Del. Kathy Szeliga

Maddy summaryHB 690, the "Economic Competitiveness Act of 2026," lowers Maryland's corporate income tax rate gradually over several years. It directly affects corporations doing business in Maryland that pay state corporate income tax. The bill reduces the rate from 8.25% (for tax years 2026-2027) to 7.75% (2027-2028), then to 7.25% (2028-2029), 6.75% (2029-2030), and finally to 6.25% starting in 2030. The changes take effect July 1, 2026, as specified in the bill's provisions.

Maddy summaryHB 697 prohibits incarcerated individuals convicted of first-degree murder (under §2-201 of the Criminal Law Article) from earning time-off credits that reduce their prison sentences. It also denies these credits for certain child-related offenses, including specific violations under §3-303, §3-304, §3-305, §3-306, and §3-307 of the Criminal Law Article involving victims under 16 years old. The law applies to all Maryland state and local correctional facilities and takes effect October 1, 2026. It directly affects people serving sentences for these offenses by eliminating a mechanism that could shorten their confinement terms.

Maddy summaryHB 510 requires Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administration to partner with Virginia to obtain data on Maryland residents who own vehicles improperly registered in Virginia. The bill creates a searchable database of this information, making it available to law enforcement for automated speed enforcement citations. It increases penalties for drivers or owners of such vehicles, raising the maximum fine for speeding violations from $40 to $250 for offenses recorded by automated systems. This directly affects Maryland residents who register vehicles in Virginia instead of Maryland, impacting how speed violations are enforced and fined for these specific vehicles.

Maddy summaryHB 15 amends Maryland's Public Information Act to require certain nonprofit organizations to treat specific documents as "public records." It directly affects nonprofits receiving $50,000 or more annually from state grants, state bond proceeds, or local impact grants. The bill expands the definition of "public record" to include documents created by these nonprofits, such as employee salary lists, and mandates they follow the same disclosure rules as government entities. Nonprofits must now proactively disclose available records and limit data collection to what's necessary for governmental purposes, with policies tailored to their resources. The changes take effect October 1, 2026.

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 63, the "Fairness in Girls’ Sports Act," requires Maryland public and certain nonpublic high schools to designate interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams, and associated locker rooms, strictly based on biological sex. It mandates that teams and locker rooms designated for "students of the female sex" (biological female) cannot include students of the male sex, while allowing coeducational options. The bill prohibits governmental entities, accrediting bodies, or athletic associations from penalizing schools for maintaining these sex-based designations and permits students or schools to sue if harmed by violations. It explicitly defines key terms like "biological sex" and establishes a two-year window for filing civil actions to recover damages or legal fees.

Maddy summaryHB 122 requires Maryland state agencies providing grants or subsidies to nonprofits to verify that recipients meet four specific criteria: maintaining good standing with the IRS, being current on all federal/state/local taxes, having a valid state charter on file, and submitting required annual tax forms (Form 990 or personal property tax return). This bill directly affects nonprofits seeking state aid, including community organizations, social services groups, and cultural institutions that rely on state funding. The law, effective July 1, 2026, aims to ensure nonprofits are financially compliant before receiving state funds. It does not change the amount of aid provided but establishes standardized verification steps for all state aid recipients.

Maddy summaryHB 120 imposes a statewide ban on constructing new data centers and prohibits local governments from approving such projects. It directly affects developers seeking to build new facilities and local planning authorities. The ban automatically ends if the legislature passes new laws requiring all new data centers to be co-located with power generation facilities (like natural gas, nuclear, or small modular reactors) that provide sufficient energy. Existing projects with all required permits before the law takes effect are exempt. The bill is designed as a temporary measure until more comprehensive energy co-location rules are enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 201 exempts tips and gratuities from Maryland state income tax for workers in specific service industries. It directly affects employees in food service, hotels, limousine services, passenger-for-hire transportation, and taxicab services. The bill modifies Maryland tax law to exclude tips received in these roles from taxable income calculations. This change takes effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 738 requires Maryland's Department of Information Technology to establish an oversight process for major information technology development projects. It directly affects state agencies planning significant IT investments, mandating that they undergo formal review before proceeding with major spending decisions. The key provision creates a structured framework for evaluating project scope, budget, and risks prior to approval. This law, enacted on May 25, 2025, ensures greater accountability for large-scale state IT initiatives.