Sen. Chris West

Maddy summarySB 485 requires the Maryland Department of Health to create a system for collecting annual data on the costs of specific women's health services, including prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, abortion, and menopausal care. Hospitals, healthcare providers, and other entities offering these services must report aggregated cost data (without identifying individual patients) to comply with privacy laws. The collected data will be used to assess financial impacts on patients and providers, inform health policy decisions, and evaluate how effectively public and private funds are spent. The bill specifically mandates that abortion cost data be reported in aggregated form only, excluding procedure-level details.

Maddy summarySB 510 modifies Maryland's requirements for becoming a licensed funeral director by removing a specific practical examination component. It eliminates the requirement for applicants to demonstrate competency in embalming or preparing human bodies for final disposition during their licensure exam. The bill maintains existing requirements, including holding an associate degree in mortuary science from an accredited program, passing a national board exam, and meeting moral character standards. This change directly affects individuals seeking funeral direction licensure in Maryland who would no longer need to complete the practical exam on body preparation or embalming.

Maddy summarySB 382, the "Retire in Maryland Tax Relief Act," provides a state income tax credit for Maryland residents aged 77 or older with federal adjusted gross income under $175,000 (for individuals or certain filing statuses). The credit amount increases with age: 25% of state tax for 77-year-olds, rising to 100% for those 80 or older. Married couples filing jointly must both be 77+ to qualify for the tiered credit, and unused credit amounts cannot be carried forward to future years. The bill applies to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025, and takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 302 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 force/threat of force. The bill directly affects individuals who would cause others to take such drugs under these specific conditions. Key provisions define "abortion-inducing drug" and establish that violations constitute a felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, and applies to conduct occurring after that date.

Maddy summarySB 278 establishes new standard processing fees for business documents filed with Maryland's State Department of Assessments and Taxation. It increases fees for key filings, such as $100 for Articles of Incorporation (up from $25) and $300 for annual reports for most corporations. The bill also requires the Department to process certain documents within specified timeframes. It directly affects businesses filing corporate formations, name reservations, annual reports, and other routine documents in Maryland. The changes apply to standard processing, not expedited services as the title suggests.

Maddy summarySB 304 prevents Maryland auto insurers from raising premiums, adding fees, or removing discounts for private vehicle insurance when a driver has an accident with a free-roaming wild animal (like a deer) and wasn't at fault. It directly affects car insurance policyholders who experience such unavoidable collisions. The law specifically prohibits insurers from using these accident types as a reason to penalize customers through price increases or loss of discounts. The rule takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 106 would repeal Maryland's Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program, ending the requirement for biennial emissions tests and equipment inspections for most vehicles. This directly affects Maryland vehicle owners (primarily those with vehicles from 1977 model year onward) who currently must comply with the program. The bill removes all legal provisions related to the program, including testing requirements, waiver processes for repair costs, and certification rules for repair facilities. It does not create new requirements but eliminates the existing mandate under Maryland law. This repeal would end the state-level enforcement of emissions inspections, though federal requirements may still apply.

Maddy summarySB 33 expands an existing tax exemption for property transfers between related business entities to include common law trusts. It amends Maryland law to explicitly allow transfers of real property between parent companies and subsidiaries (or among subsidiaries) involving common law trusts to qualify for exemption from recordation and transfer taxes. This applies to transfers with no consideration, nominal consideration, or consideration limited to ownership interest changes, provided specific ownership history requirements are met. The change takes effect July 1, 2026, and affects business entities using common law trusts in related-party property transfers. Individual homeowners or unrelated transfers are not impacted by this provision.

Maddy summarySB 104, the "Fair Districts for Maryland Act," reforms how Maryland draws legislative and congressional district lines. It requires all legislative districts to be divided into three single-member delegate districts and establishes an independent Redistricting Commission to create these maps, replacing the previous process involving the Governor and General Assembly. The bill bans consideration of political party affiliation, past voting patterns, or individual residences when drawing districts, and gives the Maryland Supreme Court original authority to review plans if the Commission fails to act. This directly affects all Maryland voters by changing how district boundaries are determined, aiming to create more equitable maps based on population and community boundaries rather than political strategy.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Maryland law to allow qualified digital news outlets to publish legal notices and advertisements previously requiring print newspapers. To qualify, digital publications must produce original local news content (at least one weekly article), employ staff dedicated to local reporting (30+ hours/week), and meet IRS criteria if tax-exempt. It affects counties and municipalities requiring legal notices (e.g., property sales, public hearings) and digital news organizations seeking to publish such notices. The law maintains existing print publication requirements while expanding acceptable platforms for public notice.