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Seth Howard

Republican · MD · Maryland House of Delegates, District 30B

Official website

Seth A. Howard is a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 30B. He has served in the House since 2015 and has worked on economic, veterans, and Anne Arundel County matters.

Where Seth Howard stands, based on their records

Supports

Public Safety and Crime Control (1 record), Public Education Quality (2 records), Election Integrity (1 record)

Opposes

Immigration (5 records), Gun Control (3 records)

Mixed record

Healthcare Affordability (2 support · 2 oppose), Environment and Public Health (3 support · 12 oppose), Labor Rights (1 support · 5 oppose),

Campaign finance information not available

Track record

Track record — Healthcare Affordability

Healthcare Affordability · 2 support · 2 oppose
  • Voted against passing HB 280, which wrote federal mental health parity rules into Maryland law. Parity means a health plan must treat mental health and substance use care no worse than physical care. The bill puts parts of the 2024 federal parity rule into state law. Insurers may not use discriminatory factors or evidence standards when designing limits that are not simple dollar caps. They must collect and act on outcome data for those limits, and must offer meaningful mental health and substance use benefits on par with medical and surgical ones. It took effect July 1, 2026. A no vote opposed doing so. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 93-35 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 11 of 2026.

    March 4, 2026Opposes Healthcare Affordability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 424, the Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for All Marylanders Now Act, which gave the state's Prescription Drug Affordability Board more power over high drug prices. The board sets upper payment limits, which are caps on what can be paid for a drug. The bill dropped some of the board's reporting duties. Instead the board must decide whether caps are in the state's best interest for drugs that cost people too much, and set them if it decides they are. It may set those caps for drugs bought or paid for by state and local government. It may not use a cap against Medicare Advantage or Medicare drug plan payment rules, count a pharmacy's dispensing fee toward a cap, or put a new cap on a drug that is in short supply. The bill added members to the board's advisory council. Widening the caps to cover all buyers and insurers depends on other steps happening by September 30, 2030. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 100-38 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 611 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025Opposes Healthcare Affordability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 29, 2026

  • Voted to pass HB 666, which required insurance coverage of a heart scan with no gap in Medicaid. A calcium score test is a scan that measures calcium build-up in the arteries to gauge heart disease risk. Insurers, nonprofit health plans, health maintenance organizations and Maryland Medicaid must all cover it, following the most recent American College of Cardiology guidelines that widen preventive care for consumers. It applies to plans issued, delivered or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. A yes vote required that coverage. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 108-31 and it was signed into law as Chapter 684 of 2025.

    March 12, 2025Supports Healthcare Affordability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • On 2017-01-30, Seth Howard co-sponsored HB0631, which prohibited price gouging for essential off-patent or generic drugs; the measure became Chapter 818.

    January 30, 2017Supports Healthcare Affordability

    Source: mgaleg.maryland.gov · researched August 21, 2026

Track record — Environment and Public Health

Environment and Public Health · 3 support · 12 oppose
  • On 2026-05-26, Seth Howard co-sponsored HB0320, which created an Anne Arundel County Rural Legacy Area property-tax credit; it became Chapter 620.

    May 26, 2026Supports Environment and Public Health

    Source: mgaleg.maryland.gov · researched August 21, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 249, which required a separate state license to sell vapes. Anyone holding a cigarette or other tobacco products license who wants to make, distribute or sell electronic smoking devices must now get a separate license for those devices. An applicant for a device retailer or vape shop license pays no extra fee if they already hold certain cigarette or tobacco licenses. A business already holding a cigarette or tobacco license on September 30, 2026 need not get the separate license until its current one expires; all such licenses expire April 30, so that reprieve ends in May 2027. A no vote opposed creating it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 106-30 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 415 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026Opposes Environment and Public Health

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1135, which let pharmacists order a vaccine without giving it themselves. A pharmacist may order a flu shot, a COVID-19 shot, or a shot used in response to a public health emergency for anyone at least three years old, so someone else can give it. Where the patient is under 18, whether the pharmacist gives the vaccine or an adult caregiver does, the pharmacist must explain the importance of visits with a pediatric primary care provider and refer the patient to one where appropriate. A no vote opposed giving it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 103-29 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 270 of 2026.

