Sen. Jim Rosapepe

Maddy summaryThis bill allows the Prince George's County Board of License Commissioners to issue alcohol licenses for establishments located near places of worship or schools under specific conditions. It permits licensing within 500 feet of a church or 1,000 feet of a school if the same owner previously held a valid license at that location before the building was constructed. The law also includes exceptions for certain license types and allows for more flexible distance requirements in designated commercial districts or specific cities like Laurel. These changes take effect on July 1, 2024, and apply only to Prince George's County.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new type of alcohol license in Prince George's County specifically for concessionaires at college athletic venues on the University of Maryland, College Park, and Bowie State University campuses. It authorizes these vendors to sell beer, wine, and liquor for on-premises consumption in areas like courtside seating and suites during college sports events. The license operates under the same hours and days as standard bar licenses but requires a separate $3,500 annual fee for each venue where the concessionaire works. This change allows alcohol to be sold and consumed at these specific locations without counting toward the venue's existing standard bar license limit.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the Governor of Maryland to allocate state funding for the Professional and Volunteer Firefighter Innovative Cancer Screening Technologies Program. It mandates that the program receive at least $100,000 annually from fiscal years 2021 through 2024, with the amount increasing to at least $500,000 starting in fiscal year 2025 and continuing thereafter. The legislation also requires that all funds used for this program be subject to audits by the Office of Legislative Audits to ensure proper financial oversight.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Maryland's existing Law Enforcement Cadet Apprenticeship Program into a broader Public Safety Apprenticeship Program that includes correctional facilities and other public safety agencies. It increases the maximum grant amounts available to agencies, raising the startup grant limit to $200,000 and the per-apprentice stabilization grant to $5,000, while also requiring agencies to bargain with unions regarding employment terms before receiving funds. Additionally, the legislation mandates the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to create mental health wellness policies for law enforcement and correctional facilities and establishes a new workgroup to study ways to increase employment in these sectors.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland law expands a state income tax break for law enforcement officers to include those who live in areas with higher crime rates than the state average. Under the new rules, eligible officers can subtract up to $5,000 of their income from their state tax calculation if they meet specific residency and employment criteria. The bill applies to various police forces, including county and municipal officers, state units, and members of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Police Force. To determine eligibility, the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission must certify which local areas have crime rates exceeding the state average, with these certifications occurring every three years. The changes take effect for tax years starting after December 31, 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Center for Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention within the Maryland Department of Health to reduce gun violence and misuse through a public health approach. The center will be led by an executive director who will partner with federal, state, and local agencies, as well as communities disproportionately affected by firearm violence, to develop and implement prevention strategies. Key actions include creating a state plan by May 2025, offering training and technical assistance to agencies and organizations, sharing data across jurisdictions, and promoting evidence-based initiatives. Funding for the center will be included in the state's annual budget starting in fiscal year 2026.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland law authorizes the state to provide up to $1 million annually in grants to nonprofit organizations that offer automotive repair training to incarcerated or formerly incarcerated individuals. To qualify for these funds, organizations must train at least 50 people each year and be able to issue nationally recognized automotive repair certificates to participants. The Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services will manage the distribution of these grants and require recipients to report how the money was used and the outcomes achieved. The program is set to run from fiscal year 2026 through 2028, with the goal of improving employment opportunities for people reentering society.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a sales and use tax exemption for nonprofit organizations that maintain memorials on property owned by the State of Maryland. To qualify for this exemption, the organization must be exempt from federal taxation under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3), and any money raised from the sale of items must be used specifically to maintain the memorial on state-owned land. The law takes effect on July 1, 2024, allowing these organizations to sell goods without paying sales tax as long as the proceeds support the upkeep of the memorial.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill requires that naloxone, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, be placed in the same location as automated external defibrillators within all public buildings. The State Emergency Medical Services Board, working with the Department of Health, will manage this initiative using existing funds from the Opioid Restitution Fund. To encourage participation, the law grants legal protection from lawsuits to building owners and individuals who provide or administer this naloxone in good faith. These changes aim to increase the availability of life-saving equipment and medication in public spaces to address both cardiac arrest and drug overdoses.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the rules for renewing alcoholic beverage licenses in Prince George's County, Maryland, by allowing the licensing board to grant deadline extensions. It specifically addresses licenses that expired between March 5, 2020, and December 31, 2023, due to missed renewal applications, granting them a grace period until July 1, 2025. To regain their licenses during this period, affected business owners must prove they meet all other requirements and pay any outstanding fees. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024, and apply to Class A, B, C, and D license holders in the county.