Maddy summarySB 433 establishes the Office of Disability Employment Advancement and Policy within Maryland’s Department of Disabilities and creates the "Maryland as a Model Employer Initiative" to improve hiring, retention, and advancement of people with disabilities in state government. The office will develop employment strategies, collect data from state agencies on disability workforce outcomes, and oversee the initiative, which requires agencies to set hiring/retention goals and implement best practices. State agencies must report annually on progress and barriers to employment for people with disabilities starting in 2026. The bill does not create new benefits or entitlements but mandates policy coordination and transparency for state government employment practices.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySB 429, the "Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act," reforms school funding formulas and creates new education programs for Maryland public schools. It adjusts key funding amounts per student (like the "target per pupil foundation amount"), establishes new grants for teacher recruitment and relocation, and creates a Career Counseling Program for middle and high school students. The bill requires school districts to develop community school plans, modifies special education funding, and creates an Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact to ease teacher licensing across states. These changes directly affect Maryland public schools, teachers, school districts, and workforce development boards.
Maddy summarySB 382 requires manufacturers of powered wheelchairs to provide independent repair providers and wheelchair owners with necessary documentation, parts, embedded software, firmware, and tools on fair and reasonable terms. It directly affects wheelchair users and independent repair shops by mandating that manufacturers share repair resources without excessive cost or barriers, such as charging more than the suggested retail price for parts. The bill establishes clear definitions for "independent repair providers" and "fair terms," ensuring access to diagnostics and repair tools at no more than the manufacturer's actual cost for printed materials. This law amends Maryland's Commercial Law to create a new "Subtitle 50" specifically governing powered wheelchair repairs.
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.
Maddy summarySB 472 allows Baltimore City or Maryland counties to establish a special property tax rate for improvements on land within 1 mile of a rail station (including MARC, Metro, or Light Rail stations). This special rate must be lower than or equal to the standard county tax rate and applies only to properties near rail infrastructure. Property owners in these designated areas would pay this reduced rate, while a 50% tax penalty on the special rate's total liability would fund the Transportation Trust Fund. The bill also requires annual reports on the tax rate's impact, including revenue changes and property reuse plans.
Maddy summarySB 710, the Sergeant Patrick Keep Act, creates a new criminal misdemeanor for driving a motor vehicle or operating a vessel in a criminally negligent manner - defined as failing to recognize a serious danger a reasonable person would have seen. It distinguishes criminal negligence (a new offense) from ordinary negligence (which remains a civil matter under Maryland’s transportation law). Penalties include up to six months in jail or a $5,000 fine for driving negligently, and up to one year in jail or $5,000 for causing a life-threatening injury through such negligence. This law applies to all drivers and vessel operators in Maryland who act with criminal negligence, not to those who are merely negligent.
Maddy summarySB 887 amends Maryland law to change how county boards of education reappoint current county superintendents. It allows boards to reappoint an incumbent superintendent at any time during their term, as long as they make the decision by March 1 of the year their contract is renewed. This replaces the previous requirement that boards had to decide by March 1 only in the year a term began. The bill affects all Maryland county boards of education (excluding Baltimore City and Prince George’s County) and directly impacts county superintendents seeking reappointment. The change simplifies the reappointment process by removing the prior deadline tied to the start of a term.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $1,000 refundable state income tax credit for Maryland parents who experience a stillbirth. It directly affects parents who receive a certificate of stillbirth (per Maryland Health-General Article § 4-213.1 or equivalent from another state) for a birth that results in stillbirth. The credit can be claimed only in the tax year the stillbirth occurred, and if the credit exceeds the parent's state income tax liability for that year, they receive a refund for the excess amount. The credit applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, effective July 1, 2025.
Maddy summarySB 409 amends Maryland law to expand the powers and naming options for county and municipal economic development authorities. It allows these authorities to issue certain bonds under new requirements and broadens how they can use tax increment funds (revenue from increased property values in redevelopment zones). The bill directly affects local economic development agencies, enabling them to finance projects like infrastructure or affordable housing with more flexible funding tools. Key changes include updating naming conventions, clarifying bond issuance rules, and expanding permitted uses of development funds without altering the core purpose of economic growth.
Maddy summarySB 706 requires the Maryland Department of Health to conduct prevalence studies measuring problem and pathological gambling rates for both in-person and mobile gambling, with the initial in-person study due by July 1, 2009 (likely a typo in the bill text), and the initial mobile study due by July 1, 2030. The bill modifies how gambling proceeds are distributed, directing 6.25% of the state's share (after operators retain 84%) to the Problem Gambling Fund for treatment and prevention programs, while 93.75% goes to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund. It mandates annual reports to the General Assembly on fund expenditures and requires replication studies every five years to track trends. This bill directly affects gambling operators, the Problem Gambling Fund, and Maryland residents seeking gambling treatment services.