    April 9, 2026Opposes Environment and Public Health

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 578, which tightened Maryland's endangered species protections. The bill defines foreseeable future and harm in the state's endangered and threatened species laws and changes how species are listed and delisted. It lets the state designate essential habitats for those species and adopt management rules for them. It also orders the state to write rules allowing black vultures to be killed, matching a federal depredation permit, if federal migratory bird protection for them ends. A no vote opposed strengthening them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 99-34 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 211 of 2026.

    April 9, 2026Opposes Environment and Public Health

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 656, which lets people harmed by prohibited cosmetic ingredients seek damages and treats violations as deceptive consumer practices. It lets state health inspectors investigate complaints and inspect premises. It also creates a Harmful Hair Chemicals Restitution Fund, run by the Attorney General, to pay for research, treatment and restitution for victims. It became Chapter 283 of 2026. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 101-34.

    April 8, 2026Opposes Environment and Public Health

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 30, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1249, which stopped recovery homes turning away people on addiction medication. Medication-assisted treatment uses prescribed medicine, such as buprenorphine or methadone, to treat opioid use disorder. The rules a credentialing body sets for certified recovery residences must now bar a residence from refusing services to someone because they are receiving that treatment, and from requiring anyone to stop or change how they receive it as a condition of being admitted. A no vote opposed barring it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 102-33 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 793 of 2026.

    March 23, 2026Opposes Environment and Public Health

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted to pass HB 734, which kept a farm tax break available for solar on farmland. Farmland gets a lower property tax assessment. A community solar project had to win Public Service Commission approval by December 31, 2025 to keep that assessment; the bill pushes the deadline to December 31, 2030. It also requires the state assessments department, when a developer applies, to rule before construction on whether an agrivoltaics project — farming and solar on the same land — will qualify, within 90 days. The department may rescind that ruling in set circumstances and may charge an application fee. A yes vote extended the tax break. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 101-27 and it was signed into law as Chapter 45 of 2026.

    March 21, 2026Supports Environment and Public Health

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 637, an Administration bill giving Maryland its own vaccine and screening recommendations. The Secretary of Health must now issue, publish and distribute recommendations for immunizations, screenings and preventive services, so the state has its own list rather than depending on federal advice. A pharmacist may give a vaccine the Secretary recommends to anyone at least seven years old. The bill also changes what health insurance must cover for those immunizations, screenings and preventive services. It took effect July 1, 2026 and applies to plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2027. A no vote opposed creating them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 98-32 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 7 of 2026.

    March 21, 2026Opposes Environment and Public Health

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 250, which gave the environment department teeth on water and dam violations. The Maryland Department of the Environment may now impose an administrative penalty for breaking the rules on appropriating or using waters, reservoirs and dams. The bill also widens the department's power to issue orders over waterway construction and dam safety, standardizes the notice and hearing steps, and requires certain steps before the department moves to recover a penalty. It took effect July 1, 2026. A no vote opposed creating it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 96-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 273 of 2026.

    March 18, 2026Opposes Environment and Public Health

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 200, which required home sellers to disclose flood risk. From July 1, 2027, and with exceptions, someone selling residential property with four or fewer single-family units must give the buyer set flood-risk information before they sign a contract. The Maryland Department of the Environment had to publish the disclosure form to be used by June 1, 2027. A no vote opposed requiring it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 94-35 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 776 of 2026.

    March 5, 2026Opposes Environment and Public Health

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 252, which let the state require insurance from lead paint removal contractors. State rules accredit the businesses that strip lead paint from older homes. The bill lets the Maryland Department of the Environment write rules requiring anyone it accredits for lead abatement to carry a reasonable performance bond or reasonable liability insurance. It took effect July 1, 2026. A no vote opposed it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 92-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 359 of 2026.

