Sen. William Folden

Maddy summarySB 735 (Geri's Law) prohibits incarcerated individuals serving sentences for first-degree or second-degree murder from earning time-off credits that reduce their prison terms. It also limits time-off credits for violent crime offenders to no more than 10% of their total sentence for violent offenses, and bars judges from allowing pretrial release for defendants charged with violent crimes if they have pending charges or recent violent convictions. The bill amends Maryland law to restrict credit deductions under correctional services and criminal procedure codes, specifically targeting violent offenses defined in the Criminal Law Article. These changes apply directly to individuals convicted of murder or violent crimes in state or local correctional facilities.

Maddy summarySB 736 establishes the Wildlife Damage Prevention and Reimbursement Fund to help agricultural producers reimburse costs from deer, geese, and other wildlife damaging crops. The fund, financed by $5 conservation deer stamps, state budget appropriations, and donations, reimburses eligible farmers for verified damage (minimum $200, maximum $5,000 annually) after they follow department-recommended prevention measures and have damage assessed by University of Maryland extension agents. It also provides grants for community-based prevention projects like reducing wildlife attractants, prioritizing cost-effective, locally supported initiatives. The fund is non-lapsing and administered by the state Department, directly aiding farmers and landowners affected by wildlife.

Maddy summarySB 661, the "Protect Maryland Farm Lands Act," changes how farmland is compensated when taken through eminent domain. It requires the fair market value of agricultural property actively used for farming to be set at 350% of the highest appraisal value, instead of standard market value. This directly affects Maryland farmers whose land is acquired for public projects (like roads or transmission lines) and the government entities conducting those takings. The bill also allows property owners to use the assessed tax value if it exceeds the appraisal, and applies retroactively to all past and future condemnation cases involving qualifying farmland.

Maddy summarySB 625 requires Maryland police departments to remove investigation records related to unfounded or exonerated misconduct complaints from an officer’s personnel file three years after an administrative committee or trial board issues that finding. It directly affects police officers whose complaints are dismissed as factually unsupported ("unfounded") or determined to be lawful ("exonerated"). The bill amends Maryland’s public safety laws to mandate this removal, specifying that such records - covering internal investigations, hearings, or disciplinary decisions - must be deleted from personnel files after the 3-year period. This change applies only to complaints resulting in "unfounded" or "exonerated" findings, not all complaint records. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 642 modifies Maryland law to specifically prohibit liability waivers for indoor trampoline parks. It makes any contract clause limiting a trampoline park's liability for injuries caused by its negligence or wrongful acts void and unenforceable. This directly affects trampoline park operators, who can no longer require customers to sign such waivers. The bill narrows a previous broader rule (which applied to all "recreational facilities") to apply only to indoor trampoline parks, leaving liability rules unchanged for gyms, pools, or other facilities. The change takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 45 updates Maryland's vehicle laws to ensure fair compensation for dealers performing warranty and recall repairs. It requires manufacturers to pay dealers at rates matching their standard non-warranty repair charges for labor and parts, prohibits manufacturers from selling parts directly to customers, and bans forcing dealers to use specific third-party service providers. The bill also allows dealers to complete warranty and recall repairs even if their franchise agreement ends. These changes directly affect vehicle dealers and manufacturers by restructuring financial obligations and service requirements.

Maddy summarySB 332 establishes a 5-member task force to study the premature retirement of electricity generation facilities in Maryland. The task force, including members from the Environment Secretary’s office, Public Service Commission, PJM Interconnection, and industry experts, will assess cost impacts on customers, reliability risks, environmental effects, economic challenges for generators, and potential solutions by January 2026. It will not enact new policies but will provide recommendations to balance energy reliability with cleaner energy goals. The task force will conclude its work by June 2026, after which the bill expires. This is a procedural study bill with no direct regulatory changes.

Maddy summarySB 551 prohibits Maryland insurers from raising premiums, adding surcharges, or removing discounts for private passenger auto insurance policies after collisions with free-roaming wild animals when the driver was not at fault. It directly affects car insurance policyholders in Maryland who experience such non-fault accidents. The key provision amends insurance law to block insurers from treating these incidents differently than other non-fault claims. This ensures drivers cannot be penalized financially for unavoidable encounters with wildlife like deer or coyotes. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Maryland correctional facilities to transfer undocumented immigrants serving prison sentences to U.S. Homeland Security under four specific conditions: if they are suspected of terrorism/espionage, convicted of gang-related offenses (per federal law), under 16 and participated in gangs to further illegal activity, or convicted of an aggravated felony. It directly affects state/local prisons holding undocumented immigrants convicted of qualifying crimes and mandates these transfers upon DHS request. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, creating a new legal requirement for facilities to comply with federal transfer requests. It does not change immigration enforcement policies but specifies when transfers must occur for certain incarcerated individuals.

Maddy summarySB 389 allows courts to transfer minors convicted as adults to juvenile court if clear evidence shows the victim previously committed a sex crime or human trafficking offense against the minor within three months before the current conviction. It amends sentencing rules to prohibit life without parole for such minors and requires juvenile courts to make dispositional decisions upon transfer. This directly affects minors convicted as adults in cases where they were victimized by the same perpetrator in a prior crime. The bill changes sentencing outcomes by prioritizing juvenile court jurisdiction for these specific cases, shifting from adult criminal penalties.