2025 End of Session Summary

We are living in tumultuous times. Going into this year’s legislative session, we knew we faced a looming budget deficit of more than three billion dollars.  Few of us, however, imagined the extent of damage so swiftly and recklessly being brought down—on our state, country, and indeed the entire world—by a uniquely corrupt and malicious federal executive.  

Our families, friends, and neighbors are suffering. We’ve witnessed indiscriminate layoffs of federal workers, “zeroing out” of agencies, cancellation of promised federal grants, dismantling of DEI programs that served to move us toward a more equitable future, and the withdrawal of support for projects such as the FBI headquarters in Greenbelt. Fear is palpable, especially among immigrants, foreign students, and LGBTQ+ and trans people living in our community. Across Maryland, as elsewhere, inflation, the housing crisis, and the costs of care (health, child, and elder) heighten common feelings of precarity for those trying to make ends meet, attempting to buy or rent a first home, or wishing to age in place—all while our children continue to struggle.

Even before session began, my fellow state legislators and I had been preparing to meet the moment. For the past 90 days, we have continued to work diligently to repair the damage being wrought on the federal level. We have legislated policies to protect those who have long been vulnerable, as well as those public servants recently made vulnerable. We have worked to fill funding gaps, protect all our individual rights, ensure we have enough energy to power our economy and our homes, and make progress on preserving the ability to live on our broken and beautiful planet.

I am particularly proud of the bills we passed to advance resource adequacy in our state and secure our clean energy future, which came together from several separate pieces of legislation including the Abundant, Affordable Clean Energy Act, which I introduced (HB398/SB316). And, because we believe a budget is a moral document, even in this year of unprecedented fiscal challenges, we have worked to ensure robust funding for education, care for those with disabilities, and increased access to health care. To fund what matters most while closing the budget shortfall, we have passed sensible tax increases for the state’s very wealthiest, expanded business service taxes, and closed corporate loopholes.

My work as your representative to meet this moment does not end when the regular session does. The challenges continue and so will my work in District 20 and the great state of Maryland. Thank you for your support and advocacy. I will never stop my efforts to make our community a more just and inclusive place for all.

I truly believe by working and standing boldly together we will not only survive, but thrive.  

Highlighted below are brief descriptions of some of the most significant legislation we considered this Session. All legislation listed passed both chambers and has been sent to the Governor, unless otherwise indicated. All bills are hyperlinked to the General Assembly website so you can read the actual final bill language.

Items marked with an asterisk (*) are bills I introduced.  HB = House Bill and SB = Senate Bill.

Climate, Energy and the Environment

Energy emerged as a significant issue this session. The General Assembly considered many different bills and ultimately amended several into the House Speaker and Senate President’s bill. As passed, the Next Generation Act (HB1035/SB937) includes:

• Battery storage procurement of up to 1750 MW. This initiative came from the Abundant Affordable Clean Energy Act* (HB398/SB316), which I introduced. This amount of large-scale battery storage is the fastest and most cost effective way to meet our short-term reliability needs and our long-term clean energy goals. It will be built with “high road” labor standards: good green jobs for a green economy.

• Significant reforms to utility rate-making, including tightening up requirements for multi-year rate plans and the STRIDE program. These changes will lead to more oversight of utility investment, leading to significant savings to ratepayers over the next several years. (Ratepayer Protection Act (HB419/SB998))

•  Removal of trash incineration from the renewable portfolio standard (RPS). This is a crucial win for environmental justice and ensures our RPS money is being invested in energy that is actually clean. (Reclaim Renewable Energy Act of 2025 (HB220/SB10))

• Establishment of a rate structure by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to protect individual ratepayers from the electric system costs of data centers and other large users.

• Savings for ratepayers by directing utilities to use in-house workers rather than more costly contractors, unless they can show using contractors saves ratepayers money.

• A procurement model for new nuclear energy.

While the streamlined Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) process included in the bill could lead to a faster path for a new gas plant, we were able to maintain environmental justice protections in siting any potential plant. Furthermore, the battery storage component of the bill is designed to change market dynamics and make gas plants less profitable.