    March 4, 2026Opposes Environment and Public Health

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 250, which raised environmental fees and tightened the rules on dams. The bill raises a number of fees and penalties that fund programs at the Maryland Department of the Environment and lets the department set new fees for certain programs. It also strengthens the state's regulatory framework for dams and creates a special fund tied to it. Most of it took effect July 1, 2025, with the Maryland Clean Air Fund provisions starting June 1, 2025. A no vote opposed doing so. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 96-44 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 432 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025Opposes Environment and Public Health

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 901, which made the companies behind packaging and paper products - including makers, brand owners, and importers - responsible for recycling what they sell. Each producer must send a recycling plan to the Maryland Department of the Environment for approval by July 1, 2028. After a date the department sets, a producer may not sell or ship covered packaging in Maryland without an approved plan. The department must list which materials are covered, keep studying what the state's recycling system needs, and enforce the rules. The bill also changed the state's existing advisory council on the subject and set rules for the companies hired to do the work. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 100-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 431 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025Opposes Environment and Public Health

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 29, 2026

  • Voted to pass HB 277, which required water bottle filling stations in new and renovated buildings. From October 1, 2025, and with exceptions, a building must include at least one water bottle filling station, or a combined filling station and drinking fountain, wherever the plumbing code the state has adopted requires a drinking fountain. That applies to new construction and to buildings being renovated, and a filling station must replace a drinking fountain in a renovated area if the renovation replaces that fountain. It applies only to construction not yet under contract when it took effect. A yes vote required the filling stations. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 105-30 and it was signed into law as Chapter 547 of 2025.

    February 20, 2025Supports Environment and Public Health

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 4, which limited how far a community association can restrict rooftop solar. State law already bars unreasonable restrictions on installing a solar collector system. The bill puts numbers on what unreasonable means: a restriction counts as unreasonable if it raises the install cost by at least 5% over the cost of the original proposal, or cuts the energy the system would generate by at least 10%. It also spells out what a community association may still do about solar installations. A no vote opposed setting them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 100-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 517 of 2025.

    February 13, 2025Opposes Environment and Public Health

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Track record — Labor Rights

Labor Rights · 1 support · 5 oppose
  • Voted against overriding the Governor's veto of HB 862, which set a minimum crew size for freight trains. A freight train that shares a corridor with a high-speed passenger or commuter train may not run in Maryland with fewer than two crew members. A willful violation costs the railroad up to $10,000, or up to $25,000 for a repeat within three years, and the company alone is answerable for its employees. The rule only starts once New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia pass similar laws. The Governor vetoed the bill on May 22, 2026 on policy grounds. A no vote would have let the veto stand. The Maryland House of Delegates overrode the veto 99-30 over these votes, so the bill became Chapter 879 of 2026.

    August 3, 2026Opposes Labor Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted to pass HB 1016, which voided noncompete clauses for architects at firms that move out of Maryland. A noncompete or conflict of interest clause in an employment contract is void where it binds a licensed architect, if two things are true. The employer had more than 30 employees on the architect's first day, most of them based in Maryland or working remotely from here. And when the employer tries to enforce the clause, it either no longer has most of its employees based or working remotely here, or no longer has its principal place of business in Maryland. It applies only to contracts signed after the bill took effect. A yes vote voided those clauses. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 101-29 and it was signed into law as Chapter 301 of 2026.

    April 11, 2026Supports Labor Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 624, the Safe Staffing Act of 2026, which gave hospital staff a say in staffing levels. Every hospital must meet the staffing standards of the body that accredits it and the federal Medicare and Medicaid conditions of participation. Each must also run a clinical staffing committee: three managers and two employees at hospitals with 150 or fewer licensed beds, and five managers and four employees at larger ones. The hospital's chief nurse executive drafts a staffing plan and the committee finalizes one that meets patient needs. The hospital must give the plan to any staff member who asks. A no vote opposed the requirement. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 96-35 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 236 of 2026.

