Sen. Michael Jackson

Maddy summarySB 282, the "Recreational Equality for Service Members Act," expands access to recreational benefits for active-duty service members, veterans, and their vehicles. It modifies Maryland law to exempt these individuals from paying certain entrance fees when entering state parks (under Section 9-901) and prevents fishing licenses in tidal waters from lapsing during active duty (Section 1-405). The bill also broadens the definition of "veteran" to include members of the Public Health Service and NOAA Commissioned Corps, aligning with federal definitions. These changes directly affect uniformed service members, veterans, and their families seeking access to state parks and fishing opportunities.

Maddy summarySB 48 allows Maryland's Department of General Services to add a "veteran status" notation on state-issued identification cards when veterans provide documentation like a DD-214 form. It requires the Department to obtain explicit consent from cardholders before sharing veteran status information with other state agencies. The bill prohibits the Department from transmitting veteran status details without this consent, except as required by law. This affects veterans who hold state-issued ID cards for purposes like employment or contractor access.

Maddy summarySB 269 extends the maximum duration for Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship recipients pursuing an associate’s degree part-time from 3 to 6 years after first enrollment. It also requires community colleges to grant extensions for allowable interruptions (e.g., due to medical or family hardship) if students provide documented evidence. The bill maintains existing eligibility requirements, including income limits, a 2.5 GPA, and enrollment in at least 6 credits per semester. These changes apply to new recipients starting July 1, 2025, and affect all part-time community college students in Maryland seeking associate degrees through the program.

Maddy summarySB 603 authorizes an annual $350,000 appropriation starting in fiscal year 2027 for the University of Maryland, College Park’s TerpsEXCEED Program. This program provides educational and employment support specifically to students with intellectual disabilities. The funding covers direct services like academic advising, career development courses, internship coordination, and connections to disability support agencies. It aims to create sustainable support for the program’s operations and future expansion. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 271 amends Maryland law to explicitly include employees of a sheriff's office (in counties or Baltimore City) under the definition of "State personnel" for immunity purposes under the Maryland Tort Claims Act. This means sheriff's office employees - such as administrative staff or support personnel - will now have the same legal protection from tort liability as sheriffs and deputy sheriffs when acting within their official duties, without malice or gross negligence. The bill achieves this by revising two sections of the Maryland Code: updating Section 5-522(b) to clarify immunity scope and amending Section 12-101(a)(6) to add "an employee of the office of a sheriff" to the definition of "State personnel." The change takes effect October 1, 2025, and directly affects all sheriff's offices across Maryland.

Maddy summarySB 767 grants full-time deputy sheriffs and correctional deputies in Calvert County (at the rank of Major and below) the right to form unions and negotiate with county commissioners and the sheriff over wages and health care premium costs that are not currently set by the sheriff. The bill requires any agreement on these issues to be documented in a written Memorandum of Agreement and approved by the sheriff, county commissioners, and the certified union. It does not change the sheriff’s authority over other employment matters, such as promotions or discipline. This law takes effect on October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 502 expands Maryland's existing property tax credit program to include judicial officers, their surviving spouses, and cohabitants - previously, the credit only covered law enforcement officers and rescue workers. The bill modifies the law to define "public safety officer" to include judicial officers and requires counties or municipalities to establish by law who qualifies as a judicial officer. It allows disabled judicial officers, their surviving spouses (if unmarried), and cohabitants to claim the credit against property taxes on their primary residence, with specific residency and disability criteria. The credit applies retroactively to qualifying individuals who met the requirements before the bill's enactment.

Maddy summarySB 516 exempts personal property used in qualifying large family child care homes from property tax under Maryland law (Section 7-227). It repeals outdated requirements for real property improvements to qualify for tax credits and increases the maximum annual property tax credit for eligible facilities from $3,000 to $10,000 (Section 9-213). Local governments (counties, Baltimore City, or municipalities) can now grant this credit against real property tax for portions of property used by registered large family child care homes, licensed child care centers, or day care centers for elderly/adults. The bill takes effect June 1, 2025, applying to taxable years beginning after June 30, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 775 establishes a temporary workgroup to study expanding Maryland's 3-1-1 nonemergency phone system statewide. The workgroup includes state agency representatives (like Emergency Management and Information Technology), county/municipal safety officials, and industry stakeholders. It will review existing 3-1-1 services, best practices from other states, and potential solutions for implementing a statewide system, including a virtual portal. The group must report findings to the Governor and Legislature by November 1, 2025, and the bill expires on June 30, 2026. This bill does not create a new system but focuses solely on research and recommendations.

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.