Utility Transparency and Accountability Act* (HB121/SB37) - Requires electric utilities in Maryland to submit an annual report to the PSC to disclose the votes they make at our regional transmission organization, PJM.

RENEW Act of 2025 (HB128/SB149) - Requires the Comptroller to report on the total assessed cost of greenhouse gas emissions in the State.

Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act (HB506/SB0428) - Codifies several  initiatives and efforts related to water quality and agricultural processes—currently being overseen by the Department of Agriculture, Department of Natural Resources, and Maryland Department of the Environment—to ensure their continuation through future administrations.

Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) (HB49/SB256) - This bill further refines direction to the Maryland Department of the Environment in their implementation of BEPS.

Advanced Clean Cars and Advanced Clean Trucks Rollback (HB1556) - Would have prevented the enforcement of previous clean cars initiatives and rolled back the sale of electric vehicles. This bill did not pass, however the Governor enacted an executive order, which postpones enforcement of the Clean Cars mandate. An executive order is preferable to a change in the law, as it still maintains statutory intent to align with California and other states seeking to accelerate the transition to clean vehicles.

Solar-Ready School Parking Lots* (HB61) - Requires that when schools are under construction or have major renovation, installing solar canopies over parking lots be considered. This bill passed out of the House but not the Senate this session. 

Maryland Bottle Bill (HB232/SB346) - Establishes a deposit program for beverage bottles. I was disappointed this bill did not pass this session, but I will continue to work on this issue in future sessions.

Coal Dust Cleanup and Asthma Remediation Act (HB1088/SB882) - Taxes the transportation of coal in Maryland to create a fund to support overburdened communities and asthma mitigation in communities along coal transportation routes. While this bill did not pass this session, I continue to support taxation on polluters and supporting the communities disproportionately affected by climate change.

CHERISH Act (HB1484/SB978) - Requires that before building high-pollution facilities, community opinions be taken into account. Unfortunately, this bill did not progress this session.

Advanced Transmission Technologies* (HB829) - Requires electrical developers to demonstrate to the Public Service Commission how they considered advanced transmission technologies (ATT) when proposing new transmission lines to make them more efficient. Passed the House, but did not get out of the Senate.

Disability Services

Equal Access to Public Services (HB1473) - Expands access to public services for individuals with limited English proficiency to include individuals with disabilities.

Maryland as a Model Employer Initiative (HB502) - Creates the Maryland Office of Disability Employment Advancement and Policy (ODEAP) to help employ more individuals with disabilities in state government.

Maryland Disability Service Animal Program (HB384/SB157) - Creates a division in the Department of Disability Services to connect people with training facilities for service animals, help pay for service animals, and create a fund to support a nonprofit to train the animals.

Criminal Justice Reform

Medical and Elder Parole (HB1123) - Takes the Governor out of the medical parole process and emphasizes an incarcerated individual’s medical evaluation when the Commission is making its determinations, including debilitation, terminality, and danger to public safety.

The Monica Cooper Prerelease Act (HB1198/SB632) - Mandates the establishment of a prerelease facility specifically for women. Unfortunately, this bill didn’t make it across the finish line this year.

Maryland Second Look Act (HB853/SB291) - Allows an individual who has served at least 20 years to apply to a judge for a reduction of sentence in specific circumstances.

Early Care and Education

Child Care Center Leasing (HB1344) - Requires the Department of General Services to assess state-owned facilities to evaluate whether they would be suitable to lease to a child care center.

Property Tax for Child Care Centers (HB389/SB0516) - Expands the personal property tax exemption to include large family child care homes.

Regulatory Analysis of Child Care (HB477) - Requires the Maryland State

Department of Education to conduct a thorough analysis of the State’s regulatory requirements for child care facilities.

Comprehensive Health Education Framework (HB161) - Requires the Maryland State Department of Education to develop a comprehensive health education framework.

Restorative Practices Schools (HB197/SB68) - Requires the Maryland State Department of Education to develop a comprehensive plan for the establishment of Restorative Practices Schools and provide technical assistance to schools seeking to become Restorative Practice Schools.

County Board Member Antibias Training Act (HB324/SB293) - Requires antibias training for local boards of education.

