Sen. Jason Gallion

Maddy summarySB 532 allows Maryland police officers who are denied rights under disciplinary procedures to seek a court order requiring their law enforcement agency to explain why the right shouldn't be granted. It directly affects officers employed by countywide, local, statewide, or bicounty agencies facing disciplinary actions. The bill creates a new step: officers can apply to a specific circuit court (county-based for local agencies, Anne Arundel County for statewide agencies) *before* a disciplinary hearing. This provides officers a legal avenue to challenge denials of their rights earlier in the process. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 531 (Juvenile Justice Restoration Act of 2025) requires law enforcement officers to consult with an attorney before questioning a child in custody. The law mandates that officers must contact either a parent/guardian-appointed attorney or the Office of the Public Defender and attempt to notify parents/guardians before interrogation, with exceptions only for immediate public safety threats or parental consent. It creates a rebuttable presumption that statements made without compliance are inadmissible in court, and requires detailed record-keeping of attorney consultations and notifications. This directly affects minors facing police questioning, law enforcement officers (including school resource officers), and the Office of the Public Defender, which must develop policies and provide attorney resources.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services from hiring or retaining employees convicted of specific serious crimes, directly affecting job applicants and current staff. It bans hiring for offenses including abduction, kidnapping, murder, rape, child abuse, and sexual offenses against minors (as listed in Section 1(A)). An exception allows hiring if a conviction was reversed or vacated (Section 1(B)). The law takes effect October 1, 2025, aiming to protect youth in state care by restricting employment for individuals with certain criminal histories.

Maddy summarySB 483 requires Maryland's Public Service Commission to evaluate alternatives to building new transmission lines whenever specific conditions are met, such as preserving historical, environmental, or agricultural areas, or avoiding conflicts with planned residential zones. The bill expands the Commission's review to include options like using existing utility corridors, reconductoring older lines, or undergrounding existing infrastructure instead of constructing new routes. This directly affects utility companies planning new transmission projects and the Commission, which must now consider these alternatives before approving new construction. The law applies to all new transmission line projects within Maryland starting October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 675 requires Maryland's Public Service Commission to conduct a detailed analysis comparing the full costs and benefits of different electricity generation sources for ratepayers. The study must evaluate three specific scenarios: current natural gas and nuclear capacity, plus 8,500 megawatts of offshore wind (with energy storage to address intermittency), and compare costs using the Levelized Full System Cost model. It specifically examines how energy storage affects reliability costs for each source and identifies the most cost-effective options. The Commission must submit findings and policy recommendations to relevant legislative committees by December 1, 2026. This analysis directly affects Maryland electricity ratepayers by informing potential future energy policy decisions based on cost comparisons.

Maddy summarySB 643 allows natural gas energy generating systems to be constructed, permitted, and operated in Maryland, subject to two requirements: obtaining a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity or Commission approval for construction. The bill explicitly states the General Assembly's support for developing additional nuclear energy (including small modular reactors and nuclear-natural gas combinations) and urges PJM Interconnection to expedite grid connections for new thermal power plants. It directly affects energy developers seeking to build natural gas or nuclear facilities and the PJM grid operator. The law modifies Maryland’s public utilities code to streamline permitting for these energy sources while maintaining key regulatory approvals. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 588, the "Fairness in Girls' Sports Act," requires Maryland public and certain nonpublic high schools to explicitly designate interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams as "boys'/male/men's," "girls'/female/women's," or "coed." It prohibits male students from participating on teams designated for females and prevents governmental entities or athletic associations from penalizing schools for maintaining separate teams for students of the female sex. The bill also allows students who lose athletic opportunities due to violations to file civil lawsuits against their schools, and protects students from retaliation for reporting violations. This law directly affects high schools in Maryland that sponsor competitive sports teams and applies to all such teams designated for females.

Maddy summarySB 478 requires the Maryland Public Service Commission to obtain written approval from every county or municipal government where a solar energy generating station is proposed before approving its construction. This directly affects solar energy developers, who must now secure local consent from all affected jurisdictions prior to state-level review. The bill amends state law to mandate this local approval step for solar projects, adding it as a prerequisite for the Commission to issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity. The requirement takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 640 prohibits solar energy companies from using the government power to seize private land (eminent domain) when building new solar energy stations. It directly affects developers of solar projects over 2 megawatts, requiring them to negotiate land use instead of seeking court-ordered property takings. The bill amends Maryland’s public utilities code by adding explicit language to sections 7-207.1(h), 7-207.2(e), and 7-208(k) to ban this practice for solar projects specifically. This change takes effect October 1, 2025, applying only to solar energy stations and not other types of power generation.

Maddy summarySB 563 establishes the Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund to support agricultural fairs and education. The fund, financed by designated lottery proceeds and interest earnings, will provide annual grants totaling $1.45 million: $825,000 to the Maryland Agricultural Fair Board, $75,000 to the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, and $550,000 to the Maryland State Fair and Agricultural Society. These grants will advance state and county fairs, educational programs, youth initiatives (like 4-H and FFA), and fair operations. The bill repeals prior requirements for allocating horse racing fund proceeds to agricultural fairs.