Sen. Chris West

Maddy summarySB 82 amends Maryland law to specifically prohibit creating, aiding, or possessing counterfeit leases or rental agreements with fraudulent intent. It directly affects individuals who attempt to defraud landlords or tenants through fake housing documents. The bill adds "lease" and "rental agreement" to the list of forgery targets (alongside checks, deeds, and other documents), making it a felony to create such counterfeits (up to 10 years in prison or $1,000 fine) and a misdemeanor to knowingly possess them (up to 3 years or $1,000 fine). The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 277 changes how Maryland handles probate cases and inheritance tax for people who did not live in Maryland at the time of death. It requires that for inheritance tax purposes, intangible property (like stocks, bank accounts, or investments) is taxed based on the decedent's home state, not where the property is located in Maryland. The bill also repeals an existing exemption that previously allowed nonresident decedents to avoid inheritance tax on personal property passing to heirs. These changes apply retroactively to estates opened before the law took effect.

Maddy summarySB 360 modifies Maryland's criminal law to specifically protect emergency response animals used by law enforcement. It prohibits intentionally harassing, interfering with, injuring, or killing these animals - such as police dogs, law enforcement horses, or search/rescue dogs - while they are performing official duties. Violations are classified as misdemeanors with penalties including fines up to $15,000 or imprisonment for up to 5 years, depending on the severity. The law directly affects individuals who target these animals during operations and law enforcement agencies that rely on them. It does not change general animal cruelty laws but adds targeted protections for animals serving in emergency response roles.

Maddy summarySB 331 modifies Maryland's handgun permit rules for retired law enforcement officers. It changes the expiration period from 2 years to 5 years for permits issued to officers who retired in good standing from state or local law enforcement agencies. The bill also extends renewal periods to 5 years (instead of 3) and exempts these officers from paying renewal fees. This policy change applies to all eligible retired officers holding valid permits and takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 250 updates Maryland's estate law to clarify rules for cases where two or more people die simultaneously with no clear evidence of who died first. It establishes a 120-hour rule: if evidence doesn't show one person survived the other by at least 120 hours (5 days), the survivor is deemed to have predeceased the other for inheritance purposes. This affects heirs, beneficiaries, life insurers, and courts handling disputed property, joint accounts, or life insurance payouts. The bill renumbers existing sections and adds clear procedures to prevent inheritance disputes when death timing is uncertain. It does not change existing estate plans but provides a default rule for unresolved cases.

Maddy summarySB 475 (the PACE Act) protects artists' creative works - like music, dance, visual art, poetry, and film - from being used as evidence against them in criminal or juvenile court. It prohibits such "creative expression" from being admitted unless a court finds by a preponderance of evidence that: (1) the artist intended it literally (not figuratively), (2) it directly references the specific crime facts, and (3) it’s relevant to a disputed fact. The bill explicitly excludes juvenile cases where creative expression is used to evaluate mental health or diversion programs. It applies directly to defendants and juvenile respondents whose artistic work might otherwise be introduced against them. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 243 expands existing Maryland benefits for military service members to include their spouses. It provides spouses of active-duty service members and veterans with priority enrollment at public colleges, access to community college resources (including dedicated advisors and veteran resource centers), and eligibility for senatorial and delegate scholarships. The bill also extends hiring preferences for spouses in state government roles through the Public Service Commission. These benefits apply within 15 years of the service member’s last active duty and end after the spouse’s fourth academic year. The law amends specific sections of Maryland’s education, labor, and state personnel codes to include "spouse of an eligible service member" as a qualifying status.

Maddy summarySB 710 exempts retirees from Maryland's Correctional Officers' Retirement System from having their retirement benefits reduced if they return to work as correctional officers or parole/probation staff in specific state correctional facilities. The bill amends pension law to remove the earnings offset requirement for these retirees when reemployed by the Division of Corrections, Division of Pretrial Detention, or Patuxent Institution for up to four years. This directly affects correctional officers who retired from the system and are rehired in authorized roles within state correctional facilities. The change ensures their retirement payments remain unchanged during this reemployment period, unlike the standard rule that reduces benefits for most other retirees returning to work.

Maddy summarySB 758 extends the minimum time period that common ownership communities (condominiums, homeowners associations, and cooperative housing corporations) must allow candidate or proposition signs to be displayed. The bill requires these communities to permit such signs for at least 45 days before a primary, general, or proposition vote, and for 7 days after the vote - increasing the prior 30-day minimum. This applies to all common areas within these communities, overriding local restrictions unless federal/state law specifies otherwise. The law directly affects residents and community associations by limiting their ability to restrict election-related signage during these extended periods.

Maddy summarySB 631 updates Maryland's corporate law by requiring the State Department of Assessments and Taxation to notify filers if a charter document is rejected, including the reason for rejection. It allows corrected documents to be accepted as filed on the original date if resubmitted within 30 days. The bill also permits corporate boards and committees to act via unanimous written or electronic consent without meetings, with specific filing requirements, and applies this rule to certain investment companies. Additionally, it repeals outdated provisions about penalties for foreign corporations and rules governing partnership agreement amendments.