Sen. Katie Hester

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.

Maddy summarySB 487 requires Maryland's Secretary of Information Technology to conduct risk assessments for major IT projects costing $5 million or more, supporting critical services (like public health or safety), or deemed high-risk by the Secretary. It authorizes the Secretary to recommend increasing liability limits for these projects, with the Chief Procurement Officer reviewing and potentially approving such changes. The bill also mandates that all contracts for these major IT projects include specific terms and conditions, and directs the Secretary and Chief Procurement Officer to study procurement processes with stakeholders and make recommendations. This primarily affects state agencies developing large-scale IT systems and the officials managing their procurement.

Maddy summarySB 609 prohibits Maryland landlords from using algorithms that analyze competitors' rent prices to set or adjust residential rent. It specifically bans tools that rely on "nonpublic competitor data," such as actual rent amounts, occupancy rates, or lease dates from other landlords. The law applies only to new or renewed leases after October 1, 2025, and violations would be treated as unfair trade practices under Maryland’s consumer protection law. This directly affects residential landlords who currently use such technology to determine rent. The bill excludes aggregated market reports from trade associations and tools for affordable housing programs.

Maddy summarySB 490 eliminates citizenship requirements for members of certain Maryland state boards, committees, commissions, task forces, and workgroups. It replaces these requirements with a new mandate that members must "reflect the full diversity of the State to the extent practicable," affecting bodies across health, environment, labor, and public safety sectors. The bill achieves this by repealing and revising specific sections in Maryland’s code (including Business Occupations, Health, Environmental, and Public Safety laws) that previously required citizenship. Key provisions remove barriers for non-citizens to serve on these groups while requiring diversity considerations in appointments. This change applies to over 30 existing state entities as detailed in the bill’s code revisions.

Maddy summarySB 549, the "Stop Silencing Survivors Act," creates legal immunity for individuals who in good faith disclose information about alleged sexually assaultive behavior. It protects such disclosures from liability, presuming good faith unless proven otherwise (e.g., with actual malice or reckless falsehoods), and requires courts to award attorney fees to successful defenders. The bill directly affects people making disclosures (e.g., employers, schools, or colleagues reporting allegations) and those facing lawsuits over such disclosures. It amends Maryland’s Courts and Judicial Proceedings code to establish these protections, focusing on concrete legal changes rather than outcomes.

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 summaryThis Maryland bill establishes a surcharge on solid waste disposal to fund food waste reduction initiatives. Waste disposal operators must pay the surcharge, with funds deposited into a new Wasted Food Reduction and Diversion Fund. The fund will support two grant programs: one for on-farm composting and food rescue projects (administered by the Department of Agriculture), and another for county-level infrastructure, education, and food diversion programs (administered by the Department of the Environment). Eligible recipients include farmers, urban agricultural producers, nonprofits, and local governments working to reduce, rescue, and divert wasted food.

Maddy summarySB 362 prohibits knowingly distributing a computer-generated image or audio recording that mimics a real person (a "forged digital likeness") as genuine, when the distributor knows or should know it's artificial. It defines such likenesses as those indistinguishable from reality, misrepresenting the person's appearance or speech, and likely to deceive reasonable viewers. The law excludes artistic works like drawings, cartoons, sculptures, and paintings from the prohibition. Violating the law is a misdemeanor punishable by up to three years in jail or a $1,000 fine. It also allows a defense if the distributor clearly warned viewers the likeness was fake.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland law requires public school and college coaches to receive training on identifying signs of mental health issues in student-athletes. The State Department of Education and the Maryland Department of Health will create specific guidelines covering depression, trauma, violence, youth suicide, and substance abuse. All public schools and higher education institutions with athletic programs must provide this training to their coaches starting July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill creates a state income tax credit of up to $300 for individuals who harvest an antlerless deer and donate the meat to a qualified nonprofit organization. To qualify, hunters must follow state laws and donate the processed meat to a 501(c)(3) venison donation program, with the credit amount potentially increasing to $600 if the deer was harvested under a specific management permit. The legislation also establishes a liability shield for donors and recipients of the food and requires donation programs to report donor names and deer counts to the state comptroller annually. This five-year program, effective from July 1, 2024, is designed to encourage the donation of venison to food banks and similar organizations while providing a financial incentive to hunters.