Sen. Justin Ready

Maddy summarySB 604 (Victoria, Scottie, Ashleigh, and Yader’s Law) makes it a felony to distribute heroin, fentanyl, or their chemical analogues when the distribution causes death or serious bodily injury. It applies to anyone who distributes these substances (including through multiple transfers), regardless of whether they were mixed with other substances or delivered directly to the victim. Conviction carries up to 20 years in prison, with consecutive sentencing to other penalties, and includes immunity for those seeking medical help for overdose emergencies. The bill directly affects distributors of these drugs who cause harm, excluding sharing without payment.

Maddy summarySB 558 requires the Maryland Department of Legislative Services to include a "family impact statement" in the fiscal note for every proposed bill. This statement must indicate whether the bill affects families, specify the type of impact (e.g., on marriage stability or family welfare), and explain the analysis method. The bill directly affects all legislative committees, as they cannot vote on a bill without this statement attached to its fiscal note. The law amends Maryland's state government code to mandate this addition, effective October 1, 2025, without changing existing fiscal note requirements for revenue or local government impacts.

Maddy summarySB 556 prohibits using false documents to gain possession of residential property, leasing property you don't own, or falsely advertising property sales when you're not the owner. It allows property owners or their agents to request sheriff removal of unlawful occupants after meeting specific conditions (e.g., no pending lawsuits, the occupant wasn't authorized). Sheriffs must verify ownership, serve immediate vacate notices, and may arrest occupants for trespass, while victims of wrongful removal can recover triple the fair market rent plus attorney fees. The law applies only to residential properties and clarifies that owners and sheriffs aren't liable for property damage during lawful removal.

Maddy summarySB 332 establishes a 5-member task force to study the premature retirement of electricity generation facilities in Maryland. The task force, including members from the Environment Secretary’s office, Public Service Commission, PJM Interconnection, and industry experts, will assess cost impacts on customers, reliability risks, environmental effects, economic challenges for generators, and potential solutions by January 2026. It will not enact new policies but will provide recommendations to balance energy reliability with cleaner energy goals. The task force will conclude its work by June 2026, after which the bill expires. This is a procedural study bill with no direct regulatory changes.

Maddy summarySB 551 prohibits Maryland insurers from raising premiums, adding surcharges, or removing discounts for private passenger auto insurance policies after collisions with free-roaming wild animals when the driver was not at fault. It directly affects car insurance policyholders in Maryland who experience such non-fault accidents. The key provision amends insurance law to block insurers from treating these incidents differently than other non-fault claims. This ensures drivers cannot be penalized financially for unavoidable encounters with wildlife like deer or coyotes. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 29 establishes a two-year pilot program in Carroll County and Montgomery County public schools to test phone-free classrooms. It requires one middle school and one high school in each county to implement a policy banning student cell phone use during instructional time (excluding lunch), with exceptions for students with IEPs/504 plans, health needs, or educational purposes directed by staff. The bill mandates collecting data on academic achievement, classroom engagement, social interactions, and behavior to evaluate the policy’s impact. Schools must submit reports by September 2026 to the state education department and legislature. The program applies only to these two specific school systems during the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summaryThis bill reclassifies theft of firearms as a felony in Maryland, making it punishable under existing felony theft penalties regardless of the firearm's value. It directly affects individuals who steal firearms by subjecting them to felony charges instead of potential misdemeanor charges under current law. The key mechanism is amending Maryland's theft statute (Section 7-104) to explicitly include firearms in the felony classification, removing a prior exemption that allowed firearm theft to be treated as a misdemeanor if the value was below $1,500.

Maddy summarySB 112 makes it illegal to intentionally cause physical injury to a sports official (umpire, referee, or judge) while they are officiating a sporting event. This specifically adds sports officials to the list of protected individuals under Maryland’s second-degree assault law, classifying such assaults as misdemeanors (not felonies, unlike assaults against police or first responders). The bill also allows police to make warrantless arrests for this specific assault type if they have probable cause. It amends Maryland’s Criminal Law Article § 3-203(c)(2)(IV) and Criminal Procedure Article § 2-203(b)(12) to implement these changes. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill updates the legal definition of practicing audiology to clarify what actions audiologists are authorized to perform. It explicitly includes the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of hearing and balance conditions, as well as the fitting and management of hearing aids, sound processors, and cochlear implants. The legislation also specifies that audiology practice covers certain ear examinations and non-surgical procedures like removing earwax or ordering medical tests. Conversely, the bill clearly states that audiology does not include performing surgery or operating X-ray equipment. These changes take effect on October 1, 2024, and aim to provide clearer guidelines for the licensure and regulation of audiologists in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the membership rules for Maryland's county mental health advisory committees by adding a specific category for individuals with experience in military or veteran mental health care. It requires that at least one voting member on these committees be selected from a pool that includes people who have received mental health services, parents of individuals with mental disorders, and now, those with military mental health experience. The legislation also clarifies the composition of these committees to ensure representation from various community groups, including healthcare providers, law enforcement, and social services agencies. These changes aim to broaden the perspective of the committees to better address the unique mental health needs of veterans and service members within their counties.