CW

Chris West R

State Senator
Maryland Senate District 42
Term: — – Jan. 3, 2028
1 Total

Biography

Photo URL: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2019RS/images/west02.jpg

On Record (29)

Bill
May 17, 2026 · source · details / share
Article / Text
Apr 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Criminal Law - ProceduresCOMMUNICATIONSCRIMES AND PUNISHMENTSDISCLOSUREElectronic CommunicationWiretapping
Reclassifying, as a misdemeanor instead of a felony, a certain offense relating to the prohibition against intercepting and disclosing any wire, oral, or electronic communications.
Mar 31, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Courts and Court Personnel - StatewideSocial Services - GenerallyATTORNEYSCommittee ChangesCommittees and CommissionsLegal AidVOTING
Increasing the number of members on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Legal Services Corporation from 9 to 12.
Mar 31, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral Health InsuranceMedical AssistanceSalaries and CompensationHealth - InsuranceAgents and Brokers
Requiring a carrier to pay the same commission rates to an insurance producer for the sale of certain Medicare supplement policies without regard to whether the policies are sold during an open enrollment period, as underwritten policies, or under certain provisions of law.
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral FarmlandFeesAGRICULTURECOURTSHEARINGSCONSTRUCTIONBOUNDARIESAPPEALSEASEMENTSDamagesReal PropertyResidential PropertyConservationCivil ActionsCourt CostsAttorneys' FeesCondemnationUtility RegulationEnergy MattersdefendantsHigh Voltage Lines
Prohibiting a person constructing an overhead transmission line from exercising a right of condemnation to acquire property encumbered by a conservation easement; authorizing a certain property owner to bring an action for damages incurred as a result of a certain condemnation proceeding; and requiring that reasonable counsel fees be awarded to counsel for the defendant in a condemnation proceeding and …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral JudgesELECTIONSGOVERNORConstitutional AmendmentsOathsReferendumGeneral AssemblyCommittees and CommissionsTimeCircuit CourtsDistrict CourtsCourts and Court Personnel - Statewide
Proposing an amendment to the Maryland Constitution relating to the selection and tenure of circuit court and District Court judges; requiring Senate confirmation of individuals appointed by the Governor to the office of a judge of a circuit court; prohibiting a judge of a circuit court or of the District Court from performing the duties of office until confirmed by …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral UTILITIESCONSTRUCTIONUtility RegulationPublic Service CommissionEnergy MattersLeases and RentPower Plants
Authorizing investor-owned electric companies in the State to construct, acquire, or lease, and operate, their own generating facilities and construct, acquire, or lease, and operate, certain transmission facilities; and repealing the authority of the Public Service Commission to allow an investor-owned electric company to construct, acquire, or lease, and operate, its own generating facilities or construct, acquire, or lease, and …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral AppropriationsAGRICULTUREGRANTSGOVERNORWeights And MeasuresComptrollerFood InsecurityRevenue and TaxesTreasurersGiftsAgriculture, Department ofFarmers and Farming
Expanding the Maryland Food and Agricultural Resiliency Mechanism Grant Program by making certain qualified suppliers eligible for grant funding; establishing the Maryland Food and Agricultural Resiliency Operating Fund; and requiring the Governor to include in the annual budget an appropriation of $1,000,000 to the Operating Fund beginning in fiscal year 2027.
