Sen. Chris West

Maddy summarySB 982 updates Maryland's sports wagering law to authorize licensed sports wagering facilities to accept bets on historical horse races. It amends the definition of "sporting event" to explicitly include "historical horse races" within existing wagering rules. This change directly affects current sports wagering facility licensees (such as casinos or racetracks with existing sports betting licenses), allowing them to offer this specific type of wager under defined conditions. The bill does not create new licenses but expands the scope of betting permitted for existing license holders, subject to regulatory limitations.

Maddy summarySB 951 authorizes investor-owned electric companies in Maryland to directly build, lease, or operate their own power generation and transmission facilities without needing prior approval from the Public Service Commission. It removes the Commission's existing authority to require such construction under specific circumstances, shifting that decision-making power directly to the utility companies. The bill changes the legal framework governing utility infrastructure projects, allowing companies to proceed with these facilities under their own authorization rather than through Commission mandates. This change takes effect on October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 716 adds nuclear energy from licensed reactors to Maryland's renewable energy portfolio standard as a Tier 1 source, requiring electric companies to meet increasing nuclear energy targets: at least 4% by 2026, rising to 16% by 2029 and 20% by 2030. The bill creates a "certified nuclear renewable energy credit" for compliance and establishes a procurement process for the Public Service Commission to review nuclear projects. It mandates electric companies to purchase nuclear energy from a dedicated escrow account and requires new nuclear projects to sell energy into markets while distributing proceeds per specific rules. This directly affects Maryland's electric utilities, nuclear energy developers, and the state's decarbonization goals under the 2025 "Decarbonization Infrastructure Solutions Act."

Maddy summarySB 955 prohibits electric companies or regulated entities from using eminent domain (taking private property) to acquire land covered by a conservation easement for new overhead transmission lines. The bill specifically blocks condemnation of property with conservation easements - defined as land protected by organizations like the Maryland Environmental Trust - regardless of whether a certificate of public convenience is obtained. It also requires courts to award reasonable attorney fees to property owners defending against such condemnation cases and charge certain costs to the plaintiff. This directly affects property owners with conservation easements and electric companies planning transmission line construction in Maryland.

Maddy summarySB 473 expands Maryland's Food and Agricultural Resiliency Mechanism Grant Program to include new "qualified suppliers," defined as farms or community gardens operating at least 100 acres, growing 1 million+ pounds of produce annually, and donating 25% of their harvest to food banks and emergency food providers at no cost. The bill creates a dedicated "Maryland Food and Agricultural Resiliency Operating Fund" to provide grants covering operational costs for these suppliers to deliver agricultural products to food banks and emergency food providers. Starting in fiscal year 2027, the state must appropriate $1 million annually to this fund through the governor's budget. This directly affects eligible farms and community gardens meeting the size, production, and donation criteria, while supporting food banks and emergency food providers statewide.

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.

Maddy summarySB 954 proposes a constitutional amendment to change how circuit court judges are selected in Maryland, replacing their current election system with an appointment process. The Governor would appoint judges to fill vacancies, but they require Senate confirmation by majority vote (80% for a full 15-year term; majority for a temporary term subject to voter approval). Judges confirmed by less than 80% must face a voter approval vote in the next general election after one year in office, where they compete in a contested election with other qualified candidates. This bill directly affects circuit court judges and the Governor, Senate, and voters in jurisdictions where vacancies occur, but does not apply to district court judges.

Maddy summarySB 933 prohibits knowingly causing another person to ingest an abortion-inducing drug when the person knows or believes the other is pregnant and does so without consent, through fraud/coercion, or through force/threat of force. It directly affects individuals who coerce others into taking such medication, defining "abortion-inducing drug" as any substance designed to induce abortion. The bill amends Maryland’s criminal code to classify violations as a felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 650 requires individuals convicted three or more times of a "domestically related crime" (including domestic violence offenses or crimes against someone with whom they had a recent sexual relationship) to register with their county sheriff within 10 days of release, probation, or a suspended sentence. The registry, maintained by Maryland’s Department of Public Safety, will include registrants’ names, addresses, crime details, and photos, and remain public online, by phone, and in person. Registration lasts 15 years from the latest conviction or release date, extending by 20 years per additional conviction. Individuals may seek court exemptions if convictions are overturned, pardoned, or if a circuit court grants relief under Section 11-1207. This bill directly affects repeat domestic violence offenders, not new offenses or general public safety measures.

Maddy summarySB 659 requires Maryland's Commissioner of Financial Regulation to create consumer protection rules for electronic money transfers initiated by banks and credit unions operating in the state. These regulations must align with federal standards for electronic funds transfers under 15 U.S.C. § 1693(a)(7). The law applies to all financial institutions conducting domestic electronic transfers in Maryland and takes effect October 1, 2025. It focuses on standardizing protections without specifying additional elder-focused measures beyond the federal baseline.