Del. Nick Allen

Maddy summaryHB 642 requires Maryland electric companies to submit annual reports to the Public Service Commission by April 1. These reports must include geographic and demographic data on customers affected by: (1) service outages lasting 2+ hours, (2) scheduled maintenance outages (regardless of duration), (3) outages during severe weather (with restoration times), and (4) rate increases from the previous year. The bill directly affects all electric companies operating in Maryland and the Public Service Commission, which will use this data to assess customer impacts. It becomes effective October 1, 2026, adding this reporting requirement to Maryland’s Public Utilities law.

Maddy summaryHB 572 authorizes Maryland’s Attorney General to sue large fossil fuel companies (with over $1 billion in market capitalization involved in extracting or processing coal, oil, or gas) for unlawful conduct contributing to climate change, including fraud or deception. It creates the Climate Crimes Accountability Fund, financed by settlements or judgments from these lawsuits, to pay for programs addressing specific climate harms like flooding, extreme heat, drought, and waterborne pathogens. The fund is a special, non-lapsing account managed by the state, with interest earnings automatically added to it. All money must directly support climate harm prevention, mitigation, or repair efforts as defined in the bill.

Maddy summaryHB 507 extends the funding period for a grant program supporting nonprofit organizations that provide automotive repair training and reentry services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. The bill allows the Governor to appropriate $1 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2029 (previously ending in 2028) for qualifying nonprofits that train at least 50 people yearly, provide nationally recognized automotive repair certificates, and achieve a 50% job placement rate for participants. These organizations must report on fund usage, participant numbers, and employment outcomes to the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention. The extension ensures continued access to job training and employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 473 repeals the current ban preventing public school employers in Maryland from negotiating class size limits with teacher unions. It removes the prohibition in Section 6-406(c)(3) that previously barred discussions about "the maximum number of students assigned to a class" during collective bargaining. This change directly affects certificated school employees (like teachers) and their unions, as well as public school employers (county school systems). The bill enables these parties to negotiate class size as part of their collective bargaining agreements, alongside other terms like salaries and working conditions.

Maddy summaryHB 345, the "Affordable Solar Act," creates new rules for solar energy systems in Maryland. It allows homeowners to install portable solar systems (max 1,200 watts) without utility approval or fees, while establishing two new credit types: SRECs for smaller residential systems and SREC-IIs for larger distributed or utility-scale projects (over 5MW). The bill requires utilities to procure specific SREC-II credits and redirects certain fees into new escrow accounts instead of the Strategic Energy Investment Fund. These changes directly affect residential solar users, utilities, and solar developers by altering renewable energy compliance standards and financial mechanisms.

Maddy summaryHB 204 establishes new requirements to control Legionella and other waterborne diseases in Maryland's public water systems. It directly affects water suppliers (operators of systems serving 15+ connections or 25+ people) and building owners, requiring them to implement water management programs, conduct regular disinfectant testing, and provide public notices during distribution system disruptions. The bill mandates testing for minimum disinfectant levels, investigation of Legionnaires' disease cases, and creates a fund using collected penalties to support public education campaigns. Penalties for violations range from $100 to $1,000 per day, depending on system size, with funds directed to the Maryland Department of Health for disease prevention efforts.

Maddy summaryHB 21, the Child Influencers Protection Act, requires vloggers who feature minors in their social media content to compensate those children when the content generates at least $100 in earnings (10 cents per view) over a 12-month period. Vloggers must pay 10% of the gross earnings from child-inclusive content into separate trusts for each child, which will be released when the child turns 18. The bill also grants minors the right to request permanent deletion of their featured content from social media platforms starting October 1, 2026. These provisions apply to vloggers who monetize content featuring minors, directly affecting both the vloggers and the children featured in their videos.

Maddy summaryHB 54 establishes a 26-member task force to study potential restructuring of Maryland's electric utility industry. The task force will examine options like publicly owned utilities, analyze impacts on electricity rates for Maryland customers, and assess legal implications of changing ownership models. It must report findings and recommendations to the legislature by November 1, 2027, with the bill expiring automatically on June 30, 2028. This is a study-focused bill, not a policy change, and will directly inform future legislative decisions about utility governance.

Maddy summaryHB 114, "Mateo's Law," requires drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents causing death or life-threatening injuries to submit to mandatory breath and blood testing for alcohol or drug impairment. It directly affects drivers detained by police who have reasonable suspicion of impairment (e.g., under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or controlled substances) following such accidents. The bill mandates testing for blood alcohol concentration or drug content via breath (for alcohol) and blood samples, with police directing the tests under existing legal procedures. Medical personnel performing these tests are protected from civil liability for non-gross-negligent actions. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 500, the Procurement Reform Act of 2025, streamlines Maryland state government purchasing by transferring key authority from the Secretary of General Services to the Chief Procurement Officer. It adjusts dollar thresholds requiring public notice or reporting for procurements, modifies small business preference programs (including expanding eligibility for small business reserves), and adds new requirements for contractors to submit workforce diversity plans for contracts over $500,000. The bill also creates a procurement preference for businesses certified for "good labor practices" and mandates that certain agencies establish working groups to address procurement issues. These changes directly affect state agencies, contractors (especially small businesses), and the Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs, which gains oversight of new workforce diversity rules.