Del. Lauren Arikan

Maddy summaryHB 589 establishes legal liability for individuals or entities that design or create artificial intelligence software capable of causing physical injury or death. It makes such creators strictly liable for civil damages if their AI causes harm, and imposes criminal penalties based on intent: intentional design is a felony (up to 20 years or $100,000), while knowing or negligent design is a misdemeanor (up to 10 or 5 years and $50,000 or $25,000 fines). The bill directly affects AI developers and creators by requiring them to ensure their software does not pose such risks. It takes effect October 1, 2025, and amends Maryland’s Civil and Criminal Law codes to address AI-related harm.

Maddy summaryHB 471 prohibits nonresident aliens, businesses, and government employees from countries subject to U.S. arms embargoes (as listed under 22 C.F.R. § 126.1) from purchasing agricultural land in Maryland or participating in non-food-safety state agricultural programs. The bill directly affects these specific foreign entities by restricting their access to farmland and certain state agricultural initiatives. Key provisions add these restrictions to Maryland’s agricultural code, explicitly excluding programs related to food or food safety regulations. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and automatically ends if federal law permits states to enforce such restrictions.

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 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 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 summaryHB 763 modifies the membership of Maryland's Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention by replacing the representative of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Maryland Office with two appointed representatives of the Muslim community. The bill also sets a sunset date for the Commission, requiring it to cease operations after June 30, 2027, and outlines specific expiration dates for the terms of current members to ensure a staggered transition. Additionally, the legislation mandates annual reports on hate crimes in schools and the state, while maintaining the Commission's existing duties to develop prevention strategies and evaluate state laws.

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.