Sen. Dawn Gile

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 922 requires travel service providers in Maryland (defined as "Sellers of Travel") to annually file evidence of financial security with the Department of Labor. This applies to businesses arranging travel services like bookings, tickets, or tours for Maryland customers, excluding airlines, cruise lines, and hotels arranging transportation without direct payment. Providers must submit a surety bond, cash deposit, or insurance equal to $10,000-$50,000 based on their annual Maryland gross income, plus a $300 filing fee. The law aims to protect consumers by ensuring providers can cover financial losses if they fail to deliver services or commit fraud.

Maddy summarySB 528 establishes an annual tax-free day on November 11 (Veterans Day) starting in 2025, exempting sales tax on purchases made by veterans in Maryland. The bill directly affects veterans who shop on Veterans Day, requiring them to present valid identification (like a driver's license or ID card showing veteran status) to qualify for the exemption. Key provisions include defining "veteran" as someone discharged honorably from military service and mandating vendors to verify eligibility through acceptable ID. This policy change removes sales tax from qualifying purchases on Veterans Day but does not alter Maryland's general sales tax rates or apply to other days. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 918 requires electronic smoking device manufacturers (like e-cigarette and vape product companies) in Maryland to submit annual certifications to the Attorney General and maintain escrow funds under certain conditions. The bill mandates the Attorney General to create and publish a public directory listing all manufacturers, increasing transparency. Violations of these requirements would be treated as unfair trade practices under Maryland’s Consumer Protection Act, subject to penalties. This bill directly affects manufacturers of vaping products, aiming to strengthen regulatory oversight without restricting consumer access.

Maddy summarySB 936 requires developers and deployers of high-risk artificial intelligence systems - those making decisions affecting housing, employment, healthcare, loans, or other significant consumer rights - to prevent algorithmic discrimination. It mandates developers to disclose risks and provide documentation, while deployers must conduct impact assessments, implement risk management programs, and inform consumers about AI-driven decisions. Consumers gain the right to correct data and appeal consequential decisions, such as loan denials or hiring choices. The Attorney General enforces the law, and consumers can sue deployers for violations. This applies only to businesses using AI for specific high-stakes decisions, not general AI tools.

Maddy summarySB 430 requires Maryland's Department of Housing and Community Development and Department of Planning to annually calculate regional housing infrastructure gaps - measuring the shortage of housing units needed to achieve a 1.5 jobs-to-housing ratio in each designated region. It apportions these gaps to specific counties and cities, creating an "affirmative obligation" for jurisdictions with gaps to expedite approvals of housing projects and prohibiting denials without specific justifications. The law directly affects all Maryland counties and cities, particularly those in six defined regions (like Baltimore and Washington suburbs), by mandating state-level gap calculations and altering local housing approval processes to address housing shortages near job centers.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SB 173) creates a legal presumption that certain firefighters, fire fighting instructors, rescue squad members, and emergency medical personnel (both paid and volunteer) have work-related hypertension if they meet specific medical criteria. It adds hypertension to the list of occupational diseases presumed to be work-related for these first responders under Maryland’s workers’ compensation law, provided they have blood pressure readings exceeding 140/90 mmHg (per the NFPA 1582 standard) and have used prescribed medication for at least 90 consecutive days. This change simplifies the process for qualifying individuals to receive workers’ compensation benefits for hypertension-related disability or death. The bill applies only to those meeting these precise medical requirements and takes effect October 1, 2025.

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 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 677 prohibits landlords from refusing to rent to tenants who use income-based housing subsidies (such as federal housing vouchers) based on the tenant's income, credit score, lack of credit, or negative credit history. It applies to most rental properties but allows landlords to collect financial information if required by funding sources for income-restricted housing units. Violations would be treated as discriminatory housing practices enforceable by the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.