Sen. Ron Watson

Maddy summarySB 344 allows Baltimore City, Maryland counties, and municipalities to create a property tax credit for owners who convert a property from a retail service station (such as a gas station) to another use, including retail, residential, or mixed retail-residential space. The credit is intended to help cover costs for removing underground storage tanks and cleaning up contamination from the previous use. Local governments granting the credit will receive 50% of the lost property tax revenue from the state as reimbursement. The law takes effect on June 1, 2025, for taxable years beginning after June 30, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 934 creates a new "Premium Cigar Lounge" license (Class C-PCL) in Maryland, allowing tobacco retailers that primarily sell premium cigars and pipe tobacco to also serve alcohol on-premises. The license exempts these lounges from Maryland’s Clean Indoor Air Act (which bans smoking indoors), but requires proper ventilation systems, clear smoking policy signage, and employees to acknowledge secondhand smoke exposure. To qualify, establishments must derive at least 60% of daily revenue from premium cigars and accessories (not alcohol), pay a $2,000 annual fee, and submit sales reports. The bill also extends a temporary ban on issuing new alcohol licenses to tobacco retailers until June 30, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 44 (Sherry and Christian's Law) requires individuals charged with reckless or negligent driving that causes a death to appear in court instead of paying fines upfront. It directly affects drivers convicted of causing fatal accidents through reckless or careless driving. The bill mandates court appearances and prohibits prepayment of fines, though judges may waive the appearance requirement for "good cause" after setting a court date. The law amends Maryland's transportation code to enforce these specific procedural changes for such offenses.

Maddy summarySB 783 requires Maryland public school principals to investigate every student fight or physical struggle. It prohibits school staff from disciplining students who, after such an investigation, more likely than not used reasonable force necessary to protect themselves or escape an attack. If a student was wrongly disciplined during the investigation but later determined to have used justified force, the school must expunge all disciplinary documentation from their record. The law directly affects students involved in school conflicts, school administrators, and staff responsible for discipline, taking effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 821 requires county boards of education to grant temporary admission to students whose parents or guardians cannot immediately provide proof of required immunizations. To receive temporary admission, parents or guardians must provide evidence of an upcoming appointment with a health professional or local health department. This appointment must be scheduled within 60 calendar days of the student's temporary admission and is for receiving an immunization, reconstructing a lost record, or acquiring evidence of immunity. Following the appointment, parents or guardians must provide evidence of the student's required immunizations on the next school day.

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 1014 prohibits individuals from simultaneously holding a political party office (such as county central committee member) and an elected public office (like mayor or council member) in Maryland. It amends Maryland Election Law to explicitly ban this dual holding, removing previous allowances that permitted it under certain conditions. The bill specifically clarifies that the prohibition does not apply to delegates serving at national presidential nominating conventions. This change affects candidates and officeholders who seek or hold both types of positions, effective October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 339 requires the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) to study whether video toll facilities in Maryland can reliably capture only the rear license plate of vehicles instead of both front and rear plates. The study must identify necessary system upgrades and assess potential impacts of this change, such as accuracy or enforcement effects. The MDTA must submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by December 1, 2025. This bill does not change toll collection practices but mandates a review to evaluate feasibility before any potential implementation.

Maddy summarySB 991 requires Maryland’s State Board of Elections to automatically mail absentee ballots to registered voters in pretrial detention at Baltimore City’s centralized booking facility, eliminating the need for them to submit separate applications. It mandates the facility to provide a secure, 24/7 ballot drop box for returning ballots and voter materials, along with written instructions for eligible voters. The bill also requires Baltimore City’s local election board to collect ballots weekly, submit them to the State Board, and report annual data on ballot submissions to legislative committees. This applies only to pretrial detainees who are registered voters with voting rights under Maryland law.

Maddy summarySB 816 increases the Maryland Public Service Commission from five to seven commissioners and establishes specific geographic residency requirements for each position. The seven commissioners must represent: Western Maryland (one commissioner), Southern Maryland (one), the Eastern Shore (one), Central Maryland (two), and the Capital Region (two). The bill requires the Commission to submit a slate of nominees for two new seats (Western and Southern Maryland) to the Governor by August 1, 2025, and changes the process for appointing the Commission's Chair from among its members. The changes take effect on July 1, 2025, with no retroactive application.