    April 11, 2026Opposes Labor Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 831, which strengthened Maryland's labor protections. An Executive Branch unit may not ask the federal government to waive any Fair Labor Standards Act provision that applies to it, even where federal law would allow the waiver. Employers may not form employee involvement organizations that fall outside the National Labor Relations Act and the federal labor board's jurisdiction. The Commissioner of Labor and Industry may impose a civil penalty for breaking specified child labor laws. If a specified federal contingency is met, the Public Employee Relations Board's jurisdiction extends to some private employees. A no vote opposed strengthening them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 99-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 167 of 2026.

    April 8, 2026Opposes Labor Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 417, the Maryland Worker Freedom Act, which let workers skip employer meetings about politics or religion. An employer may not punish a worker, threaten to, or refuse to hire someone because the person declines to sit through a company meeting on the employer's political or religious views. Political matters covers elections, parties, proposed changes to law or policy, and whether to join a party or a union. Churches, political groups, schools teaching the subject, legally required training and government new-hire orientation are exempt, and voluntary meetings are still allowed. The state labor commissioner enforces it and must publish a workplace poster by November 1, 2026. A no vote opposed giving them that right. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 96-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 221 of 2026.

    April 8, 2026Opposes Labor Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 861, which made ride-hailing companies show drivers what the company collected on their rides. A company such as Uber or Lyft must give each driver a weekly summary listing total fares collected, total extra fees charged to riders, the driver's own pay, and the driver's pay as a share of each. Each February the company must also send fare and earnings data to the Public Service Commission, where anything not already public is kept confidential as a trade secret. The law took effect January 1, 2026. A no vote opposed requiring them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 103-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 506 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025Opposes Labor Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

Track record — Immigration

Immigration · 5 oppose
  • Voted against passing SB 810, the Maryland Values Act of 2026, which widened the places immigration agents may not freely enter. School staff must tell the county superintendent when they learn of immigration enforcement at a school. They may not be used for immigration enforcement, and may not hand over student records, staff records or family information for it. Places a school, library or state office must keep closed to agents now include any area behind a security screening, and school-linked protected places now include a school bus stop, a school vehicle and sites that hand out food to people in need. Each courthouse must adopt its own policy by October 1, 2026. A no vote opposed widening them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 100-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 161 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026Opposes Immigration

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 791, the Community Trust Act, which limits when local jails and police may hold someone for or share information with federal immigration enforcement. It requires a judicial warrant for specified immigration holds, keeps exceptions for people with certain convictions, and lets the Attorney General or an affected person sue to enforce it. It also requires state correctional facilities to give federal immigration authorities 48 hours' notice before releasing someone under an active immigration detainer, and lets a judge or court commissioner weigh such a detainer when deciding pretrial release or bail in a felony case. It became Chapter 872 of 2026. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 92-37.

    April 11, 2026Opposes Immigration

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 30, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1530, which shortened the residency proof for in-state tuition under the Dream Act. The Maryland Dream Act lets some undocumented students pay in-state rather than out-of-state tuition if they or a parent or guardian filed Maryland income tax returns for a set number of years beforehand. The bill cuts that from three years to two. It took effect July 1, 2026. A no vote opposed widening it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 97-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 799 of 2026.

    March 18, 2026Opposes Immigration

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 444, which banned state and local agreements to enforce federal immigration law. The state, any local government and any county sheriff may not sign a deal with the federal government that lets their own officers enforce civil immigration law. These are often called 287(g) agreements, after the section of federal law that allows them. Any such deal already in place had to be ended right away. It was an emergency bill, so it took effect the moment it was signed. A no vote would have kept those agreements available. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 99-40 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 2 of 2026.

    February 3, 2026Opposes Immigration

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1222, the Maryland Values Act, which limited where federal immigration agents can go in the state. The law names a list of "sensitive locations": public schools, public libraries, courthouses, government-run health care sites, and similar places. Public schools, public libraries, and executive branch agencies of state or local government working at those places must keep the agents out of the parts closed to the public. Agents may still enter with a warrant signed by a judge, or in an emergency. Jails and courthouse lockups are not covered. A federal officer must also notify certain people before acting at one of these places. The Attorney General had to publish guidance, and each covered school, library, and office had to adopt a matching policy by October 1, 2025. By July 1, 2026 each must also publish steps that stop personal records and location data from being sold or shared in ways that hurt residents' privacy. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 101-38 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 718 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025Opposes Immigration

