Maryland's redistricting process. It establishes an independent Legislative and Congressional Redistricting and Apportionment Commission to draw both state legislative and congressional districts, replacing the current Governor-led process. The bill mandates new boundary rules requiring districts to respect natural geography, community interests, and geographic compactness, while explicitly prohibiting consideration of voter registration, past voting patterns, or political party affiliation. If the General Assembly fails to adopt a redistricting plan within 45 days of the census, the Commission would submit a plan to the Supreme Court for approval. This directly affects all Maryland residents by changing how voting districts are drawn, aiming to reduce partisan influence in the redistricting process.

Maddy summaryHB 183 would end Maryland's Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program by removing all related provisions from state law, including sections governing emissions testing and inspections. This repeal directly affects most Maryland vehicle owners, eliminating the requirement for biennial emissions tests and equipment inspections for vehicles from the 1977 model year onward. The bill specifically targets the code sections that established the program, including rules for testing schedules, waivers for repair costs, and exemptions for certain hybrid vehicles. If enacted, it would remove the state's mandatory emissions inspection requirement, which currently applies to most registered vehicles in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 1131 establishes a grant program to help Maryland counties cover costs for training paramedics to administer buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid overdoses. The bill directs the Maryland Office of Overdose Response to create a workgroup to study state-wide access to buprenorphine. Funding for the program comes from the Opioid Restitution Fund, as explicitly added to the fund's authorized uses under Section 7-331(f)(5) of the State Finance and Procurement Article. This directly affects counties seeking to expand emergency medical services for opioid emergencies and paramedics receiving specialized training. The bill focuses on concrete policy changes: creating a dedicated grant stream and requiring a state-level access study.

Maddy summaryHB 675 modifies Maryland's Rape Kit Testing Grant Fund to specifically fund testing of untested sexual assault evidence kits collected before October 1, 2020, and support related services. The bill directs the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention to distribute funds annually to law enforcement agencies for testing, while prohibiting the fund from supporting the Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Tracking System (Section 31-33). It also allocates funding to the State Sexual Assault Coalition for a victim notification hotline providing advocacy, information on untested kits, and guidance navigating the tracking system (Section 9-19). The Executive Director must ensure all pre-2020 kits are tested or determined non-testable by fiscal year end, with funds maintained at prior-year levels unless reduced (Section 5-6). This directly affects law enforcement agencies, victims of sexual assault, and the State Sexual Assault Coalition.

Maddy summaryHB 236 allows individuals to seek a peace order against someone who conducts intentional visual surveillance (like hidden cameras) in areas of their residence where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as yards or outbuildings. It expands existing peace order protections by adding this specific behavior as a grounds for a petition and requires courts to order the respondent to remove or reposition surveillance devices within 15 days and stop further surveillance. The bill directly affects residents experiencing unauthorized visual monitoring of private property areas, offering a legal remedy through the court system. It amends Maryland’s peace order law to include these specific provisions without changing criminal penalties for the underlying surveillance acts.

Maddy summaryHB 929 allows an individual accused of abuse to consent to a permanent protective order against themselves. This directly affects the alleged abuser (who can now agree to the order) and the victim (who may request it). The bill adds consent as a new legal basis for courts to issue permanent protective orders, alongside existing grounds like conviction for abuse or the victim's request. Any permanent order issued this way must mirror the original temporary order's protections and remains in effect unless the victim asks to terminate it.

Maddy summaryHB 674 prohibits individuals from intentionally concealing a death by failing to notify emergency services or law enforcement, dismembering or destroying human remains, or burying a dead body. It also bans aiding or abetting these acts. Violating this law is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, with sentences served consecutively to other related convictions. The bill directly affects anyone who attempts to hide a death through these specific actions, targeting concealment of death rather than the underlying crime.

Maddy summaryHB 497 prohibits youth transportation companies from using physical restraints (like handcuffs or blindfolds) or visual impairments when moving children to residential child care programs, except in emergencies with no less restrictive alternatives. It also bans pickups between 9 PM and 6 AM. The law directly affects companies transporting children to facilities such as wilderness programs, therapeutic boarding schools, or behavioral modification programs (excluding hospitals, foster homes, or secure facilities). Violations allow the Attorney General to seek injunctions or up to $1,000 in damages per offense.