Sen. Justin Ready

Maddy summarySB 838 requires local election boards in Maryland to verify signatures on absentee ballot return envelopes before counting them. It mandates that both the voter and a witness (except for active-duty military members overseas or their dependents living overseas) must sign the envelope, and boards must compare the voter's signature against their registration record. The bill directly affects absentee voters, election officials, and military personnel stationed abroad who vote by mail. It takes effect October 1, 2025, and amends Maryland election law to strengthen signature verification procedures for absentee ballots.

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 479 amends Maryland's building energy performance standards to exclude public safety, emergency, and public utility buildings from the definition of "covered building." This means fire stations, police facilities, emergency shelters, and utility buildings will not be subject to the energy efficiency requirements that apply to other large commercial or state-owned buildings (35,000+ sq. ft.). The bill achieves this by revising Section 2-1601(e) of the Maryland Annotated Code to explicitly remove these building types from coverage. The change directly affects these specific public infrastructure facilities by exempting them from annual reporting and emissions reduction targets under the law.

Maddy summarySB 779 amends Maryland’s Climate Solutions Now Act to require certain climate-related requirements to be implemented "to the extent economically practicable." It updates building energy standards to mandate a 20% greenhouse gas reduction by 2030 (compared to 2025) and net-zero emissions by 2040 for covered buildings, while requiring annual emissions reporting to the Department of the Environment. The bill also modifies statewide emissions planning deadlines and includes provisions requiring prevailing wages for contractors working on projects by investor-owned utility companies. These changes directly affect building owners, state agencies, and utility contractors. The legislation does not create new emissions targets but adjusts implementation flexibility for existing requirements under the Climate Solutions Now Act.

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 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 657 requires that when the government takes private property through eminent domain, property owners (defendants) receive compensation that includes not only the property's fair market value but also their legal fees and other costs incurred during the condemnation case. This bill directly affects property owners challenging government takings, ensuring they are reimbursed for expenses like attorney fees. The key provision amends Maryland law to explicitly add "any legal, expert, or other fees or costs of the action incurred by the defendant" to the damages formula. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 660 establishes a new presumption in Maryland child support cases: if both parents mutually agree that a child support arrangement departs from the standard guidelines and assert it serves the child's best interests, the court must presume applying the guidelines would be unjust or inappropriate. This directly affects parents negotiating support agreements and judges reviewing such agreements. The bill requires courts to document reasons for deviating from guidelines, including the guideline amount, how the order differs, and how it serves the child's best interests. It does not change the standard guidelines themselves but creates a stronger legal basis for parental agreements that align with the child's welfare. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 658 eliminates noncompete clauses for most Maryland workers, including those earning up to 150% of the state minimum wage, health care workers providing direct patient care earning $350,000 or less annually, and veterinary practitioners. For health care workers earning over $350,000 yearly, noncompete agreements are permitted but limited to one year and a 10-mile radius from the workplace. The bill also requires employers to notify patients of a former employee’s new health care practice location upon patient request. This law becomes effective October 1, 2025.

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.