Sen. Katie Hester

Maddy summarySB 936 requires developers and deployers of high-risk artificial intelligence systems - those making decisions affecting housing, employment, healthcare, loans, or other significant consumer rights - to prevent algorithmic discrimination. It mandates developers to disclose risks and provide documentation, while deployers must conduct impact assessments, implement risk management programs, and inform consumers about AI-driven decisions. Consumers gain the right to correct data and appeal consequential decisions, such as loan denials or hiring choices. The Attorney General enforces the law, and consumers can sue deployers for violations. This applies only to businesses using AI for specific high-stakes decisions, not general AI tools.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates January 13 as Korean American Day in Maryland. It requires the Governor to annually proclaim this day and urges educational and cultural organizations to observe it with appropriate programs and activities. The bill has no financial impact, creates no new regulations, and directly affects only the Governor's office and organizations invited to participate. It is a symbolic recognition measure with no substantive policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Maryland's Public Service Commission to establish rules mandating electric companies to create and submit electric distribution system plans every three years for Commission approval. The legislation also requires annual progress reports from utility companies and mandates public comment opportunities on these plans. Key provisions include the adoption of specific metrics to monitor system reliability, integration of distributed energy resources like solar and electric vehicles, and the use of non-wires solutions to defer infrastructure upgrades. Additionally, the bill defines new technical terms related to electric vehicle load management, flexible interconnection, and virtual power plants to standardize how utilities plan and manage their distribution systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Maryland's cybersecurity requirements for public schools by removing the mandate that county school boards prioritize purchasing digital devices with certain education funds. Instead, it requires local school systems to comply with state minimum cybersecurity standards and conduct a cybersecurity maturity assessment every two years, with certification due to the Department of Information Technology. The Department of Information Technology must annually update these cybersecurity standards, while the Office of Legislative Audits will reference them during relevant audits. Additionally, the state will provide information security officers to assist local school systems with cybersecurity functions, and reporting requirements for technology spending will now include specific data on cybersecurity expenditures.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Privacy Protection and Enforcement Unit within Maryland's Division of Consumer Protection to oversee digital privacy, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence issues. It establishes a mandatory registry for data brokers who must register annually with the state Comptroller and imposes a gross income tax on their revenue. The tax revenues generated will fund the new enforcement unit, which is authorized to enforce existing privacy laws, educate consumers on digital rights, and cooperate with other agencies on online privacy and security matters.

Maddy summarySB 473 expands Maryland's Food and Agricultural Resiliency Mechanism Grant Program to include new "qualified suppliers," defined as farms or community gardens operating at least 100 acres, growing 1 million+ pounds of produce annually, and donating 25% of their harvest to food banks and emergency food providers at no cost. The bill creates a dedicated "Maryland Food and Agricultural Resiliency Operating Fund" to provide grants covering operational costs for these suppliers to deliver agricultural products to food banks and emergency food providers. Starting in fiscal year 2027, the state must appropriate $1 million annually to this fund through the governor's budget. This directly affects eligible farms and community gardens meeting the size, production, and donation criteria, while supporting food banks and emergency food providers statewide.

Maddy summarySB 563 establishes the Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund to support agricultural fairs and education. The fund, financed by designated lottery proceeds and interest earnings, will provide annual grants totaling $1.45 million: $825,000 to the Maryland Agricultural Fair Board, $75,000 to the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, and $550,000 to the Maryland State Fair and Agricultural Society. These grants will advance state and county fairs, educational programs, youth initiatives (like 4-H and FFA), and fair operations. The bill repeals prior requirements for allocating horse racing fund proceeds to agricultural fairs.

Maddy summarySB 943 requires petitioners in Maryland domestic violence cases to provide detailed information about respondents' firearms (e.g., make/model, storage locations, access points) when seeking protective orders. This affects both victims seeking protection and alleged abusers facing firearm surrender requirements. The bill also establishes a Task Force to study firearm use in domestic violence situations. These changes aim to improve safety planning by giving courts more specific details about firearm risks.

Maddy summarySB 480 requires Maryland's Department of General Services to establish a Clean Energy Procurement Program by January 1, 2026, to evaluate biogas as an alternative to natural gas for state transportation and building operations. The program mandates issuing a competitive bid solicitation for biogas contracts, collecting data on natural gas use, and requiring the University System of Maryland to complete a lifecycle analysis of biogas (with the Power Plant Research Program covering analysis costs). The Department must analyze the environmental and economic benefits of expanding biogas use, while ensuring biogas is competitively priced, high quality, and available. The program runs until December 31, 2028, supporting Maryland’s net-zero emissions goals by assessing biogas feasibility for state operations.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill, SB 905, establishes criminal penalties for using artificial intelligence or deepfake technology to commit identity fraud or cause harm to individuals. The law specifically prohibits creating or using realistic digital images, videos, or audio recordings that appear to show real people for fraudulent purposes, while excluding artistic works like drawings and paintings from this definition. Key provisions include defining what constitutes "harm" as physical injury, serious emotional distress, or economic damages, and expanding the scope of protected personal identifying information to include biometric data like voice prints and retina images. Additionally, the bill allows victims of such conduct to file civil lawsuits against those who misuse deepfake representations for fraudulent activities.