Sen. Cory McCray

Maddy summarySB 703 requires that all child support payments received by families in Maryland’s Family Investment Program (FIP) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) must be passed directly to the family and not counted when calculating their benefits. It amends state law to eliminate previous limits (like $100 for one child) and prohibits local agencies from considering any child support when determining FIP or SNAP assistance amounts. This change directly affects low-income families receiving FIP or SNAP who also receive child support payments. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 683 (Protect Our Federal Workers Act) renames the "Federal Government Shutdown Employee Assistance Loan Fund" to the "Federal Government Employee Assistance Loan Fund" and expands its eligibility. The bill allows Maryland to use funds from the Catastrophic Event Account to assist federal workers affected by closures, relocations, or mass layoffs of federal offices (beyond just government shutdowns). It specifically adds these new circumstances to the Fund’s purpose, enabling loans to Maryland-resident federal employees who lost pay during shutdowns *or* were terminated due to federal facility changes beyond their control. The bill modifies existing Maryland law (Sections 7-324 and 7-327) to formalize these changes, ensuring the Fund remains continuously available for these purposes.

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 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.

Maddy summarySB 824 repeals a Maryland law that prohibited local licensing boards from issuing Class A alcoholic beverage licenses to chain stores, supermarkets, or discount houses. This change would allow large retail businesses (like Walmart or Target stores) to obtain licenses for on-premises alcohol sales in Maryland, which they were previously barred from doing under current law. The bill directly affects retail chains, supermarkets, and discount retailers seeking to sell alcohol on-site. The repeal takes effect July 1, 2025, modifying Section 4-205 of Maryland’s Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis law.

Maddy summarySB 809 proposes a constitutional amendment requiring that tipped workers in Maryland receive at least the state minimum wage before tips are counted toward their pay. It directly affects workers in tipped occupations (like restaurants and hospitality), ensuring their base hourly rate meets the minimum wage standard regardless of tip amounts. The amendment prohibits the state from restricting this right unless a compelling interest is proven through the least restrictive means. If adopted, it would change current practice where employers may pay below minimum wage if tips make up the difference.

Maddy summarySB 330 expands Maryland's property tax credit for dwellings owned by disabled or fallen law enforcement officers/rescue workers. It directly affects disabled officers who die (regardless of cause), their surviving spouses, and cohabitants by broadening the definition of "fallen officer" to include disabled officers who pass away. Key changes include removing the previous 10-year deadline for purchasing a home after disability or death, allowing the tax credit amount for new homes to align proportionally with credits for prior dwellings, and giving counties flexibility to set their own acquisition timelines or eligibility limits. The bill amends Maryland's Property Tax Code (Section 9-210) to implement these policy adjustments.

Maddy summarySB 1029, known as "Granny's Law," allows personal representatives (like executors) to ask courts to interpret wills when a decedent left a bequest to a health provider or charity without specifying it must address health equity, but the decedent showed lifelong interest in health equity. It creates a rebuttable presumption that such bequests should fund health equity efforts, requiring the personal representative to prove the decedent's intent with evidence like their lifetime actions. If a beneficiary doesn’t show how the bequest was used for health equity within 3 years of estate probate, the personal representative can seek court orders to return the funds or recover their value. The law applies retroactively to wills probated since October 1, 2021, directly affecting estates with health-related bequests and beneficiaries receiving those funds.

Maddy summarySB 499 adjusts how Baltimore City receives capital grants from highway user revenues. It increases Baltimore City's share of funds from 9.5% to 12.2% of the Gasoline and Motor Vehicle Revenue Account, starting in fiscal year 2028. This change directly affects Baltimore City by providing it with more funding for transportation capital projects. The bill modifies specific sections of Maryland's Transportation Code to implement this higher allocation percentage. The change takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 823 (No Tax on Tips Act) exempts certain tips received by employees in food service from state income tax through a tax subtraction and credit for both workers and employers. It requires food service facilities to clearly disclose service fees on menus - including whether fees go directly to employees - and prohibits employers from including tip credits in wages for tipped workers starting in 2024. The bill also updates Maryland’s minimum wage schedule for tipped employees, setting rates from $15.00 to $20.00 per hour through 2028. This directly affects tipped workers in restaurants and food service businesses, as well as their employers, by changing how tips are taxed and wages are calculated.