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral EducationCOURTSHEARINGSNoticesEvidenceVictimsIncarcerated IndividualsJob TrainingPenalties and SentencesCriminal Law - ProceduresMental and Behavioral HealthVideoElderly Persons (65+)Medical Testing and Diagnosis
Authorizing an individual who is at least 60 years old and has been imprisoned for at least 20 years to file a motion to reduce the duration of the individual's sentence; requiring the court to conduct a hearing on a motion to reduce the duration of a sentence, unless the court has held a hearing on a similar motion in …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral SAFETYCOMMUNICATIONSReal PropertyRecordingsMobile DevicesCriminal Law - ProceduresVideoElectronic Surveillance
Establishing that it is lawful for a person to use a cellular telephone or another device to intercept an oral communication in public if the speaker should reasonably anticipate that the oral communication would be overheard or intercepted; and establishing that it is lawful for a person to use a security camera or another device installed on or about certain …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTReal PropertyStadium AuthorityCommittees and CommissionsEnergy and ClimateEnergy MattersstudiesPower Plants
Requiring the Power Plant Research Program to make certain recommendations to the Governor's Energy Subcabinet on or before a certain date; requiring the Subcabinet to make a certain assessment and recommendations to the Maryland Stadium Authority; requiring the Subcabinet to report certain information on or before a certain date; and requiring the Authority to conduct certain feasibility studies and to …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral SAFETYLEGISLATORSINTERNETPRIVACYATTORNEY GENERALGOVERNORPublicationsTrespassReal PropertyRecordsNoticesHarassmentPublic OfficialsDataFinesSocial MediaPersonal Identifying InformationLieutenant GovernorPublic InformationGeneral AssemblyComptrollerVandalismCRIMES AND PUNISHMENTSCommittees and CommissionsdependentsPenalties and SentencesIntergovernmental CooperationAdministrative AgenciesState Government - Agencies, Offices, and OfficialsLegislative Services, Department ofAddressesViolenceSpouses
Establishing the Office of State Elected Officials Information Privacy in the Department of Legislative Services; authorizing a certain protected individual or the Office to request that a governmental entity or person not publish personal information of the protected individual on the Internet, social media, or social networks or that the governmental entity or person remove the information from any existing …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral EducationLicensesAccreditationHealth OccupationsLicense Commissioners, Boards ofFuneralsApprenticeships and InternshipsMorticians
Altering the education requirements an individual must meet to practice funeral direction or as a licensed apprentice; and prohibiting the practical examination qualification required for a license to practice funeral direction from including a practical examination demonstrating competency in the preparation of dead human bodies for final disposition and sanitary science.
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral LAW ENFORCEMENTCemeteriesPrivate SchoolsPlaces Of WorshipInjuryThreatsCRIMES AND PUNISHMENTSPenalties and SentencesCriminal Law - Substantive CrimesViolenceCivil Rights and Social Equity
Prohibiting a person from using force, threat of force, or physical obstruction to interfere with or physically injure another while the other is lawfully exercising or attempting to lawfully exercise religious beliefs at a place of religious worship; and establishing that a violation of the Act is a misdemeanor with a penalty of imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or a …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral UTILITIESCONSTRUCTIONBOUNDARIESDamagesReal PropertyResidential PropertyAttorneys' FeesCondemnationUtility RegulationEnergy Technology and Infrastructure
Authorizing the owner of property used for residential purposes to bring an action to recover damages incurred as a result of the value of the property being diminished from the use of eminent domain to take property and construct an overhead transmission line within 300 feet of the property owner's residence; and requiring that reasonable fees be awarded to counsel …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral HighwaysTraffic RegulationParkingBusesVehicle Laws - Rules of the RoadTraffic MonitoringAnnotated Code of MarylandMotor Vehicle OperationLegislative Services, Department of
Replacing references to a bus lane monitoring system with references to a bus obstruction monitoring system; and prohibiting a person from stopping, standing, or parking a vehicle in a bus stop zone if a transit vehicle is present, subject to certain exceptions.
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral Postal serviceCORPORATIONSPartnershipsNoticesAssociationsPenalties and SentencesElectronic GovernmentElectronic DocumentsCommerce and BusinessCorporations and AssociationsAssessments and Taxation, Department of
Requiring the State Department of Assessments and Taxation to notify a person who files a charter document if the Department does not accept the document; requiring the Department to accept a corrected charter document under a certain circumstance; authorizing certain governing bodies of certain corporations to take certain actions without a meeting of the governing body subject to certain conditions; …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral Motor vehiclesManslaughterNegligencePenalties and SentencesCriminal Law - Substantive CrimesBoats and Ships
Increasing the maximum period of imprisonment for a first conviction for manslaughter by vehicle or vessel from 10 years to 20 years and for a second or subsequent conviction, or having been previously convicted for certain other crimes, from 15 years to 30 years; etc.
