Sen. Anthony Muse

Maddy summarySenate Bill 432, known as the "Expungement Reform Act of 2025," updates Maryland's laws concerning the expungement of criminal records, directly affecting individuals seeking to clear certain past convictions. The bill modifies the waiting periods for filing expungement petitions after a sentence is completed and expands the list of misdemeanor convictions eligible for expungement. It also requires courts to consider if restitution has been paid or if the person lacks the ability to pay before granting expungement. Finally, the bill prohibits the Maryland Judiciary Case Search from displaying any reference to certain expunged records.

Maddy summarySB 814 requires specific Maryland counties (charter counties imposing development fees by law, code counties with such fees in public local laws, and commission counties authorized to impose them) to annually report to the Governor and General Assembly by July 1. The report must detail total fees collected from new construction, how funds are distributed to specific districts (legislative, councilmanic, or commissioner), and how funds were used for capital projects like transportation, schools, or other infrastructure. Counties must also make these reports publicly available on their websites or through other reasonable means. The bill focuses on transparency around how local governments collect and spend development impact fees, surcharges, and excise taxes.

Maddy summarySB 334 prohibits intentionally setting fires (malicious or fraudulent burning) that cause death or serious injury to firefighters. It directly affects individuals who commit such acts, making it a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The bill adds specific language to Maryland’s criminal code clarifying that harming firefighters during fire-related crimes carries enhanced penalties. Sentences under this law may run separately from sentences for the original fire offense. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 525 requires all Maryland counties to establish a program allowing residents to submit video evidence of illegal littering or dumping violations to local enforcement agencies. If the video leads to a conviction, the submitter receives half of the fines collected from that violation. The law amends existing litter control penalties to mandate this reward system, with fines also funding litter receptacles, signage, and other litter control efforts. It applies statewide, not just to Prince George's County, and takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 181 (Correctional Services - Geriatric and Medical Parole) requires Maryland’s Parole Commission to consider an incarcerated person’s age when deciding parole eligibility, specifically including age in the assessment of "reasonable probability" of not reoffending. It also clarifies medical parole standards, defining "chronically debilitated" (e.g., severe dementia or permanent disability) and "terminal illness," and mandates that medical parole requests include a licensed medical professional’s evaluation. The bill requires the Commission to develop procedures for reviewing such requests and allows for a direct meeting between the incarcerated person and the Commission under certain medical circumstances. This directly affects older inmates (60+) or those with serious, non-improving medical conditions who are eligible for parole.

Maddy summarySB 1040 (FEDERAL Jobs Act of 2025) creates an Expedited Hiring Program within Maryland's Department of Budget and Management to recruit former federal employees for state government positions. It directly affects eligible applicants who previously worked for the federal government for at least one year and left after January 15, 2025, as well as state appointing authorities responsible for filling vacancies. Key provisions require appointing authorities to fill eligible vacancies within 40 days, modify job descriptions to appeal to former federal workers, and implement marketing, applicant rating, and referral processes. The program aims to leverage federal expertise for state roles while operating under the State Personnel Management System.

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 541 allows veterans' organizations and eligible fraternal organizations (like nonprofit groups with 300+ members) to operate up to five instant lottery machines at their main meeting location in most Maryland counties, with restrictions in nine specific counties. It changes revenue distribution: veterans' groups keep 50% of sales after costs, while fraternal groups send all proceeds to the state for allocation. The bill removes the prior requirement that veterans' groups must purchase or lease machines. This directly affects how these organizations raise funds through lottery machines statewide.

Maddy summarySB 485 increases civil penalties for speeding violations recorded by speed monitoring systems on Maryland Route 210 (Piscataway Highway) in Prince George’s County. It sets specific fines based on how much a driver exceeds the speed limit: $60 for 12-15 mph over, $80 for 16-19 mph over, $140 for 20-29 mph over, $270 for 30-39 mph over, and $500 for 40+ mph over. The bill repeals a previous sunset provision that would have ended the speed monitoring program on this route after 2028, making it permanent. This directly affects drivers who exceed speed limits on this specific highway segment without receiving an officer-cited ticket.

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.