Sen. Ben Kramer

Maddy summarySB 7 repeals the expiration date for the Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship, removing the June 30, 2030 cutoff that previously prevented new awards after that date. This change allows the scholarship to be awarded indefinitely to eligible veterans, active service members, or their dependents who meet Maryland residency and educational requirements. The bill also removes restrictions on renewing scholarships for recipients who received their initial award before 2030. The scholarship covers up to 50% of tuition, fees, and room/board at Maryland public universities, requiring a 2.5 GPA and 5 years of full-time study. It takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 880 establishes Maryland's Part-Time State Employment Pilot Program (part of the Maryland Workforce Retention, Recruitment, and Reentry Act) to increase part-time state jobs with benefits. It requires five selected state agencies to evaluate full-time vacancies and convert eligible roles into two part-time positions with proportional benefits (e.g., health coverage prorated by hours). The bill mandates annual reports to the Governor and General Assembly on agency participation and new part-time hires, beginning December 2026. The program runs for three years (until June 2029) and applies specifically to participating agencies and future job seekers in converted roles.

Maddy summarySB 90 adds hypertension to Maryland's list of occupational diseases presumed to be work-related for specific emergency responders. It makes firefighters, fire fighting instructors, rescue squad members, advanced life support unit members, and State Fire Marshal personnel eligible for workers' compensation benefits if they have hypertension diagnosed by a provider, experience it for at least 90 consecutive days, have at least 2 years of cumulative service in those roles, and are currently employed in those positions. This creates a legal presumption that the hypertension is work-related, eliminating the need to prove direct causation, while clarifying that individuals cannot receive both workers' compensation and disability retirement benefits for the same hypertension condition. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 629 requires all Maryland state government units and public higher education institutions (excluding Morgan State University, the University System of Maryland, St. Mary’s College, and Baltimore City Community College) to implement email security policies. It mandates automatic filtering of spam emails (defined as unsolicited, non-state-business emails like phishing or bulk solicitations unrelated to official duties) and prohibits using state email systems as public forums. The bill also permits minimal personal email use that has no significant impact on resources and aligns with professional business standards. These requirements must be included in institutional IT policies, plans, and standards, effective October 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 84 would grant graduate assistants at Maryland's public universities (including the University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland) the right to form a separate collective bargaining unit. The bill amends state law to explicitly include "all eligible graduate assistants" as a distinct bargaining group, meaning they would negotiate contracts separately from other university employees like faculty or staff. This change takes effect on July 1, 2026, and directly affects graduate students working as teaching, research, or administrative assistants in these institutions. The policy creates a formal structure for graduate assistants to collectively address employment terms like pay, benefits, and working conditions.

Maddy summarySB 589 exempts property managers in Maryland from needing a separate license to collect rent, utilities, or fees for residential tenants. The bill specifically applies to property managers whose primary business is managing real property (not debt collection), and who collect payments only during a lease term or holdover period. This change removes a licensing requirement for these managers under Section 7-301 of Maryland's Business Regulation law, as long as debt collection isn't their main business activity. The exemption directly affects residential property management companies and individuals handling routine tenant payments. The bill amends Maryland law to clarify this exemption without creating new requirements.

Maddy summarySB 881 establishes new disclosure requirements for commercial financing used by small businesses in Maryland, requiring lenders to clearly explain costs, annual percentage rates (APR), and repayment terms. It applies to most small business loans (including equipment financing, factoring, and sales-based financing) but excludes banks, credit unions, very small lenders (under five transactions yearly), and loans over $2.5 million. The bill defines "commercial financing" as transactions not intended for personal use, creating standardized terms to increase transparency similar to federal consumer lending rules. It directly affects small business owners seeking non-personal financing and the non-bank lenders offering these services.

Maddy summarySB 520 allows charter counties in Maryland to set property tax rates above their charter limits - via simple majority vote - to fund public safety budgets (like police and fire services). It requires that any excess tax revenue collected beyond the charter limit must be allocated solely to public safety, not other county programs. The bill applies only to charter counties (e.g., Baltimore County) and mandates annual reporting to the Governor and legislature on tax rates and revenue usage. This changes existing tax rules by creating a specific exemption for public safety funding while maintaining other budget constraints.

Maddy summarySB 764 establishes a minimum wage of $25.00 per hour for education support professionals in Maryland public schools, effective July 1, 2028. It directly affects county boards of education (which must pay this wage) and noncertificated school staff in non-supervisory bargaining units, such as aides, secretaries, and maintenance workers. The bill requires the State Department of Education to report by December 1, 2026, on the cost of implementing this wage, broken down by school system. It does not change current wages but mandates a new hourly rate for these positions starting in 2028.

Maddy summaryMaryland's SB 962 prohibits individuals convicted of crimes related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack from holding specific government positions. The bill applies to those convicted regardless of subsequent pardons and bars them from serving on state boards/commissions, in executive government roles, or in special appointments. Appointing authorities must immediately remove anyone violating this law. It does not apply to standing committees or committees established under Title 2 of state law. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.