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral EducationSports and RecreationMINORSHOUSINGTRANSPORTATIONDISABILITIESSOCIAL SECURITYATTORNEYSAPPEALSFamily LawVeteransAgeTuitionFiduciariesSocial ServicesApplicants and ApplicationsMedical Equipment and DevicesHuman Services, Department of
Altering certain provisions relating to the responsibilities of the Department of Human Services as representative payee and fiduciary for certain children committed to the custody of the Department; requiring the Department to use certain benefits in a manner that is in the best interest of the child for the child's current unmet needs; etc.
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral COURTSMINORSHEARINGSVictimsTimePenalties and SentencesCriminal Law - Procedures
Repealing the sentencing date limitation of October 1, 2021, for an individual convicted as an adult of an offense committed when the individual was a minor to file a motion to reduce the duration of the sentence.
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral RETIREMENTSOCIAL SECURITYVeteransHarassmentPublic BenefitsMedical AssistanceSupplemental Nutrition Assistance ProgramCRIMES AND PUNISHMENTSPenalties and SentencesCriminal Law - Substantive CrimesExtortion
Prohibiting a person from knowingly recruiting, harboring, transporting, or obtaining an individual for the purpose of appropriating the government benefits of an individual for the benefit of the person or another through deception, coercion, exploitation, isolation, or any other means; prohibiting a person from aiding, abetting, or conspiring with one or more persons to violate a certain provision of the …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral Motor vehiclesFeesDEATHIdentificationRules and RegulationsVehicle Laws - Licensing and RegulationMotor Vehicle AdministrationApplicants and ApplicationsBeneficiariesClassifications and DesignationsTransfer of GoodsNatural Resources - GenerallyNatural Resources, Department ofBoats and ShipsTitles
Authorizing an individual who is the sole owner of a marine vessel or multiple individuals who jointly co-own a marine vessel to apply to the Department of Natural Resources to designate a beneficiary to take ownership of the marine vessel on the death of the owner or each co-owner; and altering certain provisions of law governing the transfer-on-death designation for …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral Housing and Community DevelopmentCONSTRUCTIONBuilding PermitsReal PropertyLandlords And TenantsLeases and RentHeating and CoolingApartmentsBuilding Maintenance and Repair
Requiring a landlord to provide air-conditioning to residential rental units in apartment buildings with four or more individual dwelling units in a certain manner beginning June 1, 2026, for newly constructed residential rental units and beginning October 1, 2026, for residential rental units that undergo renovation that includes the replacement or substantial upgrade of electrical systems or heating systems; and …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral MINORSRegistrationSexual OffensesJurisdictionVictimsBurglaryCRIMES AND PUNISHMENTSCriminal Law - Substantive Crimes
Establishing that engaging in sexual contact with another without the consent of the other in connection with a first-, second-, or third- degree burglary constitutes sexual offense in the third degree; and altering the definitions of "tier I sex offender", "tier II sex offender", and "tier III sex offender" applicable to provisions relating to sex offender registration to include certain …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral ExemptionsTransfer TaxEstates and TrustsLocal Government MandatesTaxes - Recordation and TransferCommerce and BusinessRecordation
Altering an exemption from the recordation tax and State and county transfer tax for transfers between related business entities to include transfers involving common law trusts; and applying the Act to instruments of writing recorded on or after July 1, 2026.
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral ETHICSATTORNEYSPrivileged CommunicationsFiduciariesAttorneys' FeesEstates and TrustsBeneficiaries
Clarifying that a communication between an attorney and a client that acts as a fiduciary is subject to the attorney-client privilege even if fiduciary funds are used to compensate the attorney for services rendered to the client.