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 29, 2026

Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control

Public Safety and Crime Control · 1 support
  • Voted to pass HB 497, which extended how long an emergency protective order lasts. A temporary protective order is the short-term order a judge issues to keep an alleged abuser away before a full hearing. It now lasts up to 14 days from when it is issued, rather than 7 days from when it is served, and the final hearing must be held no later than 14 days after issuance rather than 7 days after service. A yes vote lengthened that protection. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 101-31 and it was signed into law as Chapter 791 of 2026.

    April 10, 2026Supports Public Safety and Crime Control

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Track record — Public Education Quality

Public Education Quality · 2 support
  • On 2026-05-26, Seth Howard co-sponsored HB0623, which established the Purple Star Schools and Colleges Program for military-connected students; it became Chapter 670.

    May 26, 2026Supports Public Education Quality

    Source: mgaleg.maryland.gov · researched August 21, 2026

  • On 2015-02-13, Seth Howard co-sponsored HB0942, which established the Apprenticeship Maryland pilot program for school-based work training.

    February 13, 2015Supports Public Education Quality

    Source: mgaleg.maryland.gov · researched August 21, 2026

Track record — Gun Control

Gun Control · 3 oppose
  • Voted against passing SB 775, which required guns handed in at buybacks to be destroyed. A federal firearms licensee or law enforcement agency running a gun buyback program must destroy every firearm surrendered to it, including every attached component and part. That does not apply where a law enforcement agency finds the gun is stolen or is evidence of a crime, and the agency must check the national crime database before destroying anything. Breaking the rule costs up to $10,000 a violation, and a licensed dealer who does so has their license revoked by the head of the State Police. A no vote opposed the requirement. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 96-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 430 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026Opposes Gun Control

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 284, a State Police bill requiring gun dealers to report break-ins within a day. A licensed firearms dealer must tell the head of the State Police within 24 hours of first learning of a break-in. That covers a burglary, attempted burglary, robbery or theft involving a firearm or ammunition where the dealer operates or stores guns, and it also covers a required security feature being compromised. The notice is on top of any report to local police or to the federal firearms bureau. The bill also changes the penalties for dealers who break these rules. A no vote opposed requiring those reports. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 97-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 85 of 2026.

    April 9, 2026Opposes Gun Control

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 334, which banned sales of pistols that can be quickly turned into machine guns. From January 1, 2027 no one may make, sell, buy, receive or transfer a machine gun convertible pistol. That means a semiautomatic pistol with a cruciform trigger bar that a small add-on part, fitted in place of the slide's backplate, can turn into a machine gun by hand or with ordinary household tools. Breaking the ban is a misdemeanor carrying up to three years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Someone who already owns one lawfully may still pass it to an immediate family member, and dealers, gunsmiths, police and retired officers are exempt. A no vote opposed the ban. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 91-40 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 771 of 2026.

    April 9, 2026Opposes Gun Control

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

Track record — Women's Reproductive Rights

Women's Reproductive Rights · 1 support · 3 oppose
  • Voted against passing HB 1076, which requires Maryland's public four-year colleges and community colleges to report each year on students' access to nonprescription birth control. Community colleges must make every method of over-the-counter contraception available to students on campus. It became Chapter 674 of 2026. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 98-32.

    April 11, 2026Opposes Women's Reproductive Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 30, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 372, which wrote federal emergency care rules for pregnancy into Maryland law. If a hospital finds a pregnancy emergency serious enough that delay could badly harm the patient's health, organs or bodily functions, it must use its own staff to treat her until she is stable, or transfer her. Treatment includes ending the pregnancy when that is medically necessary to stabilize her, and the hospital must allow it there if the treating clinician says it is needed. The hospital may not punish a clinician who refuses to transfer an unstable patient or who follows the standard of care, nor an employee who reports a violation. Civil penalties apply. A no vote opposed putting them into state law. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 97-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 789 of 2026.