High School Diploma by Exam Language Act (HB325/SB451) - Requires the Maryland Department of Labor (MDL) to allow an individual to take all components of a high school diploma by exam in English or Spanish and requires MDL to study whether exams in other languages should also be offered.

Holocaust Education Assistance Grant Program (HB71) - Mandates $50,000 in grants to assist local school systems with Holocaust education.

Student Member Compensation MC 7-25* (HB1207) - Allows the student member of the Mont. County Board of Education to choose to receive their compensation as a monthly stipend, a scholarship, or a combination thereof.

Elections

Language-Related Election Assistance (HB983/SB685) - Requires local election boards to determine if voters in their communities need language translation and provide translators via video conference, as needed.

Food and Food Systems

Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Expansion Program(HB1254/SB769) - Provides state funding to eligible schools participating in the federal CEP child nutrition programs to ensure full funding of school meals. I was disappointed that this bill did not progress this session and will continue to work on this issue.

Food Forests and Foraging Program* (HB257/SB0317) - Directs the Department of Natural Resources to create a permit process for foraging on state land and dedicate those funds to the development of food forests. While this bill did not progress this session, I will be bringing it back next year.

Local Food Purchasing Program* (HB56/SB177) - Requires the State Department of Education, the Department of General Services, and the Department of Agriculture to streamline the procuring of food from local farmers, fishers, and other local businesses for Farm-to-School programs.

Government Operations

Procurement Reform Act of 2025 (HB500/SB426) - Makes state government procurement more transparent, inclusive, and efficient by making reforms to better streamline procurement processes and allow a wider range of businesses to compete fairly for state contracts.

Health Access and Affordability

Health Insurance and Family Planning Consumer Protections(HB1045/SB940) - Updates 2017 legislation that made Maryland the first state in the nation to guarantee continued funding for family planning and women’s health services if the federal government defunds clinics.

State Based Health Insurance Subsidies Program (HB1082) - Establishes a state-based health insurance subsidies program to mitigate the effects should federal-level tax credits be removed.

Health Equity Dashboard (HB1100/SB684) - Requires development and updating of a health equity dashboard.

Doula and Birth Policy Transparency Act (HB1251) - Requires hospitals to adopt policies for doula services.

Carlton R. Smith Act (HB39/SB356) - Repeals statute that criminalizes the transfer of HIV.

Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for All Marylanders Now Act(HB424/SB357) - Establishes a process for setting upper payment limits for drugs.

Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission (HB718) - Reestablishes the Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission to monitor the impact of changes to federal healthcare programs.

Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2025 (HB869) - Makes insurance coverage for telehealth care permanent.

Public Health Abortion Grant Program (HB930/SB848) - Creates the Public Health Abortion Grant Program to provide grants to improve access to abortion care clinical services.

Over-the-Counter Birth Control Commission (HB939/SB674) - Requires the Commission for Women to study access to over-the-counter birth control.

Health Insurance for Preventative Services  (HB974) - Preserves Biden-era insurance carrier coverage requiring preventive services with zero cost-sharing.

Forensic Review Board Reform* (HB32/SB43) - Requires all state psychiatric facilities to establish a forensic review board, codifies existing practices into law, and improves transparency in processes related to patients’ release and re-entry.

Alcohol Outlet Health and Safety MC 21-25* (HB1229) - Requires the Montgomery County Board of License Commissioners to consider the impact of alcohol outlet density and other health and safety issues when approving new alcohol licenses. While this bill passed out of the House, it did not get out of the Senate this year. I will continue to prioritize this issue.

Housing Fairness

Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act (HB1077/SB514) - Prevents a potential tenant from having their criminal history used against them when looking for housing. I was disappointed this bill did not progress this session and look forward to continuing to work on it in the future.

Housing Development Act (HB503/SB430) - Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to establish housing production targets every 10 years and provide reports on the meeting of those targets. Unfortunately, this bill did not pass out of the Senate this session.

Fair Housing and Housing Discrimination (HB1239) - Codifies federal housing discrimination laws into our state housing laws to strengthen them and protect them from federal changes. Unfortunately, this bill did not pass out of the Senate this session.

