Del. Ryan Nawrocki

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 798 requires Maryland's Office of Overdose Response (with the Department of Health) to create and maintain a public interactive dashboard tracking how settlement funds from opioid-related lawsuits are spent. The dashboard must show, by state, county, and municipality: payment schedules, past spending, spending plans, funded initiatives, and public hearing details. Local governments receiving these funds must submit required financial data through an online portal to the Department for inclusion on the dashboard. The dashboard will be developed and maintained using existing Opioid Restitution Fund money from the state budget, not new appropriations. This bill focuses solely on transparency, with no new policy changes or funding mechanisms.

Maddy summaryHB 894 creates a new permit process for incidental bat take in Maryland, replacing the existing Delmarva fox squirrel provision. It requires applicants (like developers or landowners) to submit a detailed conservation plan showing how they’ll minimize harm to bats, secure funding, and justify why alternatives weren’t used. The Secretary of Natural Resources must then verify the plan won’t harm bat recovery, impacts will be minimized, and funding is secured before issuing a permit. This directly affects projects in areas with bat habitats where accidental harm might occur during construction or land development.

Maddy summaryHB 1144 would bar individuals alleged to have committed assault or caused bodily injury to transit staff or passengers from using Maryland's state public transit services or stations for set periods. First offenses trigger a 30-day exclusion, second offenses 180 days, and third offenses or weapon use result in a lifetime ban. State officials can adjust these exclusion periods, and violators face trespassing charges under existing law. The bill applies specifically to incidents occurring on transit vehicles or at transit stations, taking effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 893 changes Maryland's oyster fishing regulations by replacing license revocation with license suspension for certain violations. It requires the Department of Natural Resources to suspend (not revoke) oyster licenses for up to 2 years for first offenses or up to 10 years for repeat offenses involving violations like harvesting near closed areas, using prohibited gear, or harvesting outside time restrictions. The bill also creates a reinstatement process: individuals whose licenses were revoked before July 1, 2025, can regain their license after 2 years for a first violation or 10 years for a repeat violation. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies directly to oyster harvesters in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 809 creates a temporary exception to standard child placement limits for foster care providers when a child enrolled in college must leave campus due to academic breaks, temporary closures, or approved leave. The exemption applies only if the child, foster care provider, and agency agree to the living arrangement. This directly affects youth in foster care attending college and their foster care providers. The law requires the state to update placement regulations by July 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 857 allows licensed Maryland deer hunters who wound a deer during legal hunting hours to pursue and kill it after hours, provided they use only the same hunting method authorized for their season (e.g., archery or firearms). The bill amends Maryland’s natural resources law (Section 10-428 of the Annotated Code) to create this exception to standard hunting hour restrictions. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources must adopt regulations to implement the new rule, which takes effect July 1, 2025. This directly affects licensed deer hunters who wound deer during legal hours but cannot complete the harvest before closing.

Maddy summaryHB 698 requires certain Maryland counties to report annually on development impact fees, surcharges, and excise taxes collected from new construction. Specifically, charter counties with such fees, code counties with local laws imposing them, and commission counties that have both authorization and enacted them must submit reports by July 1 each year to the Governor and General Assembly. The reports must detail total amounts collected, how funds are distributed to specific districts (like legislative or commissioner districts), and how much is used for capital projects such as transportation improvements, school construction, or other related infrastructure. Counties must make these reports publicly available on their websites or through other accessible means.

Maddy summaryHB 513 limits rooster ownership in Maryland to no more than 5 roosters per acre or 25 total on a single property, starting January 1, 2027, unless authorized by the Department of Agriculture. It directly affects property owners keeping roosters, excluding commercial poultry farms, schools, animal shelters, and 4-H members who provide written authorization with specific details (like breed and location). Violations may result in misdemeanor fines up to $1,000, with enforcement handled by the Department of Agriculture in cooperation with local animal control. The bill aims to address concerns linked to cockfighting and Avian Flu spread, as noted in its preamble.

Maddy summaryHB 1200 expands Maryland's existing property tax credit program to include judicial officers, who were previously excluded. The bill modifies the tax code to allow counties or municipalities to grant a property tax credit on a dwelling owned by a judicial officer who is disabled, a surviving spouse of a judicial officer who died in the line of duty, or a qualifying cohabitant. It defines "judicial officer" and "public safety officer" to explicitly include judicial roles, requires local governments to define these terms in their laws, and applies the credit retroactively to past years. This change directly affects judicial officers, their families, and cohabitants who meet the eligibility criteria for the tax credit.