    February 26, 2026Opposes Women's Reproductive Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 848, which created the Public Health Abortion Grant Program to help people get abortion care. The money comes from leftover funds in the separate accounts that health insurers must keep for abortion care under the federal Affordable Care Act. The Insurance Commissioner must order that money moved into a new state fund. The Governor had to put $2.0 million of it toward the program by October 1, 2025. Starting in fiscal 2027 the Governor must budget at least 90% of the leftover money for the fund each year. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 98-33 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 436 of 2025.

    March 31, 2025Opposes Women's Reproductive Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 29, 2026

  • Voted to pass HB 1045, which extended Maryland's medical privacy shield to gender-affirming care. State law protects records about abortion and other sensitive health services from being handed to another state. The bill adds gender-affirming care to the definitions of legally protected health care and sensitive health services, so those records get the same protection. It also updates the state Family Planning Program's references to federal law from 2016 to December 31, 2024, and gives the Insurance Commissioner and the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights shared power to enforce the ban on discrimination in health insurance. A yes vote extended those privacy and enforcement protections. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 102-37 and it was signed into law as Chapter 469 of 2025.

    March 12, 2025Supports Women's Reproductive Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Track record — Election Integrity

Election Integrity · 1 support
  • Voted to pass HB 263, which made buses stop at the door of early voting centers. Where an early voting center sits within half a mile of a fixed local bus route, every bus on that route must let passengers get on and off at the center's entrance on days it is open for voting. That holds as far as practicable and consistent with accessibility rules. It applies only to a fixed local route paid for by a county or town and run by them or their contractor. It does not apply to express or commuter routes, or to routes run by the Maryland Transit Administration or the Washington area Metro system. A yes vote required those stops. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 107-27 and it was signed into law as Chapter 106 of 2026.

    February 26, 2026Supports Election Integrity

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Track record — Civil Rights

Civil Rights · 6 support · 7 oppose
  • Voted against passing SB 322, which restored jury eligibility after a sentence is served. State law disqualified anyone who had ever received a sentence of more than a year in prison from serving on a jury, for life. The bill replaces that: a person is disqualified only while actually serving such a sentence, including parole or probation. It separately disqualifies anyone convicted of perjury, witness or jury intimidation, a related offense, or a fraud crime. It also repeals the rule that a pardon restored jury eligibility. A no vote opposed restoring it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 97-36 over these votes and it became law without the Governor's signature as Chapter 875 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026Opposes Civil Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 937, the Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act, which limited criminal record screening by landlords. A landlord who owns or manages five or more rental units — not counting owner-occupied ones — may not ask a prospective tenant for a drug or alcohol test or for records from an addiction treatment program. Before making a conditional offer, meaning an offer to rent that depends on a background check, the landlord may not ask about criminal history at all. There is one set of exceptions: the landlord may still ask about and reject an applicant for murder, a sex offense, child pornography, human trafficking, or making meth in federally assisted housing, or for being on a sex offender registry. After the offer, a check may be run on every applicant, and only a felony from the past five years, or one of those listed crimes, can be weighed. An offer may be withdrawn only to protect a substantial and legitimate interest, with the reason in writing and a right to ask for a second look with evidence of error, rehabilitation or mitigating factors. Breaking the rules costs up to $500 a time, and the law replaces any comparable local ordinance. A no vote opposed the limits. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 97-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 752 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026Opposes Civil Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 573, which let housing discrimination be proven by effect rather than intent. A practice now breaks the fair housing law if it predictably falls harder on a protected group, or keeps neighborhoods segregated, even with no intent to discriminate. Protected groups include race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital and family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, source of income and military status. There is no violation if all three hold: no discriminatory intent, the act was needed for a substantial and legitimate purpose, and no less discriminatory way could have achieved it. A no vote opposed adding it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 98-34 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 778 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026Opposes Civil Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted to pass HB 963, which removed a citizenship barrier to settling a relative's estate. Letters of administration are the court's authorization for someone to administer a dead person's estate. State law had barred granting them to a non-citizen unless the person was a permanent resident and the deceased's spouse, ancestor, descendant or sibling. The bill repeals that restriction. A yes vote removed the restriction. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 99-32 and it was signed into law as Chapter 537 of 2026.

