Sen. Jim Rosapepe

Maddy summarySB 683 (Protect Our Federal Workers Act) renames the "Federal Government Shutdown Employee Assistance Loan Fund" to the "Federal Government Employee Assistance Loan Fund" and expands its eligibility. The bill allows Maryland to use funds from the Catastrophic Event Account to assist federal workers affected by closures, relocations, or mass layoffs of federal offices (beyond just government shutdowns). It specifically adds these new circumstances to the Fund’s purpose, enabling loans to Maryland-resident federal employees who lost pay during shutdowns *or* were terminated due to federal facility changes beyond their control. The bill modifies existing Maryland law (Sections 7-324 and 7-327) to formalize these changes, ensuring the Fund remains continuously available for these purposes.

Maddy summarySB 679 requires Maryland nursing homes to spend at least 75% of their nursing and residential care revenue on direct care staff wages and benefits (including nurses, dietary, therapy, and social workers). It mandates that nursing homes submit annual cost reports by September 1 each year (starting in 2026) to the Maryland Department of Health, including proof of wage payments and other required details. The reports must be signed under penalty of perjury, and failure to comply or submit inaccurate reports could lead to enforcement actions like recouping funds or suspending the facility from state programs. This bill directly affects all nursing homes in Maryland that receive state funding, aiming to increase transparency around staffing costs.

Maddy summarySB 595 requires the state Comptroller to distribute $500,000 annually from the State Lottery Fund to Anne Arundel County, Howard County, and the City of Laurel. Payments are tied to Laurel Race Course activities: $2,000, $500, and $300 per day of live racing (or intertrack betting days if live racing falls below 140 days yearly). The funds must be used exclusively for health services, counseling, addiction support, and transportation to medical services for backstretch workers and residents in the 20724 zip code. Funding continues only if Laurel Race Course remains used for live racing/training and backstretch workers live on-site.

Maddy summarySB 635 establishes the Maryland Connectivity Coalition to coordinate wildlife protection efforts, directly affecting state agencies, local governments, and wildlife (particularly threatened and endangered species). The bill creates the Wildlife Connectivity Fund to support projects like wildlife crossings on highways, requires the State Highway Administration to include wildlife habitat data in transportation planning, and mandates the Department of Natural Resources to maintain a website for public donations to fund these initiatives. Key provisions include coalition-led criteria for prioritizing projects - such as locations with frequent wildlife-vehicle collisions or highways fragmenting habitats - and requirements for counties to consider wildlife connectivity when updating local land-use plans. The law aims to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and protect habitat access without altering existing endangered species definitions.

Maddy summarySB 342, the "Voting Rights Act of 2025," prohibits counties and municipalities from using election methods that dilute or abridge voting rights for protected classes (defined as racial, color, or language minority groups under federal law). It directly affects voters in these local jurisdictions by requiring election systems to allow members of protected classes to elect candidates of their choice. The key mechanism establishes that a violation occurs if elections show "polarized voting" (where voting patterns differ between protected classes and the broader electorate) and the election method dilutes their voting strength. Courts must evaluate this using federal methodologies for enforcing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, applying only to local county and municipal elections - not statewide contests.

Maddy summarySB 472 allows Baltimore City or Maryland counties to establish a special property tax rate for improvements on land within 1 mile of a rail station (including MARC, Metro, or Light Rail stations). This special rate must be lower than or equal to the standard county tax rate and applies only to properties near rail infrastructure. Property owners in these designated areas would pay this reduced rate, while a 50% tax penalty on the special rate's total liability would fund the Transportation Trust Fund. The bill also requires annual reports on the tax rate's impact, including revenue changes and property reuse plans.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $1,000 refundable state income tax credit for Maryland parents who experience a stillbirth. It directly affects parents who receive a certificate of stillbirth (per Maryland Health-General Article § 4-213.1 or equivalent from another state) for a birth that results in stillbirth. The credit can be claimed only in the tax year the stillbirth occurred, and if the credit exceeds the parent's state income tax liability for that year, they receive a refund for the excess amount. The credit applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 706 requires the Maryland Department of Health to conduct prevalence studies measuring problem and pathological gambling rates for both in-person and mobile gambling, with the initial in-person study due by July 1, 2009 (likely a typo in the bill text), and the initial mobile study due by July 1, 2030. The bill modifies how gambling proceeds are distributed, directing 6.25% of the state's share (after operators retain 84%) to the Problem Gambling Fund for treatment and prevention programs, while 93.75% goes to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund. It mandates annual reports to the General Assembly on fund expenditures and requires replication studies every five years to track trends. This bill directly affects gambling operators, the Problem Gambling Fund, and Maryland residents seeking gambling treatment services.

Maddy summarySB 576, the Maryland Worker Freedom Act, prohibits employers from firing, disciplining, or refusing to hire employees or applicants who decline to attend or participate in mandatory employer-sponsored meetings about religious or political topics (like election views or religious practices). The law specifically protects workers who refuse to engage in such meetings where the employer shares its own opinions on these matters. Religious employers and voluntary meetings about these topics are exempt from the law. The bill takes effect on October 1, 2025, and directly affects most Maryland workers and job applicants in covered workplaces.

Maddy summarySB 330 expands Maryland's property tax credit for dwellings owned by disabled or fallen law enforcement officers/rescue workers. It directly affects disabled officers who die (regardless of cause), their surviving spouses, and cohabitants by broadening the definition of "fallen officer" to include disabled officers who pass away. Key changes include removing the previous 10-year deadline for purchasing a home after disability or death, allowing the tax credit amount for new homes to align proportionally with credits for prior dwellings, and giving counties flexibility to set their own acquisition timelines or eligibility limits. The bill amends Maryland's Property Tax Code (Section 9-210) to implement these policy adjustments.