Sen. Jim Rosapepe

Maddy summarySB 818 requires every Maryland county board of education to collect monthly data on energy usage in school buildings and submit it to the state Interagency Commission on School Construction. The commission must then establish rules for the specific data to collect and reporting frequency, analyze the collected data, and provide concrete recommendations to improve school energy efficiency. This bill directly affects county school districts (as data collectors) and the state commission (as the central analyzer and recommender). It creates a standardized reporting system to identify energy-saving opportunities in school facilities, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 470 updates Maryland's definition of "fantasy competition" to include certain online games and requires the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission to create a voluntary self-exclusion program. The bill mandates that fantasy competition operators must block individuals on this exclusion list from creating accounts, participating in games, or receiving prizes. It also requires operators to include resources for gambling help on their websites and marketing materials. This directly affects fantasy sports operators and players who choose to self-exclude from these competitions.

Maddy summarySB 565 (Mateo's Law) requires drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents that cause death or life-threatening injury to submit to mandatory breath and blood testing for alcohol or drug impairment. It directly affects drivers in these specific accident scenarios, removing the prior requirement for police to have reasonable suspicion of impairment before ordering testing. The bill mandates breath tests for alcohol concentration and blood tests to detect alcohol or drugs, with options for both tests. Medical personnel performing these tests are protected from civil liability for non-gross-negligent actions. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows nursing homes to direct their electronic health record vendors to share patient medical records or health care transactions with designated healthcare providers (called "business associates") without fees or delays. Vendors must provide records in a standard electronic format, regularly, and promptly to support patient care. The Maryland Attorney General can enforce this rule, and anyone affected can sue vendors or nursing homes that violate it. The law directly affects nursing homes, their record vendors, and patients whose records are shared under these new requirements.

Maddy summarySB 772 expands eligibility for Maryland's Edward T. and Mary A. Conroy Memorial Scholarship Program to include veterans' dependents (spouses or children) who were eligible for Chapter 35 veterans' educational benefits under federal law. It adds a new category to the program's eligibility criteria (section (d)(2)(vii)) and simplifies verification by allowing school officials to confirm Chapter 35 eligibility if applicants cannot obtain the required federal certificate (section (f)(1)). This change directly affects dependents of veterans with service-connected disabilities who previously faced barriers proving eligibility. The bill does not alter scholarship amounts or existing eligibility groups but makes the application process more accessible for this specific population.

Maddy summarySB 859, the "Fair Share for Maryland Act of 2025," is a comprehensive tax code revision affecting Maryland taxpayers and businesses. It modifies estate tax rules (capping the exemption at $2 million for decedents dying in 2016-2017), adjusts child tax credits by changing income thresholds and phase-out amounts, and imposes new business transportation fees on corporations and pass-through entities. The bill also limits net operating loss deductions, requires certain corporations to file combined tax returns, and adjusts income tax brackets for high earners. These changes directly impact estates, families claiming child credits, and businesses operating in Maryland, with automatic annual inflation adjustments for credit thresholds.

Maddy summarySB 881 creates three regional transportation authorities for the Baltimore, Capital, and Southern Maryland regions, along with dedicated transportation funds for each area. The bill imposes new sales tax, hotel tax, and transfer tax surcharges specifically on transactions within these regions, with 70% of the revenue from these surcharges directed to the respective regional transportation funds. The funds are structured as nonlapsing special funds, meaning money can be carried forward, and they allow the authorities to issue bonds using future revenues. This legislation directly affects residents and businesses in those three regions through new tax mechanisms and provides a dedicated funding stream for regional transportation planning and projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Privacy Protection and Enforcement Unit within Maryland's Division of Consumer Protection to oversee digital privacy, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence issues. It establishes a mandatory registry for data brokers who must register annually with the state Comptroller and imposes a gross income tax on their revenue. The tax revenues generated will fund the new enforcement unit, which is authorized to enforce existing privacy laws, educate consumers on digital rights, and cooperate with other agencies on online privacy and security matters.

Maddy summarySB 716 adds nuclear energy from licensed reactors to Maryland's renewable energy portfolio standard as a Tier 1 source, requiring electric companies to meet increasing nuclear energy targets: at least 4% by 2026, rising to 16% by 2029 and 20% by 2030. The bill creates a "certified nuclear renewable energy credit" for compliance and establishes a procurement process for the Public Service Commission to review nuclear projects. It mandates electric companies to purchase nuclear energy from a dedicated escrow account and requires new nuclear projects to sell energy into markets while distributing proceeds per specific rules. This directly affects Maryland's electric utilities, nuclear energy developers, and the state's decarbonization goals under the 2025 "Decarbonization Infrastructure Solutions Act."

Maddy summarySB 654 requires the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) to hire an independent auditor to review its raw water pipeline project (Contract No. BF1582E91), which extends from Rocky Gorge Pumping Station to Patuxent Water Filtration Plant. The audit must detail the project’s timeline, explain delays beyond its March 2023 completion date, and provide a full cost accounting. The auditor must consult with the Office of Legislative Audits and report findings to relevant legislative committees by October 1, 2026. This bill directly affects the WSSC’s oversight of the pipeline project and aims to clarify project management and spending. The requirement expires automatically on September 30, 2027.