Good Cause Eviction (HB709/SB651) - Prevents landowners from evicting renters absent good cause. It was disappointing to have this bill stall in the Senate with weakening amendments. We will continue to work on this issue until it becomes law.

Tenant Possessions Recovery Act (HB767/SB442) - Requires notice be provided to tenants to recover their possessions, post-eviction.

Access to Counsel in Evictions (HB103/SB154) - Provides more permanent funding for the Access to Counsel in Evictions program.

Limited Equity Housing Cooperatives* (HB1052/SB927) - Creates a process for establishing a limited equity housing cooperative, a type of housing co-op designed to be affordable to people with lower incomes. I will bring this bill back in the next session.

Human Rights and Dignity

U Nonimmigrant Status Petitions (HB579/SB608) - Makes numerous changes to the U Nonimmigrant Status petition (U-Visa) process to correct inconsistency across the state in the certifications of U-Visas for victims of crime and ensure federal law and guidelines are followed.

Maryland Values Act (HB1222) - Originally, this bill would have prohibited the use of 287g agreements allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to deputize local law enforcement for immigration enforcement purposes. After negotiations were settled, the final bill no longer includes the 287g provision and instead provides protections for sensitive locations (schools, hospitals, houses of worship, etc.) from enforcement action based on language from HB1006/SB828 and a narrower version of the bill I introduced, the Maryland Data Privacy Act(HB1431/SB977), which will now require state agencies to create and implement policies to protect the data of Marylanders.

Birth Certificate Modernization Act (HB1368/SB314) - Eases the process for changing your listed gender on your birth certificate and expands the designation options. While this bill did not progress, I will support this bill in future sessions.

Justice and Equity

Maryland Reparations Commission (HB1422/SB587) - Establishes the Maryland Reparations Commission to study and recommend benefits to be given to individuals whose relatives were enslaved in Maryland.

Eric's ID Law (HB707/SB618) - Requires IDs to allow someone to choose to indicate their non-apparent disability.

Department of Social and Economic Mobility (HB1253) - Recognizing that Maryland’s strength is our diversity, this bill creates a Cabinet-level department to oversee social equity programs in the state.

Tax Fairness and Economic Security

Hospitals Financial Assistance Act* (HB268/SB981) - Creates standard subsidy levels for hospital financial assistance and establishes further protections from medical debt.

Medical Debt Lien Prevention (HB428/SB349) - Prohibits someone from having a lien placed on their property as a result of having past due medical debt.

Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act (HB1020/SB614) - Prohibits consumer reporting agencies from including medical debt information in reports.

Fair Share for Maryland Act of 2025 (HB1014/SB859) - Closes corporate loopholes to create a fairer taxing system that works. While this bill did not pass this year, I will continue to fight for progressive taxation policies.

SDAT Tax Enforcement Act* (HB296) - Eliminates a loophole that allows businesses to report no personal property without filing a personal property tax return. This bill passed the House but did not pass the Senate.

Transit and Pedestrian Safety

Purple Line Resident and Business Restitution Act* (HB527) - Requires MTA to provide restitution to residents and small businesses near the Purple Line for the poorly managed and disruptive construction process. The restitution will include a limited-time free ridership to residents and no-cost promotional materials and services to small businesses.    

Transit-Oriented Development (HB80/SB190) - Builds on our prior efforts to address the State’s housing crisis and increase our housing stock by promoting transit-oriented development (TOD). Unfortunately, this bill did not pass this year.

Transportation and Climate Alignment Act of 2025 (HB84/SB395) - Requires the Department of Transportation, when building a new highway, to consider making it multimodal and assess the impact on greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled. This bill passed out of the House but did not progress out of the Senate.

Stop Sign Camera Pilot Projects* (HB1032) - Authorizes the City of Takoma Park to create pilot programs for stop sign cameras in school zones. This bill was incorporated in SB600, which passed.

Downtown Silver Spring Parking* (HB1206) - Allocates funds through the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) to go towards DTSS parking issues associated with the Purple Line construction. This bill did not pass because we got a commitment from MDOT to ensure their current grant program can be applied to this issue.