    April 11, 2026Supports Civil Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 315, which barred landlords from rejecting voucher holders over their credit. A landlord who uses financial information to screen applicants may not refuse someone who pays rent with a housing subsidy because of their income, their credit score, their lack of one, or bad credit history from a time when they had no subsidy. Doing so is a discriminatory housing practice the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights enforces. A landlord may still check that the tenant can afford their own share of the rent, using the same income test applied to other tenants, and may still rely on landlord references or a record of lease violations, unpaid utilities, nuisance or property damage. Landlords with six or more units must also offer to report tenants' on-time rent payments to a credit bureau. A no vote opposed the new limits on landlords. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 96-34 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 772 of 2026.

    April 11, 2026Opposes Civil Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 475, the PACE Act, which limited using a defendant's art as evidence against them. Prosecutors have used defendants' song lyrics and other creative work as proof of guilt. In a criminal or juvenile case, such work is now inadmissible unless the judge finds all four of the following, more likely than not. The defendant meant it literally rather than as fiction. It is close in time and facts to the alleged offense. It bears on a disputed fact, and its value as proof outweighs the unfair prejudice it causes. Creative expression covers music, dance, performance and visual art, poetry, literature and film. Juvenile courts may still use it to steer a young person toward mental health services or a diversion program. A no vote opposed limiting its use. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 99-35 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 517 of 2026.

    April 8, 2026Opposes Civil Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted to pass HB 1578, a departmental bill extending Maryland's minority business contracting program. The Minority Business Enterprise program, which sets participation goals for minority-owned firms in state contracting, was due to end and now runs to July 1, 2031. The bill replaces the legislature's existing findings on disparity in state contracting with new ones, adds quarterly reporting for certain procurement programs, changes annual reporting deadlines, requires rules for reviewing small business certification, and counts joint ventures as small businesses. A yes vote extended the program five more years. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 98-32 and it was signed into law as Chapter 82 of 2026.

    March 21, 2026Supports Civil Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted to pass HB 502, an Administration bill making the state a model employer of people with disabilities. The bill creates the Office of Disability Employment Advancement and Policy inside the Maryland Department of Disabilities and puts it in charge of the Maryland as a Model Employer Initiative from July 1, 2026. Each December 1 from that year on, the office must report to the Governor and the legislature on how the initiative is going and recommend further changes to how state government hires and keeps people with disabilities. A yes vote created that office and initiative. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 102-37 and it was signed into law as Chapter 1 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025Supports Civil Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1378, which cut how much money child sexual abuse victims can win in cases Maryland had recently reopened. Those cases had been blocked by filing deadlines until the state lifted them. The bill lowered the limits on what victims can collect from the state, from local governments, and from local school boards. It also lowered the cap on damages for pain and suffering in other reopened cases. It changed those limits so they apply once per claim instead of once per incident. It also capped the fees a victim's lawyer may charge. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 91-41 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 104 of 2025.

    April 5, 2025Supports Civil Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 29, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 783, which added implicit bias and structural racism to the training required of licensed health workers. Implicit bias means the unspoken assumptions a person carries without meaning to. Anyone licensed by a state health board must confirm they finished an approved course on it the first time they renew after April 1, 2026. A state program run with the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities decides which courses count. A no vote opposed adding it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 101-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 478 of 2025.

    March 12, 2025Opposes Civil Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted to pass HB 367, which stopped health boards demanding duplicate proof that an applicant speaks English. A Maryland health occupations board may no longer require extra evidence of English proficiency from an applicant who already holds a valid, unrestricted license, certification or registration from another state that required such evidence. Any board that asks for English proficiency evidence must say so prominently on its website, along with this exception. The bill also changes the English proficiency rules of the nursing and pharmacy boards and the conditions for a nurse licensed elsewhere to be licensed here by endorsement. A yes vote removed that duplicate requirement. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 107-27 and it was signed into law as Chapter 731 of 2025.

