Del. Chao Wu

Maddy summaryHB 985 allows Maryland counties to establish a second administrative charging committee for reviewing police misconduct complaints, if the county governing body determines one committee is insufficient to serve all countywide and local law enforcement agencies. This bill amends existing law by adding a new provision (Section 3-104(a)(1)(II)) that permits counties to authorize a second committee under specific circumstances. The key mechanism requires county officials to formally decide that a single committee cannot adequately handle the volume of cases, without changing the committee composition or disciplinary standards. The bill directly affects county governments and law enforcement agencies by providing administrative flexibility in handling misconduct investigations.

Maddy summaryHB 1280 allows unaffiliated voters in Maryland to choose a political party during early voting for primary elections. Specifically, it permits voters who have not affiliated with a party to request affiliation at an early voting center in their county before a primary election. If residency is confirmed, election judges issue a voter authority card and a ballot for the chosen party. This change applies only to early voting periods before primary elections, not general elections, and takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 868, nicknamed "Granny's Law," allows personal representatives (executors) to petition courts to interpret wills regarding health-related legacies based on the decedent’s intent to address health equity. It applies when a will leaves money to health providers or charities but doesn’t explicitly require it for health equity, even if the decedent lived with health equity interests. The bill creates a rebuttable presumption that such legacies must address health equity unless proven otherwise, and requires beneficiaries to show how the legacy was used for that purpose within three years. It also lets courts defer to personal representatives who include specific language in wills authorizing them to act without court approval for health equity efforts. The law applies retroactively to wills probated after a certain date.

Maddy summaryHB 875 establishes a 17-member Commission on History, Culture, and Civics in Education to recommend curriculum changes for Maryland public schools. The commission must include specific representatives from Maryland’s Indigenous tribes, LGBTQIA+ community, disabled community, teachers, Latino, African American, and Asian American/Pacific Islander communities, with a majority required to have classroom or curriculum development experience. It will examine contributions of diverse groups (including American Indians, religious minorities, women, and disabled communities) and make annual recommendations to the State Board of Education by December 30 each year. All commission meetings, materials, and reports must be publicly posted online. The bill directly affects Maryland’s K-12 education system through required curriculum updates based on these recommendations.

Maddy summaryHB 1105 requires child care centers, youth-serving organizations, schools, and contracting agencies to collect specific information from applicants for roles involving direct contact with minors. Applicants must provide contact details for recent employers (especially those involving minors), sign consent forms for releasing records about boundary-violating behavior, and disclose any past investigations into such behavior - excluding cases where findings deemed allegations unfounded. The bill also mandates annual reporting of this information to the State Department of Education, which will compile and submit it to the General Assembly. This applies to all entities hiring staff who regularly interact with children, focusing on transparency in hiring practices.

Maddy summaryHB 1256 establishes Maryland’s first regulatory framework for fully autonomous vehicles (level 4-5 systems) operating without human drivers on state highways. It requires manufacturers to provide safety certification labels, owners to submit law enforcement interaction plans detailing emergency procedures, and vehicles to achieve a "minimal risk condition" during system failures. The bill defines the automated driving system as the legal "operator" for traffic law compliance and mandates adherence to federal safety standards. This affects vehicle manufacturers, owners, and transportation companies seeking to deploy autonomous fleets in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 498, the DECADE Act, reorganizes Maryland's economic development programs by repealing the Maryland Economic Development Commission and creating a new Strategic Closing Fund within the Department of Commerce. It updates eligibility rules for existing programs like the Build Our Future Grant Pilot and Child Care Capital Support Fund, expands financial assistance for projects in RISE zone areas, and modifies tax credit calculations for businesses (including film production and biotechnology). The bill affects businesses seeking economic development incentives, local governments managing RISE zones, and state agencies administering these programs. Key changes include altering how certain tax credits are calculated, waiving filing fees for businesses in designated zones, and extending or terminating specific tax credit programs. The act streamlines oversight by consolidating programs under the new Strategic Closing Fund structure.

Maddy summaryHB 1097 establishes a 10-member workgroup to examine mail-in ballot accessibility, specifically focusing on the impact of requiring paper returns on voters with disabilities. The workgroup includes election officials, disability advocates (like Common Cause Maryland and the National Federation of the Blind), and experts in voting accessibility, security, and cybersecurity. It must assess current processes, research accessible alternatives from other jurisdictions, and evaluate options considering security, privacy, cost, and potential discrimination. The group must report findings and recommendations to the Governor and legislature by December 31, 2025, with the bill expiring June 30, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1400, the "No Tax on Tips Act," requires restaurants and food service businesses to clearly disclose service fees (including their amount and whether they go to employees) on menus or visibly before ordering. It prohibits employers from counting tips toward meeting minimum wage requirements for tipped workers, ensuring they receive the full minimum wage without tip credits. Additionally, the bill allows tipped employees to subtract qualified tips from their state income tax bill (effectively making tips tax-free) and provides businesses a tax credit for wages and tips paid to employees. This directly affects tipped workers in restaurants and similar establishments, as well as the businesses that employ them.

Maddy summaryHB 1047 modifies Maryland's tax credit program for employers who hire eligible apprentices by removing a requirement that apprentices earn at least 50% of the prevailing wage. This change directly affects employers who hire apprentices in registered programs, making it easier for them to qualify for the credit. The bill retains the $1,000 credit per apprentice (with a $3,000 higher credit for non-youth apprentices among the first five hired) but eliminates the prior wage verification step. It also extends the program's termination date and updates administrative details for the credit. The change simplifies the process for employers while maintaining the credit's core structure.