Labor and Employment

Unemployment Insurance Modernization Act of 2025* (HB554/SB752) - Raised the maximum weekly benefit amount, increased the taxable wage base to ensure solvency of the Trust Fund, and increased the dependent allowance. We fought until the late hours of Sine Die to pass a version of UI reform and unfortunately it did not happen this session. I will continue to fight hard to ensure this essential safety benefit net is sufficient, especially as we see increased need based on federal actions.

Protect Our Federal Workers Act (HB1424/SB683) - Provides an additional $1.5 million to the Attorney General to sue the Trump Administration for their wrongful and illegal firing of federal workers and other Marylanders harmed by federal action.

Davis Martinez Public Employee Safety and Health Act (HB176/SB26) - Establishes a Public Employees’ Safety and Health (PESH) Unit in the Division of Labor and Industry and requires public agencies to adhere to current occupational safety standards.

Collective Bargaining for Graduate Assistants (HB211/SB166) - Authorizes graduate assistants, including fellows and postdoctoral interns, at the University System of Maryland (USM), Morgan State University (MSU) and St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) to collectively bargain. I always fight for collective bargaining bills and was disappointed to see this one not progress this session.

Collective Bargaining for University Faculty (HB661/SB750) - Authorizes faculty at the University System of Maryland (USM), Morgan State University (MSU), and St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) to collectively bargain. Unfortunately, this bill did not progress.

Budget

Budget Bill FY26 (HB350) and the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2025 (BRFA)(HB352/SB321) - The House and Senate crafted a budget and revenue package that aligns with our values and closes budget gaps while preserving $2.4 billion in cash reserves. The Budget and the BRFA will help protect against the impact of federal actions while funding priorities such as public education and cancer research.

They include:

•    $181.5M for Services for Developmentally Disabled which reverses harmful cuts proposed by the Governor.

•    $15.6B for Medicaid to preserve health care for 1.5M Marylanders.

•    Fully fund the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future for FY26.

•    $500M to help address the state’s Transportation needs through small increases in the vehicular taxes and fees.

Grants for District 20 Capital Investments

The District 20 Delegation worked hard to fund the following local capital projects:

• New Hampshire Estates Neighborhood Park: $828,000 for the expansion and renovation of the aging New Hampshire Estates Neighborhood Park to include a lighted soccer field.

• Teen Girl Center Renewal: $100,000 for the expansion and modernization of the Crittenton Services of Greater Washington headquarters to better support their work with teen girls.

• Metropolitan Washington Ear (MWE) Critical Control Room and Studio: $36,000 to modernize the MWE critical control room and studio so that MWE can effectively continue providing access to news and information for blind residents in our community.

• Takoma Park Public Works Project: $263,000 to update and renovate the Takoma Park Board of Public Works office.

• Quality Time Learning Center: $100,000 to add 220 additional child care spaces in their early childhood learning center.

• White Oak Readiness Center: $152,000 for renovations and expansion.

• The National Capital Strategic Economic Development Fund provided money to Takoma Park businesses for capital improvements.

• Rolling Terrace Elementary School: $150,000 for playground renovations.

Delegate Scholarship

As a Member of the House of Delegates, I am able to provide my constituents with academic scholarships. This scholarship is available to students planning to attend a Maryland community college, four-year university, or graduate school during the 2025-2026 school year. Applications must be completed and submitted by Friday, May 9th, 2025. Applications can be completed online: https://bit.ly/CharkoudianApp2025

Thank You

To the advocates, volunteers, and community organizers who work tirelessly and show up throughout the year: your resilience and dedication inspires me!  I appreciate your passion, activism, and the continued invitation to your community events, which keeps me informed about District 20 priorities. I am also grateful for the hard work of my Chief of Staff Rose Stutz; Legislative Aide Tierney Acosta; wonderful interns Anya Olson and Eli Brennan; and Legacy Leader Kate Stein.

Let’s stay in touch! 

As you can tell, I am already making plans for next year’s Session. Over the coming months, I will continue to reach out to all corners of District 20 and our great state. I also encourage you to reach out to me. The best way to contact me and my staff is via email at lorig.charkoudian@house.state.md.us. You may also leave a message at (410)-841-3423.

Onward,

Lorig