Sen. Guy Guzzone

Maddy summarySB 849 increases annual funding for Maryland's Professional and Volunteer Firefighter Innovative Cancer Screening Technologies Program from $100,000 (2021-2024) to $3 million starting in fiscal year 2025. The bill directly affects firefighters by expanding access to advanced cancer screening technologies through this state-funded program. Key provisions authorize the Secretary to use up to 20% of program funds to support academic medical centers in analyzing screening data to improve the program's effectiveness. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and expires June 30, 2030, without requiring further legislative action.

Maddy summarySB 979 requires platforms like Airbnb (defined as "accommodations intermediaries") to collect and remit Maryland's hotel rental tax directly to the state Comptroller instead of local counties. It eliminates counties' authority to grant tax exemptions for short-term rentals and centralizes tax administration under the state. The bill also establishes new procedures for the Comptroller to audit these platforms, streamlining tax collection while removing local discretion over exemptions.

Maddy summaryMaryland's SB 157 establishes the Maryland Disability Service Animal Program within the Department of Disabilities. The program directly affects eligible individuals with disabilities (defined per the ADA) who need service animals trained to perform specific tasks. Key provisions include creating a dedicated fund to pay nonprofit training organizations (selected by the Department) for service animal training, referring eligible individuals to these organizations, and providing additional funding mechanisms to support program participants. The program does not cover emotional support animals, which must be individually trained to perform tasks for a disability.

Maddy summarySB 154 makes permanent the requirement that Maryland's Comptroller distribute $14 million annually from abandoned property funds to the Access to Counsel in Evictions Special Fund. This fund, administered by the Maryland Legal Services Corporation (MLSC), directly supports legal representation for low-income renters facing eviction across the state. The bill ensures this $14 million distribution continues each year (starting fiscal year 2025) from proceeds of abandoned property sales under Commercial Law, replacing a temporary provision. It also terminates the related Eviction Access Task Force on a specific date, streamlining the program's operation.

Maddy summarySB 848 establishes the Public Health Abortion Grant Program to improve access to abortion care for uninsured individuals in Maryland. It creates a special fund that receives 90% of unused premium funds from health insurers’ abortion coverage accounts (after 12 months), starting with a 2025 transfer and annually thereafter. The program provides grants to eligible organizations that offer equitable abortion care without restrictions, targeting individuals who are uninsured. Insurers must submit annual reports on these segregated accounts to the Commissioner of Insurance. This bill directly affects health insurers and expands access to clinical abortion services for low-income residents.

Maddy summaryThis bill renames Maryland's Chesapeake Conservation Corps Program to honor former Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. It updates the program's official name throughout state law to "Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps Program" without changing the program's structure, funding, or operations. The renaming applies to all references in Maryland's Natural Resources and State Government codes, including funding provisions and program administration details. The program - administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and focused on environmental conservation projects - remains unchanged in its purpose and implementation.

Maddy summarySB 911 increases Maryland's property tax exemption for blind individuals and their surviving spouses from $15,000 to $40,000 on their primary residence. The bill defines a "blind individual" as someone with a permanent visual impairment meeting specific medical criteria and clarifies that the exemption applies to the assessed value of a dwelling house (including the lot and necessary structures). Surviving spouses who haven't remarried become eligible for the exemption after the blind individual's death. The bill also specifies that individuals cannot claim both this exemption and another specific property tax exemption, though they may use it alongside other available exemptions.

Maddy summarySB 880 requires Maryland's Governor to include a $5 million annual appropriation in the state budget for the Governor's Office for Children to provide grants covering the operating expenses of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Maryland. Starting in fiscal year 2027, this funding must be included each year in the budget process through a specific amendment to state law. The bill directly affects the Boys and Girls Clubs of Maryland by guaranteeing consistent state funding for their daily operations. This policy change mandates a fixed annual allocation, ensuring predictable financial support without altering the clubs' existing structure or services.

Maddy summarySB 667 clarifies that certain "skills-based amusement devices" are excluded from Maryland's definition of "slot machine," allowing them to award prizes under strict limits. Specifically, these devices may provide noncash merchandise or prizes per play that do not exceed a minimal value approved by the State Lottery Commission, and accumulated prizes must be exchanged for merchandise of comparable total value. The bill directly affects businesses operating such devices in venues like family entertainment centers, ensuring they avoid slot machine regulations. Key provisions prevent these devices from awarding excessive prizes or functioning like traditional gambling machines. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 666 requires Maryland's Governor to include specific annual funding amounts in the state budget for community action agencies (CAAs) serving low-income residents, for fiscal years 2027 through 2032. The bill mandates $500,000 for 2027-2028, $1 million for 2029, $3 million for 2030, $5 million for 2031, and $7 million for 2032, distributed as operating grants through the Department of Housing and Community Development. CAAs - defined as governmental units or private nonprofits meeting federal designation criteria - directly benefit from this funding to support poverty-alleviation services like employment programs and closing service gaps. The bill modifies existing housing law to establish these mandatory funding levels, which expire after June 30, 2032.