Dear Friend,

On April 13, the Maryland General Assembly (MGA) concluded its 2026 legislative session. Below, you will find a description of some passed bills that will impact the lives of many District 15 residents and other Marylanders. This session focused on energy and utility companies, affordability, and protecting immigrant communities.

I was appointed Chair of the Non-Energy Utilities Subcommittee of the Environment and Transportation Committee. In this new leadership role, I was able to address several issues related to water and sewer services, broadband oversight, and ride share use.

The 2026 MGA also passed bills that support clean energy, protect women and families, and respond to recent federal actions. The legislature also approved more than $2 million in capital funding for projects in District 15.

ENERGY

HB1532 — Utility RELIEF (Reducing Energy Load Inflation for Everyday Families) Act —
- Stops utilities from using complicated rate plan tricks that shift extra costs onto customers unless those changes clearly save people money.
- Establishes oversight for large energy users, like data centers, to properly manage grid impact.
- Puts limits on what utilities can charge customers for executive pay, making sure ratepayers aren’t footing the bill for excessive salaries and bonuses.
- Expands access to community solar, making it easier for neighborhoods to share clean energy and lower electricity costs.
- Creates a system for large energy users to voluntarily reduce their power use during high-demand periods, helping prevent outages and keep the grid stable.
- Allows for certain private utility companies to offer competitive service so long as they meet strict consumer protection provisions.
- Ensures customers get advance notice and clear information when utilities propose rate hikes over 3%, so there are no surprises on their bills.
- Allows homeowners to install small, portable solar systems, making it easier and more affordable to generate your own electricity.
- Reduces the EMPOWER surcharge on utility bills while using Strategic Energy Investments Funds to ensure the program’s continuance.

Overall, HB1532 strengthens consumer protections, promotes clean energy, and increases transparency and accountability in utility operations. It is estimated that this will save ratepayers at least $150 per year with more savings in future years.

CAPITAL INVESTMENTS IN DISTRICT 15

Despite current budget constraints, the District 15 delegation secured substantial funds in legislative bond initiatives for local organizations. This includes money for District 15 projects totaling $2,168,875:

Ivymount School— $380,000
Riverworks Art Center— $200,000
Western Montgomery County Pool— $200,000
Clarksburg Yard— $321,875
The Upcounty Hub— $175,000
Falls Road Local Park— $750,000
Sugarland Ethno History Project— $67,000
Community FarmShare— $75,000

There is an additional $2,535,000 for solar initiatives in Montgomery County, including in District 15.

PROTECTING IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES

HB444 / SB245 — Public Safety - Immigration Enforcement Agreements - Prohibition — This law prevents Maryland law enforcement agencies from participating in so-called 287(g) agreements that require partnering with federal immigration authorities (ICE) to detain or deport community members.
SB1 — Public Safety - Law Enforcement Officers - Prohibition on Face Coverings — This bill requires law enforcement officers to be identifiable and prohibits the kind of masked, unmarked tactics used in recent federal immigration enforcement operations.
SB791 — Correctional Services and Public Safety – Immigration Enforcement – Prohibitions (Community Trust Act) — This bill, which I cosponsored in the House, prohibits a law enforcement agent from providing federal immigration authorities with information about an individual unless required by a valid court order, ultimately protecting Marylanders.

UTILITIES AND ENVIRONMENT

HB35 / SB266 — Local Government - Regulatory Powers - Regulation of Invasive Trees — I was the House sponsor of this legislation in the House. It enables counties and municipalities to adopt ordinances to regulate the sale, planting, and continued growth of trees on the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Prohibited List of invasive plants.
HB1071 / SB861 — Environment - Stormwater Management for Agritourism — In partnership with the District 14 delegation, I, along with the rest of the District 15 delegation, sponsored legislation to create regulations that will allow flexibility in stormwater management rules as they apply to agricultural land. The bill also incorporates input from local soil conservation districts.
SB625 — Carbon Dioxide Capture, Removal, and Sequestration Projects - Regulations and Standards — This bill requires the MD Department of the Environment to develop regulations governing the use of carbon removal technology, such as biochar and wood vaulting, positioning Maryland as a responsible leader in the fight against climate change. Senator Feldman and I sponsored this legislation.

WOMEN AND CHILDREN

HB14 — County Boards of Education - Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation - Information Collection and Reporting Requirements — I sponsored this bill which requires school districts to disaggregate reports of hate-bias incidents in K-12 public schools to ensure that stakeholders can know about and address specific forms of hate.
HB372 / SB169 — Hospitals - Emergency Pregnancy-Related Medical Conditions - Procedures — This bill codifies federal emergency pregnancy protections (EMLATA) into state law, ensuring that hospitals examine, treat, and stabilize pregnant patients.
HB849 — Child Care Scholarship Program - Freeze in Enrollment - Exceptions and Waitlist — This bill limits the freeze on the program by prioritizing families with the greatest financial need, including children experiencing homelessness or children with siblings in the program. It also establishes a prioritized waitlist with an updated application process.

PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRANSPORTATION

HB1221 / SB624 — Public Safety - Short-Term Rental Units - Safety (Jillian and Lindsay Wiener Short-Term Rental Safety Act) — Senator Feldman and I sponsored legislation that requires regular fire safety inspections of short-term rental units for basic protections, such as working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers. Named after Montgomery County sisters who tragically died in a fire at a short-term rental, Maryland is now the first state in the country to require these annual inspections.
HB30 / SB578 — Public Safety - Department of State Police - Police-Initiated Towing - Alterations — I was the House sponsor for this legislation to establish approved rates for tow companies involved in police-initiated towing and recovery of light‑duty vehicles. The bill also reforms the examination and reporting on insurance matters related to vehicles registered and insured outside the State, and the cost and cleanup of cargo and debris.

NON-ENERGY UTILITIES

This session, the subcommittee on Non-Energy Utilities, of which I am the Chair, passed several bills:

HB1164 / SB556 — Water Companies, Sewage Disposal Companies, and Water and Sewage Disposal Companies - Limited-Income Mechanisms — As subcommittee chair, I was the House sponsor of this bill which requires the Public Service Commission (PSC) to study the feasibility of creating assistance with water bills for low-income households. It outlines clear conditions for limited-income mechanisms and defines the PSC’s role in determining when these programs are needed.
HB480 / SB740 — Transportation Network Companies - Deactivation of Operators — This bill establishes basic due process protections for rideshare drivers. It requires companies to provide reasons for deactivation of driver accounts and provides drivers a fair opportunity to respond.
HB220 / SB130 — Environment - Water - Individual Submeters — This bill limits how landlords of certain apartment houses and mobile home parks bill tenants for water using individual submeters, prohibiting charges above actual costs and requiring greater billing transparency.
HB829 / SB473 — Public Utilities - For-Hire Drivers and Transportation Network Operators - Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Training and Liability — Rideshare and taxi drivers are often among the first people to encounter victims of human trafficking, so this bill requires applicants for ridesharing services positions to complete a human trafficking awareness training program before receiving their taxi license or approval to operate a ride share vehicle.
SB189 — Municipalities - Open Drainage Inlets - Required Grating Systems (Mason's Law) — This bill requires municipalities to construct or install improvements, such as grates or fences, to dangerous open drainage systems. It also denotes that from 2029-2030, state money will be allocated to create a comprehensive flood management matching grant program for municipalities to comply.

SUPPORTING LOCAL MEDIA

SB459 — Procurement - Advertising - Local News Organizations (Local Newspapers for Maryland Communities Act of 2026) — I sponsored the House bill to require State agencies to direct at least 50% of their print and digital advertising contracts to local news organizations.

WORKER RIGHTS

SB6 — State Personnel - Collective Bargaining - Nontenure Track Faculty — I sponsored this bill to give most non-tenure track faculty at public colleges and universities the right to form a union.
HB141 — State Personnel - Collective Bargaining - Graduate Assistants — I was the House sponsor of this bill that gives graduate workers at the University of Maryland, College Park and University of Maryland Baltimore County the right to unionize and bargain collectively, recognizing that their work is essential to Maryland's higher education system.
SB417 — Labor and Employment - Mandatory Meetings on Religious or Political Matters - Employee Attendance and Participation (Maryland Worker Freedom Act) — This bill prohibits employers from penalizing employees for choosing not to attend or participate in employer-sponsored meetings during which the employer shares opinions regarding union rights, religion or political matters.
HB604 / SB28 — Arbitration Reform for State Employees Act of 2026 — This bill requires the selection of a neutral arbitrator to adjudicate collective bargaining disputes for certain State employees and requires that the budget contain the appropriations necessary to implement all terms and conditions of employment.

LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

I continued to chair the Local Economic Development committee of the Montgomery County House Delegation.

HB936 — Montgomery County Public Schools - Jane E. Lawton Local Food Procurement MC 7-26 — This bill requires the Montgomery County Public School system to identify and publish data about how much of their food is purchased from local farms and Chesapeake Bay invasive species providers. Additionally, schools must set targets and a plan for future years regarding food procurement.
HB597 — Montgomery County - Community Choice Aggregation Pilot Program - Alterations MC 17-26 — In 2021, the Community Choice Aggregation Pilot Program was authorized to secure lower rates and increase renewable energy use by aggregating electricity demand. This bill alters the start and end date of the pilot program to 2026 and 2035.
HB1247 — Prince George's County - Tax Increment Financing - Extraordinary Development District - Alterations PG 425-25 — This bill aims to facilitate the construction of large-scale entertainment venues by allowing specific tax increments to be used as security for the bonds issued by Prince George's County.

Please contact my office if you would like any additional information. It is a privilege to serve you in the Maryland General Assembly.

Sincerely,

Delegate Linda Foley

SINE DIE!

BILL SIGNING

MANY THANKS

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