Sen. Cheryl Kagan

Maddy summarySB 88 authorizes Maryland's State Administrator of Elections to form voluntary agreements (memoranda of understanding) with local municipalities. These agreements would enable the state administrator to collaborate directly with cities and towns to support their election administration, such as providing resources or expertise. The bill modifies existing election law to add this new provision (Section 2-103(e)) without changing voting rules or requirements. It directly affects municipalities managing local elections and the State Administrator's office. The change is procedural, creating a formal mechanism for state-local collaboration in election operations.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment requiring special elections to fill vacancies in Maryland's state legislature (Delegates or Senators) if the vacancy occurs more than 55 days before the candidate filing deadline for the next regular statewide election. Currently, the governor appoints a replacement for such vacancies, but this amendment would mandate a special election instead when vacancies happen early in the term. The special election would be held concurrently with the regular statewide primary and general elections in the second year of the term. This change directly affects voters in districts with early vacancies and alters how legislative seats are filled, replacing gubernatorial appointments with elections under specific timing conditions.

Maddy summarySB 27 clarifies rules for "exploratory committees" - entities formed by potential candidates to test viability before officially running for office. It requires these committees to follow most campaign finance rules (like reporting) but exempts them from contribution limits and restricts spending to specific activities like surveys, voter communications, staff, websites, and basic equipment. The bill also mandates that if an official campaign committee forms from an exploratory committee, any equipment purchased must be at fair market value, and remaining funds must be returned within 120 days. This directly affects potential candidates and their early fundraising efforts.

Maddy summarySB 430 requires Maryland's Department of Housing and Community Development and Department of Planning to annually calculate regional housing infrastructure gaps - measuring the shortage of housing units needed to achieve a 1.5 jobs-to-housing ratio in each designated region. It apportions these gaps to specific counties and cities, creating an "affirmative obligation" for jurisdictions with gaps to expedite approvals of housing projects and prohibiting denials without specific justifications. The law directly affects all Maryland counties and cities, particularly those in six defined regions (like Baltimore and Washington suburbs), by mandating state-level gap calculations and altering local housing approval processes to address housing shortages near job centers.

Maddy summarySB 723 requires Maryland's Governor and Governor-elect to place certain financial interests into a certified blind trust or divest of them within a specified timeframe, and to enter a nonparticipation agreement with the State Ethics Commission for interests not covered by the trust. It also mandates that business entities seeking state grants, contracts, or competitive awards must report any financial interests held by the Governor or a "restricted individual" in the business to the Ethics Commission. The bill amends Maryland law to clarify definitions of "interest" (excluding certain assets like retirement accounts) and strengthens transparency rules for state contracting. These changes aim to prevent conflicts of interest by separating the Governor's personal finances from state decision-making.

Maddy summaryMaryland's SB 346 establishes a refund program for beverage containers to boost recycling and reduce litter. It requires all redeemable containers sold in the state to display refund information, includes the refund value in both wholesale and retail prices, and mandates retailers to show this on customer receipts. Producers must register with the state, pay fees, and join a stewardship organization to manage the program, while counties can create redemption facilities to help meet recycling targets. The law aims to increase container reuse and recycling rates, reduce pollution from discarded containers, and fund public water refill stations through a new grant program. This directly affects beverage producers, retailers, consumers, and local governments managing redemption sites.

Maddy summarySB 383 authorizes Maryland's State Board of Elections to use ranked-choice voting for political parties' presidential nomination contests starting with the 2028 statewide primary election. It requires the State Board to develop and fund voter education about ranked-choice voting and report on its implementation by 2029. The bill also establishes new rules for certifying election-supporting technology (like pollbooks and audit tools), requiring the State Board to create standards for review, certification, and periodic evaluation of such technology. These changes directly affect Maryland voters participating in presidential primaries and election officials managing primary elections. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 426, the Procurement Reform Act of 2025, reorganizes Maryland's state procurement system by giving the Chief Procurement Officer more authority to delegate tasks and manage contracts. It modifies thresholds for public notices, reports, and small business preferences, and requires contractors over a certain value to submit workforce diversity plans. The bill establishes a new preference for businesses with "good labor practices," transfers the Employment Works Program to a new office, and clarifies rules for expedited contracts and apprenticeship requirements. These changes directly affect state agencies, contractors, and small businesses participating in Maryland procurement.

Maddy summarySB 323 requires Maryland's statewide voter registration application to include a prepaid return envelope or envelope template. This change directly affects voters who submit registration forms by eliminating the need for them to pay postage when mailing the form back to the State Board of Elections. The bill amends Section 3-202 of Maryland's Election Law to mandate that all such applications include preprinted return addresses, prepaid postage instructions, and clear directions for using the envelope. This policy simplifies the registration process by removing a common barrier to submitting forms. The requirement takes effect June 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 490 eliminates citizenship requirements for members of certain Maryland state boards, committees, commissions, task forces, and workgroups. It replaces these requirements with a new mandate that members must "reflect the full diversity of the State to the extent practicable," affecting bodies across health, environment, labor, and public safety sectors. The bill achieves this by repealing and revising specific sections in Maryland’s code (including Business Occupations, Health, Environmental, and Public Safety laws) that previously required citizenship. Key provisions remove barriers for non-citizens to serve on these groups while requiring diversity considerations in appointments. This change applies to over 30 existing state entities as detailed in the bill’s code revisions.