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONSCOURTSRESIDENCYExemptionsReal PropertyPersonal PropertyTaxes - MiscellaneousEstates and TrustsBeneficiariesInheritance TaxPersonal Representatives
Altering certain criteria for determining the venue for administrative or judicial probate of decedents who were not domiciled in the State; providing that, for purposes of the application of the Maryland inheritance tax, the situs of intangible personal property is the domicile of the decedent; repealing a certain exemption from the Maryland inheritance tax for personal property that passes from …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share
Bill Neutral ADVERTISINGRESIDENCYNONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONSPublicationsRecordsNoticesMunicipal CorporationsCountiesCourt OrdersNews MediaJUDGMENTSTimeElectronic CommunicationLocal Government - GenerallyDigital ProductsDorchester CountyElectronic DocumentsLaws and Ordinances
Establishing certain requirements for the print or digital publication of legal advertisements and notices in counties and municipalities in the State; requiring digital publications that publish a legal advertisement or notice to maintain an archive of all published legal advertisements and legal notices that shall be available to the public; and requiring digital publications that publish a legal advertisement or …
Mar 16, 2026 · source · details / share

Crossposts (43)

Bill crosspost
Jun 06, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost
Jun 06, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost
Requiring the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to require entrance-level and in-service police training to include certain training regarding individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, dementia and autism.
Mar 31, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost
Altering the definition of child neglect to include the failure or refusal to provide to a child the education required by law.
Mar 31, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost
Exempting a retiree of the Correctional Officers' Retirement System from a certain earnings offset if the retiree is reemployed with a participating employer.
Mar 31, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost
Altering the list of convictions that subject a defendant to enhanced sentencing for wearing, carrying, or transporting a handgun to include certain extra-jurisdictional crimes.
Mar 31, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost
Prohibiting a land surveyor or a property line surveyor from conducting a survey on private property during deer firearms hunting season without written permission from the property owner.
Mar 31, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost
Prohibiting a law enforcement agency from making a certain request for verbal acknowledgement in an interaction with a person suspected to have been subjected to sexually assaultive behavior or who claims to have been subjected to sexually assaultive behavior.
Mar 31, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost
Requiring the Governor to withdraw the State from participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Mar 31, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost
Providing that the contents of a certain intercepted communication and evidence derived from the communication may be received in evidence in a certain proceeding under certain circumstances.
Mar 31, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost
Prohibiting a person with the intent to defraud another from creating, aiding in the creation of, or possessing a counterfeit lease or rental agreement.
Mar 31, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Establishing the Commission on the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children to research the history, operations, and resident deaths at the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children and provide a complete and public accounting of the …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Altering, to 45 days before voting and early voting for a primary election, general election, or vote on a proposition, the time period during which a common ownership community may restrict the display of candidate or proposition signs.
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Altering the Maryland Uniform Disclaimer of Property Interests Act to provide for the disclaimer of nonprobate transfers at death; providing for the creation, revocation, recordation, and effects of a transfer-on-death deed for real property; providing example forms for the creation …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Altering the jurisdiction of the juvenile court by repealing provisions specifying that the juvenile court does not have jurisdiction over a child alleged to have committed any crime punishable by life imprisonment; requiring an intake officer to authorize detention for …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Prohibiting an insurer, with respect to private passenger motor vehicle insurance, from increasing a premium, adding a surcharge, or removing, altering, or refusing to consider a discount based on accidents or losses caused by a collision with a free-roaming wild …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Requiring that books and records kept by or on behalf of certain homeowners associations be posted online; clarifying that a governing body of a homeowners association may secure a line of credit or loan to fund reserves; requiring that certain …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Authorizing certain governmental entities to waive certain fees imposed by statute for veterans; and requiring certain governmental entities to adopt regulations before waiving certain fees imposed by statute for veterans.
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Establishing the Audit and Finance Compliance Unit in the Department of Budget and Management; requiring the Governor to implement systems and processes to monitor certain efforts; establishing certain responsibilities of the Unit to monitor certain efforts to correct certain audit …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Repealing a requirement that a printed deed or other instrument offered for recordation include certain margins; and requiring the clerk of the circuit court of a county to date each change or correction made to information in the general alphabetical …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Providing that a law enforcement agency may not assign a law enforcement officer to duties other than administrative duties unless the officer is issued protective body armor; requiring a law enforcement agency to issue only protective body armor that meets …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Authorizing a credit against the State income tax for certain taxpayers who are at least 77 years old and have a federal adjusted gross income not exceeding $175,000 for a single taxpayer, or $250,000 for spouses filing jointly, or for …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Prohibiting a person from knowingly and willfully causing another to ingest an abortion-inducing drug when the person knows or believes that the other person is pregnant and without consent, through fraud or coercion, or by force or threat of force.
