Del. Robin Grammer

Maddy summaryHB 548 restricts Maryland's Governor from deploying the state militia (including the National Guard) into "active duty combat" without specific congressional action. It prohibits such deployments unless the U.S. Congress has passed an official declaration of war (per Article I, Section 8, Clause 11) or taken a specific action under Clause 15 to "call forth" the militia for federal purposes. The bill explicitly preserves the Governor's authority to deploy the militia under Title 32 of U.S. law for domestic support, such as disaster response within Maryland. This directly affects the Governor's power to commit state military forces to overseas combat roles without federal congressional authorization.

Maddy summaryHB 374 prohibits incarcerated individuals convicted of first-degree murder (under §2-201 of Maryland's Criminal Law Article) from earning diminution credits, which reduce prison sentences through good behavior or program participation. This applies to offenders whose crimes occurred on or after October 1, 2025, directly affecting those serving sentences for first-degree murder in state or local correctional facilities. The bill amends Maryland law by removing eligibility for these sentence reductions in Section 3-702 and Section 11-502, ensuring such individuals serve their full sentences without credit for time served. The change takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 314 modifies Maryland law to allow intercepted communications (like phone calls or messages) to be used as evidence in court under specific conditions. It creates two main exceptions: evidence may be admitted if all parties were outside Maryland during the communication, not intercepted by Maryland law enforcement, and all were co-conspirators in a violent crime; or if a court determines the evidence is more critical than other available evidence and serves justice. The bill requires the party seeking to admit such evidence to provide the opposing side with advance notice of the intended use and the name/address of the person whose communication was intercepted. This directly affects criminal defendants, law enforcement, and courts by altering when electronic surveillance evidence can be presented in trials.

Maddy summaryHB 355 modifies Maryland's income tax deduction for retirement income, allowing eligible residents to subtract a larger portion of their retirement earnings from taxable income over time. Starting in 2025, residents aged 65+ or disabled (or whose spouse is disabled), or retired forest/park/rangers meeting specific criteria, can deduct 30% of retirement income in 2025-2026, rising to 60% in 2026-2027, and 100% after 2026. The bill expands the definition of "qualified retirement plan" to include IRAs and Roth accounts (previously excluded), while clarifying that certain income types (like Social Security) cannot be double-counted for this deduction. This change takes effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, with full 100% deduction applicable after 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 357 removes a $1,000 minimum price requirement for tax exemption on precious metal bullion or coins in Maryland. The bill expands the existing sales tax exemption to cover all sales of qualifying precious metal bullion (refined metal where value depends on content) or coins used as currency, regardless of price. It specifically excludes jewelry and art made from precious metals. This change directly affects sellers and buyers of bullion, coins, and related products by eliminating the previous price threshold for tax exemption. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 319 requires each Maryland county school system to publish clear contact information for every county board of education member on its official website by July 1, 2025. Non-student board members must have an email address, mailing address, and direct phone number listed, while student members must have an email address. This bill directly affects county school systems and board members by mandating accessible public contact details. It does not change educational policies but improves transparency about who represents local school boards. The requirement applies to all county school systems across Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 316 clarifies that "9-1-1 specialist" in Maryland law now explicitly includes 9-1-1 technicians who work at county public safety answering points. The bill amends Maryland's Annotated Code to define "9-1-1 specialist" as employees performing core duties like receiving emergency calls, supporting 9-1-1 operations, and dispatching services. This change directly affects county 9-1-1 technicians who previously may not have been formally included under the existing definition. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and is a technical update to ensure technicians are recognized in statutory language.

Maddy summaryHB 229 modifies Maryland's landlord-tenant law to provide faster court proceedings for military-connected landlords. It requires District Courts to schedule a hearing within 45 days if the landlord or their spouse is on active military duty (and meets specific conditions like relocation due to duty), rather than waiting for standard timelines. The bill also allows private process servers to deliver summonses if regular court officers fail to serve within 10 days. This directly affects active-duty military members who own rental properties and tenants holding over after leases end. The law applies only when landlords submit required documentation proving military service status.

Maddy summaryHB 137 prohibits students charged with a crime of violence (as defined in Maryland law) from attending public schools in person until the charge is dismissed or the student is found not delinquent. The bill requires local school systems to provide separate, alternative learning options for these students, such as home-based instruction or specialized programs, distinct from regular classrooms. These options must align with existing policies for students under similar legal supervision. The law applies specifically to public school students in Maryland and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires parties and nonparties filing documents in criminal or juvenile delinquency cases to remove the name and other identifying details of any victim who was a minor at the time of the offense. Under this law, courts cannot share these redacted filings with the public unless the identifying information has been properly removed, with limited exceptions for good cause. The legislation also allows the state's Supreme Court to create rules requiring that unredacted versions of these documents be filed separately under seal to preserve legal access while protecting privacy. Effective October 1, 2024, these measures aim to prevent the accidental exposure of minor victims' identities in public court records.