Sen. Justin Ready

Maddy summarySB 565 prohibits the Maryland Stadium Authority from selling Shamrock Farms (a specific property at 4926 Woodbine Road, Woodbine, MD 21797) except under defined conditions. It authorizes Carroll County Commissioners to purchase the property for $4,480,000 (adjusted for inflation) by July 1, 2029, with payment allowed in five annual installments using county funds or donations. The bill requires Carroll County to notify the Authority of its purchase intent by July 1, 2029, and transfers all rights and zoning authority over the property to Carroll County upon sale. This directly affects the Maryland Stadium Authority and Carroll County, setting specific terms for the property transfer.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment to permanently define Maryland's state flag as the version adopted in 1904, which features the Calvert and Crossland family coats of arms. The legislation would update state laws to align with this constitutional definition and remove previous statutory language about the flag. If approved by voters in the November 2026 election, the change would make the 1904 flag design the official state symbol under the Maryland Constitution. The bill does not alter the flag's appearance but clarifies its legal status and ensures future consistency in how the flag is recognized.

Maddy summarySB 992 requires large commercial and industrial electricity customers (defined as those with at least 25 megawatts of monthly demand) to register with Maryland's Public Service Commission before connecting to the power grid. The registration process mandates disclosure of interconnection plans, backup power details, water usage, and financial commitments for infrastructure development. The bill also directs the Commission to establish a Demand Response Program, allowing large customers to reduce usage during peak times to support grid stability. Additionally, it updates tax exemption rules for qualifying data centers under specific circumstances.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Joint Resolution designates the last full week of September 2026 as Frontotemporal Degeneration Awareness Week to increase public understanding of the condition. The bill directly affects individuals with frontotemporal degeneration, their families, healthcare providers, and state agencies involved in dementia care. It establishes a specific timeframe for awareness activities without mandating specific programs or funding requirements. The resolution serves as a formal recognition of the disease's impact on patients in their prime working years and its significant healthcare costs.

Maddy summarySB 991 requires Maryland government agencies to allow inspectors general (IGs) created under state or local law to inspect public records when state law authorizes their access and they need the records for their duties. The bill specifies that agencies must permit this access unless the records are legally privileged or confidential. It also restricts how IGs can share any public records they receive under this provision. This bill directly affects state and local IG offices and the agencies that must comply with their record requests, effective October 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 834 imposes a moratorium starting July 1, 2026, prohibiting state government from implementing or enforcing energy efficiency and conservation programs tied to greenhouse gas reduction goals. It requires the Public Service Commission to let electric and gas companies continue recovering costs incurred before July 1, 2026, for programs established under prior law until all such costs are fully recovered. The Commission must report to the legislature within three months of full cost recovery, including a recommendation on whether to lift the moratorium. This bill directly affects utilities, the Public Service Commission, and state agencies overseeing energy programs, with no new program requirements after the moratorium date.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new criminal offense in Maryland for distributing heroin, fentanyl, or their chemical analogues when such distribution results in death or serious bodily injury to another person. It applies to anyone convicted of distributing these substances that cause harm, regardless of whether the victim used the drugs alone or mixed with other substances, and whether the distribution was direct or involved multiple transfers. The law establishes this as a separate felony carrying up to 20 years of consecutive prison time in addition to any other penalties, and allows prosecutions in either the county where the distribution occurred or where the death or injury happened.

Maddy summarySB 973 adjusts Maryland's income tax credit for long-term care insurance premiums. It reduces the maximum annual credit from $500 to $250 per person for Maryland residents aged 45 or older who pay premiums for qualifying long-term care insurance covering themselves or eligible family members. The bill restricts claims if the insured individual was covered before January 1, 2027, or if the credit was previously claimed for that person. These changes take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 896 updates Maryland's vehicle registration fee structure for multiple vehicle classes, directly affecting all vehicle owners in the state. It increases annual fees for passenger cars (e.g., from $50.50 to $80.50 for lighter vehicles after July 2025), for-hire vehicles (e.g., rideshares from $150 to $180), ambulances/funeral vehicles (from $100 to $130), and motorcycles (from $35 to $65). Truck fees are revised based on gross weight, with a new $63.75 base fee for smaller trucks under 7,000 lbs and updated rates for construction vehicles. The changes take effect on July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, as specified in the bill.

Maddy summarySB 759 prohibits Maryland state agencies and local governments from restricting certain digital asset activities, including accepting digital assets as payment, using self-hosted or hardware wallets, operating blockchain nodes, or participating in digital asset staking. It clarifies that "staking as a service" (where providers operate nodes for users) is exempt from Maryland's securities registration requirements under the Maryland Securities Act. The bill does not affect existing regulations for money transmission or consumer protection enforcement. This law directly impacts digital asset users, service providers, and financial institutions operating within Maryland.