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Prohibiting certain regulation of certain activities involving digital assets by an agency or other instrumentality of the State or a political subdivision of the State; and clarifying that the provision of digital asset staking as a service is excluded from …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Establishing the Commission to Examine the Expungement Laws of Maryland for issues of efficiency and equity; and requiring the Commission to submit a certain report to the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2027.
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Applying certain provisions of law regarding priority registration at public institutions of higher education, resources and support at community colleges, senatorial and Delegate scholarships, and preferences in hiring by the Public Service Commission to the spouses of active service members …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Repealing the prohibition on awarding the Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship after June 30, 2030; and repealing the limitation on renewing the Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Providing that the creative expression of a criminal defendant or juvenile respondent is not admissible against the defendant or respondent unless the court makes certain findings, subject to a certain exception; and providing that the Act does not preclude the …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Requiring the Public Service Commission to conduct an analysis of the full costs and benefits of sources of electricity generation in the State; and requiring the Commission to report its findings and recommendations to the Senate Committee on Education, Energy, …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Requiring each county board of education to collect data on energy usage and report the data collected to the Interagency Commission on School Construction; requiring the Commission to adopt regulations specifying the data to be collected and the means and …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Repealing the prohibition against intentionally inflicting bodily harm, permanent disability, or death on an animal owned or used by a law enforcement unit; prohibiting a person from harassing, interfering with, injuring, or killing or causing serious physical injury to an …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Requiring each county board of education to develop and implement, not later than the 2027-2028 school year, a policy limiting the use of certain electronic communication devices by a student during the academic school day; and prohibiting the policy from …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Altering the penalties for the misdemeanor of sexual offense by a person in a position of authority; prohibiting a certain person in a position of authority from committing a certain violation involving a child at least 6 years younger than …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Altering certain standards for the drawing of legislative districts; establishing standards for the drawing of congressional districts; establishing the Legislative and Congressional Redistricting and Apportionment Commission as an independent unit of State government to divide the State into certain legislative …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Establishing the Rural Readiness Program administered by the Rural Maryland Council to provide assistance to rural communities to enhance their capacity for economic development; requiring priority to be given when making certain grants to entities that have completed the Rural …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Authorizing active service members and spouses, under certain circumstances, to practice in the State under an occupational or professional license issued in another jurisdiction; and altering the definition of "eligible veteran" for purposes of certain provisions of law governing occupational …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Requiring operators of certain residential child care programs to ensure that the children of whom they have legal custody or care and control are provided with regularly scheduled time to study to support the children's academic work, assistance with home …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Conforming the Maryland Uniform Simultaneous Death Act to the Uniform Simultaneous Death Act; providing that a surviving individual who does not survive the death of another individual for at least 120 hours is deemed to have predeceased the other individual …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Prohibiting a person from utilizing certain personal identifying information or engaging in certain conduct in order to cause physical injury, serious emotional distress, or economic damages; prohibiting a person from using certain artificial intelligence or certain deepfake representations for certain …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Establishing qualifications for an individual to be appointed by a court as a custody evaluator; and authorizing a court to waive certain requirements for a court employee or an individual under contract with the court under certain circumstances.
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Establishing alternative expiration and renewal periods for a handgun permit issued to a retired law enforcement officer who retired in good standing from service with a law enforcement agency of the State or a county or municipal corporation of the …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Establishing the Maryland Civic Excellence Program in the State Department of Education; authorizing a local school system to participate in the Program to recognize students who meet criteria related to student proficiency in civics and civic literacy; and requiring the …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share
Bill crosspost Neutral
Altering the definition of "qualified generator lead line" for provisions of law regarding certificates of public convenience and necessity; requiring an applicant for a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the construction of an overhead transmission line to include …
Mar 16, 2026 · details / share