Sen. Sara Love

Maddy summarySB 347 allows local social services departments in Maryland to request assistance from federal law enforcement officers during investigations of alleged abuse, neglect, or exploitation involving vulnerable adults. It directly affects vulnerable adults at risk and the local departments conducting these investigations. The bill updates key provisions by explicitly authorizing local departments to seek federal law enforcement help (in Section 14-303(c)(3)) and clarifies that agencies involved in investigations may share relevant client information. It also revises disclosure rules (Section 1-201) to ensure information sharing aligns with adult protective services investigations. These changes aim to strengthen investigative capacity while maintaining appropriate information protocols.

Maddy summarySB 896, the "Pet Policy Transparency Act," requires landlords of residential rental properties in Maryland to publicly disclose their pet policies. Landlords must provide a link to the full policy on the property’s website, in digital advertisements, and in rental search engine listings, plus include a written summary in rental applications. The policy must clearly state all breed/weight restrictions, fees (upfront, deposits, monthly), pet limits, vaccination requirements, insurance needs, and other landlord-imposed rules. This law directly affects all residential landlords in Maryland and takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 618 (Eric's ID Law) requires Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administration to allow applicants for driver's licenses, ID cards, or moped permits to voluntarily indicate a nonapparent disability (like developmental or intellectual disabilities) on their documents. If selected, the MVA must add a visible notation to the document, with no fee, and cannot require proof of the disability or deny an application based on it. The law also prohibits disclosing this information to insurance companies and mandates public outreach about the notation, plus police training on interacting with individuals who have it. This directly affects Maryland residents with nonapparent disabilities who choose to use this option on their identification.

Maddy summarySB 548 modifies Maryland's child custody laws to require courts to consider additional factors when determining custody arrangements. It expands the definition of abuse to include harm to other parents, spouses, or children in the household (Section 9-101.1), mandates denial of custody to parents convicted of murder (with supervised visitation as an exception, Section 9-101.2), and adds 16 specific factors courts must weigh - including child safety from conflict/violence, developmental needs, and parental communication (Section 9-201). The bill directly affects parents involved in custody disputes, particularly those with histories of abuse or criminal convictions. These changes aim to strengthen child safety protections and provide clearer guidelines for judicial decisions.

Maddy summarySB 326 establishes confidentiality rules for peer support programs in Maryland law enforcement agencies. It requires that communications between officers and peer support specialists (trained law enforcement staff or Fraternal Order of Police members) remain private, with limited exceptions for threats of suicide, imminent harm to others, child/vulnerable adult abuse, or criminal admissions. Before any session, specialists must provide written notice of these confidentiality rules to participants. The bill directly affects law enforcement agencies and officers using these peer support services, ensuring their counseling discussions are protected unless specific safety or legal thresholds are met.

Maddy summarySB 280, the *Judicial and Public Safety for Service Members Act*, updates Maryland law to ensure legal protections apply consistently to all uniformed service members (not just veterans) in judicial, criminal, family, and public safety matters. It revises definitions in key laws to replace "veteran" with "uniformed services" and expands the application of court procedures, corrections policies, criminal laws, family law, and public safety regulations to cover active-duty and reserve service members. The bill adds new provisions (e.g., in family law and public safety sections) to address service-related circumstances, such as deployment impacts on custody or safety protocols. This directly affects service members navigating Maryland’s legal system during active duty or in related legal proceedings.

Maddy summarySB 274 modifies Maryland court procedures for child abuse cases by allowing a child victim to testify remotely via closed-circuit television outside the courtroom if a judge determines their presence with the defendant would cause serious emotional distress. It specifies that only certain attorneys (prosecution, defense, child's advocate), court staff, and therapeutic support personnel may be present with the child during remote testimony, while the defendant and judge remain in the courtroom. The bill explicitly prohibits two-way video that would let the child see or hear the defendant during testimony. This directly affects child victims, defendants, and their legal representatives in abuse cases covered under Maryland’s Family Law and Criminal Law Articles.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 432, known as the "Expungement Reform Act of 2025," updates Maryland's laws concerning the expungement of criminal records, directly affecting individuals seeking to clear certain past convictions. The bill modifies the waiting periods for filing expungement petitions after a sentence is completed and expands the list of misdemeanor convictions eligible for expungement. It also requires courts to consider if restitution has been paid or if the person lacks the ability to pay before granting expungement. Finally, the bill prohibits the Maryland Judiciary Case Search from displaying any reference to certain expunged records.

Maddy summarySB 348 amends Maryland's criminal law to clarify and expand protections against surreptitious filming of people's private areas. It directly affects anyone who secretly films another person's genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breast (below the areola) without consent in places where privacy is expected, such as residences, dressing rooms, or hotel rooms. Key changes include explicitly defining "private place" to include homes and adding specific examples like tanning rooms, while clarifying that "visual surveillance" covers camera use, mirrors, or direct observation. Violations are punishable by up to one year in jail, a $2,500 fine, or both, and victims gain a civil right to sue for damages and attorney fees.

Maddy summarySB 334 prohibits intentionally setting fires (malicious or fraudulent burning) that cause death or serious injury to firefighters. It directly affects individuals who commit such acts, making it a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The bill adds specific language to Maryland’s criminal code clarifying that harming firefighters during fire-related crimes carries enhanced penalties. Sentences under this law may run separately from sentences for the original fire offense. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.