Del. Kathy Szeliga

Maddy summaryHB 588 requires law enforcement to notify school superintendents, principals, or school security officers within 24 hours when a student (ages 5-22) is arrested for specific "reportable offenses" like violent crimes or certain drug violations committed off school grounds. The bill applies to all Maryland public and nonpublic schools, directly affecting school administrators who receive these notifications. It mandates confidentiality for the arrest information (not to be added to student records) and requires the State’s Attorney to share case dispositions with schools. Schools must also provide educational programming details when sharing student information with other schools due to prior arrests. The law aims to inform schools about student arrests while protecting privacy.

Maddy summaryHB 683 makes it a misdemeanor for parents, guardians, or custodians to intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or negligently act (or fail to act) in a way that causes a child to commit a crime or break the law. If convicted, they face up to 30 days in jail, a $2,500 fine, or both, and must participate in court proceedings and treatment programs for the child. The law also requires courts to order parents/guardians to pay court costs and restitution related to the child’s offense, while prohibiting fines for parents under certain circumstances. This directly affects parents, guardians, and custodians of children who commit crimes, shifting accountability to adult caregivers for their role in the child’s actions.

Maddy summaryHB 156, the "Fairness in Girls’ Sports Act," requires Maryland public and nonpublic high schools competing against public schools to designate interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity sports teams based solely on biological sex. It prohibits schools from allowing students assigned male at birth to participate on teams designated for students assigned female at birth. The bill also prevents government agencies or athletic organizations from penalizing schools for maintaining separate teams for females, and allows students or schools harmed by violations to file civil lawsuits seeking damages, attorney fees, or injunctions. This law directly affects high school athletic programs and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Ratepayer Protection Act of 2025, prevents Maryland state and local governments from suing businesses for financial or economic damages caused by global warming or climate change. It achieves this by adding a new legal provision that explicitly bars government agencies from filing such lawsuits, while clarifying that the law does not stop governments from enforcing existing environmental, health, or zoning regulations. The legislation defines "business" broadly to include various entities and financial institutions, and it takes effect on October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1329 allows natural gas energy systems to be constructed, permitted, and operated in Maryland with standard permitting requirements. It removes the Public Service Commission's authority to require investor-owned electric companies to build their own generating or transmission facilities under certain circumstances. The bill also states legislative support for developing additional nuclear energy (including small modular reactors) and encourages PJM Interconnection to expedite grid connections for new thermal generation projects. These changes take effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1414 amends Maryland's building energy standards to exclude certain public safety, emergency, and public utility buildings from the definition of "covered building." This means police stations, fire departments, emergency shelters, and utility facilities (like power substations) will no longer be subject to the state's energy performance requirements. The bill modifies existing law by adding specific exclusions to the "covered building" definition, removing these facilities from the annual emissions reporting and reduction targets that apply to other large commercial buildings. The policy change takes effect October 1, 2025, without altering the energy standards for other covered buildings.

Maddy summaryHB 773, the "Right to Teach Act of 2025," allows public middle and high school teachers in Maryland to remove students from their classroom under specific conditions: if a student repeatedly disrupts learning (with prior documentation) or exhibits severely disruptive, abusive, or unruly behavior that significantly interferes with teaching or other students' learning. Teachers must document the behavior, submit it to the principal, and send the student to the principal or guidance counselor. The bill prohibits county school boards from disciplining teachers for following these removal procedures and requires principals to use restorative methods for students referred to counselors. This law directly affects teachers, students, and school administrators by changing classroom discipline protocols and protecting educators from retaliation. It takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1180 (Right to Learn Act) requires Maryland county school boards to notify parents of students in failing schools (defined as schools with a 1-star rating for three consecutive years) by January 1 each year, providing a list of alternative school options including nonpublic and military boarding schools. Students in failing schools must be offered the opportunity to transfer to an alternative school, with parents required to choose by April 1. The bill creates a "Right to Learn" scholarship program funding nonpublic school attendance for students eligible for free/reduced lunch or attending a failing school, with county boards reimbursing the state for scholarship costs. It also mandates county boards to provide military boarding school options to parents of students deemed violent or facing continuous disciplinary action, with the school system covering associated costs.

Maddy summaryHB 1101 reduces Maryland's corporate income tax rate over time to lower tax burdens for businesses operating in the state. It phases in a gradual reduction, lowering the rate from 8.25% (effective 2025) to 7.75% (2026), 7.25% (2027), 6.75% (2028), and finally 6.25% (starting 2029). The bill directly affects corporations filing Maryland corporate income tax returns by changing their tax liability calculation. The rate changes apply to taxable income earned within Maryland, with the first reduced rate taking effect July 1, 2025. This is a straightforward tax rate adjustment with no additional provisions or program requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 651 increases Maryland's Public Service Commission from five to seven commissioners and establishes specific geographic residency requirements for each position. It requires one commissioner to represent Western Maryland (five counties), one for Southern Maryland (three counties), one for the Eastern Shore (nine counties), two for Central Maryland (five counties and Baltimore City), and two for the Capital Region (two counties). The bill also mandates the Commission submit a slate of nominees for the two new Western and Southern Maryland seats to the Governor by August 1, 2025, and alters the process for appointing the Commission's Chair from among its members. These changes take effect July 1, 2025, applying only to future appointments, not current commissioners.