Del. Chao Wu

Maddy summaryHB 501 (RAISE Act) simplifies licensing for workers who complete approved apprenticeships. It allows the State Board of Plumbing to waive the journey plumber exam for those who finish an approved program, and authorizes the Secretary of Labor to waive exams for other licensed trades under similar conditions. The bill creates new programs, including the Maryland Office of Registered Apprenticeship Development and an Apprenticeship Incentive Program, funded by a nonlapsing special fund for interest earnings. These changes directly affect apprentices, licensed trades workers (like plumbers), and employers participating in approved training programs. The law applies retroactively to existing apprenticeship completions.

Maddy summaryHB 673 prohibits condominium and homeowners association (HOA) governing documents from unreasonably restricting the board from installing or authorizing electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment in common or limited common use parking spaces. It requires boards to follow standard budget processes for installations and verify sufficient parking availability before proceeding. The bill directly affects condo and HOA residents and boards by ensuring they cannot block EV charger installations through restrictive covenants or rules, while balancing community needs and financial processes. It applies retroactively to existing governing documents and takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 650 establishes the Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund, a special non-lapsing fund to provide annual grants for agricultural fairs and education. The bill directs $825,000 to the Maryland Agricultural Fair Board, $75,000 to the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, and $550,000 to the Maryland State Fair and Agricultural Society for fair promotion, statewide education, and youth programs like 4-H and FFA. It replaces previous funding from the horse racing special fund by requiring a portion of state lottery proceeds (before General Fund allocation) to fund the new Promise Fund. Interest earnings from the fund must be credited back to it, and the fund is administered by the Comptroller with grants paid annually.

Maddy summaryHB 69 establishes a new "Postconsumer Recycled Content Program" for Maryland, requiring producers of certain plastic beverage containers and rigid plastic containers to meet minimum recycled content standards before selling in the state. Producers must register annually with the Department of the Environment and pay a fee, with funds supporting the program and a dedicated recycling trust fund. The bill sets specific recycled content percentages for covered products, allows limited waivers for producers facing supply challenges, and mandates the Department to publish compliance data online. It amends existing environmental laws to implement these requirements and strengthen recycling markets.

Maddy summaryHB 612 establishes Maryland's Lifesaver Schools Program, which recognizes public schools that provide specific health and safety training to students and staff. To qualify, schools must offer evidence-based first aid training, mental health support programs, schoolwide mental health assemblies, and professional development opportunities for staff during school hours. Schools must also maintain online resources for mental health support and host community outreach events, with recognition requiring reapplication every four years. The program, administered by the Maryland Department of Education, takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 823 requires developers of generative AI systems (like those creating text, images, or video) to publish detailed documentation about their training data before releasing or significantly updating these systems. Specifically, developers must post on their website by January 1, 2026, and after each major update, including data sources, how the data supports the AI's purpose, and dataset size (static or estimated for dynamic data). The law applies to public-facing AI systems released after January 1, 2022, but excludes specialized uses like hospital medical tools, aircraft safety systems, federal national security applications, and privacy protection tools. This mandate aims to increase transparency about the data powering AI systems that generate content for public use.

Maddy summaryHB 804 requires condominium and cooperative housing communities (common ownership communities) with four or more dwelling units to create a smoking policy for all common areas like hallways, elevators, and entrances. The policy must be at least as strict as existing state or local smoking laws and must clearly state where smoking is allowed or banned, how to report violations, and any penalties. Crucially, the bill protects residents' rights to smoke inside their own units, regardless of the policy. It does not override stricter local smoking rules that communities might already have in place. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 44 requires all circuit court judges in Maryland to be elected without party labels or political party nominations. It prohibits candidates from seeking party nominations or running via petition, instead mandating that candidates be nominated solely at county primary elections each year when judges are up for election. The bill creates new election rules (Sections 8-901-8-905) specifying that judges must file as nonpartisan candidates, appear on ballots without party designation, and be elected based solely on voter choice. This change directly affects all future circuit court judge elections across Maryland, replacing the current system where party affiliation could influence nominations.

Maddy summaryHB 613 requires Maryland courts to remove identifying information (like names, addresses, or phone numbers) from court documents in sexual assault cases, unless a judge finds "good cause" to disclose it. It specifically protects victims of sexual assault (defined as alleged victims of certain crimes under Maryland's Criminal Law Article) by mandating redaction of their personal details from all filings, including existing case documents, upon written request. The law also requires the Supreme Court of Maryland to establish rules for implementing this redaction process. This applies to both new court filings and existing cases in criminal or juvenile delinquency proceedings involving sexual assault. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 456 extends the time victims have to file civil lawsuits for nonsexual child abuse or neglect. It allows claims to be filed up to 20 years after the victim turns 18, or 3 years after the abuser is convicted of a related crime (like child neglect or physical injury). The bill also caps noneconomic damages at $1.5 million per claimant against a single defendant for cases that would have been barred before October 2025. This affects victims seeking compensation and defendants (including government entities) facing liability. The law specifically excludes sexual abuse cases from these provisions.