Sen. Cheryl Kagan

Maddy summarySB 294 changes how the Maryland Cybersecurity Council is led and who serves on it. Starting October 1, 2025, the Council will elect its own chair every two years instead of the Attorney General serving as chair. The bill adds specific membership requirements, including five cybersecurity company representatives (with at least three from small companies under 50 employees), four business association representatives, and up to ten higher education representatives. This directly affects small cybersecurity firms, business associations, and educational institutions that will now have formal representation on the Council.

Maddy summarySB 369, the "Raymono A. Russell Act," requires public libraries in Maryland (excluding school libraries) to place an automated external defibrillator (AED) in a visible, accessible location, maintain its functionality, and ensure a staff member trained in AED use is present during all open hours starting January 1, 2026. The bill specifically includes state libraries, regional systems (like Enoch Pratt in Baltimore), and specialized libraries (e.g., for the blind or deaf), but explicitly excludes school library media programs. It also grants legal immunity to libraries and trained individuals for using AEDs under the law’s requirements. This is a direct safety mandate targeting public library operators, not a procedural or commemorative measure.

Maddy summarySB 758 requires condominium and homeowners association (HOA) governing bodies to use independent election administrators (not candidates or property managers) for board elections and mandates reasonable accommodations for unit owners organizing governance activities. It specifies that associations must provide financial records and meeting minutes within 21 days (for documents up to 3 years old) or 45 days (older documents) upon written request, with books kept in Maryland or within 50 miles for public inspection. The bill prohibits charging owners for examining records but allows reasonable copying fees, and expands the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division’s enforcement authority over association rules. These changes directly affect condo/HOA unit owners and governing boards by increasing transparency and standardizing election and record-access procedures.

Maddy summarySB 37 requires investor-owned electric companies in Maryland to submit annual reports to the Public Service Commission detailing all recorded votes cast by the company or its affiliates at regional transmission organization meetings. The bill mandates that companies report every recorded vote (including those not otherwise disclosed) regardless of whether the vote reflects a final position or the voter's authority. Reports must be submitted by February 1 each year covering the prior calendar year's voting activity. This transparency measure applies to all electric companies participating in regional transmission organizations, excluding municipal utilities, and takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 164 updates outdated terminology in Maryland law by replacing "Maryland State Firemen’s Association" with "Maryland State Firefighters Association" in multiple code sections. It specifically amends references in laws related to courts, education, health, labor, public safety, and taxes to ensure consistent terminology. The bill does not create new programs or change existing policies - it only corrects the association’s name in legal references. This change directly affects all state laws and administrative processes that previously used the obsolete term. The bill is purely procedural, with no substantive policy impact.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a producer responsibility program requiring companies that make packaging and paper products to submit approved plans to the Maryland Department of the Environment by 2034. Under the new rules, producers must either create their own recycling and collection plans or join a producer responsibility organization that manages these responsibilities on their behalf. The bill also creates a new advisory council to oversee the program, requires independent assessments of statewide recycling needs every ten years, and allows local governments to request reimbursement from producers for certain program costs. Companies cannot sell or distribute covered packaging materials in Maryland unless they have an approved plan on file with the state.

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 451 requires Maryland's Department of Labor to allow adult learners to take all components of the General Educational Development (GED) exam in their preferred language, rather than only in English. This directly affects adults seeking high school diplomas through examination, particularly non-native English speakers and English language learners under 21 with interrupted education. The bill also mandates the Department to study offering the exam in additional languages and report findings to legislative committees by December 2026. These changes aim to make the diploma-by-examination process more accessible for diverse language learners.

Maddy summarySB 378 establishes a Family Literacy Pilot Program through the Maryland State Library Agency, allowing incarcerated individuals to record themselves reading children's books to their children. The program directly affects incarcerated parents, their children, and correctional facilities participating in the pilot. Key provisions include selecting four facilities (representing Maryland's regions and including both male and female facilities), providing free children's books in multiple languages, securing parental permission, and enabling incarcerated individuals to prepare and share recordings. The State Library Agency must report on the program's results to the General Assembly by December 1, 2028, and the program expires automatically on December 31, 2028.

Maddy summarySB 633, the "Stop Scam PACs Act," requires political organizations that solicit funds to include specific disclaimers on all fundraising requests. It mandates that if a solicitation uses a candidate’s name, image, or likeness without permission, it must state: "This use is not authorized by the candidate." For solicitations appearing charitable, it requires a clear notice that donations are "not necessarily for charitable purposes" and "not tax-deductible." The State Administrator of Elections can investigate violations and impose civil penalties up to $10,000 for noncompliance. This law directly affects political organizations soliciting contributions, aiming to prevent misleading fundraising practices.