Jason Buckel R

Altering the composition of the Western Maryland Economic Future Investment Board; providing that the Executive Director serves as a nonvoting member of the Board, but may vote to break a tie; providing criteria for the awarding of grant and loan funding to include the creation or retention of at least 25 jobs, creation or retention of at least 10 jobs …

Establishing the Task Force to Develop a Realistic Electricity Plan for Maryland to study and make recommendations on the State's current and future electricity needs under various scenarios: prohibiting the Public Service Commission from approving the construction or expansion of transmission lines in the State from July 1, 2025, through May 1, 2026; and requiring the Task Force to report …

Authorizing the construction, permitting, and operation of natural gas generating facilities in the State until the State meets 50% of its energy needs from renewable energy resources; and requiring the Maryland Energy Administration to work with the owners and operators of natural gas generating facilities in the State to decrease the production of energy from natural gas after the State …

Clarifying that a parent of the recipient may provide services for the recipient of self-directed services under certain circumstances; and altering the circumstances under which a family member or legal guardian may provide services for the recipient of self-directed services.

Prohibiting the State or a local jurisdiction from imposing or levying a vehicle-miles-traveled tax or certain other similar fees, tolls, or taxes; prohibiting the State or a local jurisdiction from requiring the installation of a device in or on a privately owned vehicle to facilitate the reporting of vehicle miles traveled; etc.

Prohibiting the State or a local government, or an agency of the State or a local government, from filing an action for monetary damages or alleged economic damages against a business for the adverse effects of global warming or climate change in the State.

Prohibiting certain common carriers from damaging certain public infrastructure necessitating the closure of the infrastructure; establishing that a violation of the Act is a public nuisance; authorizing the State or a local government to bring a civil action against a common carrier for a violation under the Act; and providing that a common carrier that commits a violation may be …

Requiring the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission, subject to certain limitations, to accept and consider applications for sports wagering facility licenses and mobile sports wagering licenses submitted before January 1, 2027; and altering the termination date, from 2024 to July 1, 2026, of certain provisions of law requiring the application of the Minority Business Enterprise Program to the sports wagering …

Prohibiting the earning of diminution credits to reduce the term of confinement of an incarcerated individual who is serving a sentence for murder in the first degree or murder in the second degree in a State or local correctional facility; prohibiting a deduction of diminution credits of more than 10% of an incarcerated individual's aggregate sentence for crimes of violence …

Requiring the Maryland Higher Education Commission to establish a framework for transformative economic efficiency for the purpose of optimizing independent continuous learning and encouraging transformative economic efficiency through the development and utilization of independent consensus-based standards; and requring the Commission to develop, post on its website, and periodically update independent consensus-based standards to encourage transformative economic efficiency.

Requiring the Office of the Attorney General to investigate certain grievances and mediate certain resolutions between the clients and providers of certain federal- and State-assisted housing programs; establishing procedures for the filing, review, and investigation of certain grievances; requiring the Office to inform a grievant of certain legal services and provide assistance to certain legal service providers in relationship to …

Requiring the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission, subject to specified limitations, to accept and consider applications for sports wagering facility licenses and mobile sports wagering licenses submitted before January 1, 2028.

Requiring the Maryland Department of Labor to allocate money from the Hospital Employees Retraining Fund to local workforce development boards under certain circumstances; altering certain workforce development programs to require inclusion of local workforce boards; requiring the Department to provide funding to a local workforce board as part of a certain quick response program; requiring local workforce boards to provide …

Requiring membership in the Correctional Officers' Retirement System for certain local detention center officers of Allegany County in the event Allegany County becomes a participating governmental unit in the Correctional Officers' Retirement System; and providing that certain local detention center officers who join the Correctional Officers' Retirement System and receive certain service credit shall no longer be members of the …

Prohibiting an electric company from collecting certain environmental surcharges or fees under certain circumstances; and requiring the Public Service Commission, by October 1, 2027, and each October 1 thereafter, to make a certain calculation each year related to the change in residential electric bills relative to inflation.

Prohibiting the Public Service Commission from adopting or enforcing a regulation or order that prohibits a public service company from offering a discount or payment plan for the connection or extension of a natural gas line to a customer's property.

Authorizing the Governor, unless the transfer would result in an Account balance below 5% of the General Fund revenues for the fiscal year and subject to the approval of the Board of Public Works, to transfer funds from the Revenue Stabilization Account to the State Disaster Recovery Fund.

Requiring certain operators of companion chatbots to establish, maintain, and publish certain protocols and provide certain information to users of the companion chatbot; requiring operators to establish enhanced measures for minor users of companion chatbots; requiring the Office of Suicide Prevention in the Maryland Department of Health to annually publish certain data compiled from operators; and establishing that a violation …

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 districts and congressional districts subject to certain requirements and procedures; etc.

Prohibiting the earning of diminution credits to reduce the term of confinement of an incarcerated individual who is serving a sentence for murder in the first degree in a State or local correctional facility.

Increasing the amount of the standard deduction allowed for certain individuals from $3,350 to $4,100 under the Maryland income tax; and applying the Act to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.