    February 27, 2025Supports Civil Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 324, the County Board Member Antibias Training Act. It makes every member of a county school board finish an antibias training course at least once during their term. It is the same course school staff already take, but board members take it in their own session. A no vote opposed requiring it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 105-29 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 301 of 2025.

    February 27, 2025Opposes Civil Rights

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • On 2023-01-25, Seth Howard co-sponsored HB0260, the Maryland Sign Language Interpreters Act, which established interpreter licensing and support programs; it became Chapter 270.

    January 25, 2023Supports Civil Rights

    Source: mgaleg.maryland.gov · researched August 21, 2026

Track record — Corporate Accountability

Corporate Accountability · 2 support · 14 oppose
  • Voted against overriding the Governor's veto of HB 862, which set a minimum crew size for freight trains. A freight train that shares a corridor with a high-speed passenger or commuter train may not run in Maryland with fewer than two crew members. A willful violation costs the railroad up to $10,000, or up to $25,000 for a repeat within three years, and the company alone is answerable for its employees. The rule only starts once New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia pass similar laws. The Governor vetoed the bill on May 22, 2026 on policy grounds. A no vote would have let the veto stand. The Maryland House of Delegates overrode the veto 99-30 over these votes, so the bill became Chapter 879 of 2026.

    August 3, 2026Opposes Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 94, which banned tips on pay advances and consumer loans. Consumer loan lenders, commercial loan lenders and earned wage access providers may not ask for or take a tip, and must return any tip they collect within seven days. They must tell consumers that they are barred from asking for or accepting one. The bill also brings earned wage access providers under the consumer protection and non-discrimination rules that already govern other consumer and commercial lending. A no vote opposed the ban. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 100-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 170 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026Opposes Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 191, which made shops take cash for everyday essentials. Between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., a shop may not refuse cash, demand a card, or charge more for paying cash when someone buys an essential consumer good. That covers food, water and drinks, personal hygiene and cleaning products, medicine and medical supplies, and fuel. It applies only to in-person sales under $300, and not to online, phone, mail, vending machine or kiosk sales, restaurants, specialty food shops, or membership fuel sellers. A shop may refuse notes larger than $20, or use a free cash-to-card machine on site instead. Breaking the rule is an unfair trade practice under state consumer law. A no vote opposed requiring shops to take cash. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 99-28 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 714 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026Opposes Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 103, which bars consumer contracts from waiving, limiting, or taking away remedies that state or federal law gives consumers. It still allows a contract to limit statutory or punitive damages to available insurance coverage and leaves valid arbitration clauses intact. It became Chapter 308 of 2026. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 84-32.

    April 13, 2026Opposes Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 30, 2026

  • Voted to pass HB 1016, which voided noncompete clauses for architects at firms that move out of Maryland. A noncompete or conflict of interest clause in an employment contract is void where it binds a licensed architect, if two things are true. The employer had more than 30 employees on the architect's first day, most of them based in Maryland or working remotely from here. And when the employer tries to enforce the clause, it either no longer has most of its employees based or working remotely here, or no longer has its principal place of business in Maryland. It applies only to contracts signed after the bill took effect. A yes vote voided those clauses. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 101-29 and it was signed into law as Chapter 301 of 2026.

    April 11, 2026Supports Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 624, the Safe Staffing Act of 2026, which gave hospital staff a say in staffing levels. Every hospital must meet the staffing standards of the body that accredits it and the federal Medicare and Medicaid conditions of participation. Each must also run a clinical staffing committee: three managers and two employees at hospitals with 150 or fewer licensed beds, and five managers and four employees at larger ones. The hospital's chief nurse executive drafts a staffing plan and the committee finalizes one that meets patient needs. The hospital must give the plan to any staff member who asks. A no vote opposed the requirement. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 96-35 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 236 of 2026.

    April 11, 2026Opposes Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted to pass HB 895, an Administration bill banning data-driven price hikes on groceries. A food shop of at least 15,000 square feet, or a delivery service, may not use a shopper's personal data to set a higher price just for them on food that is exempt from sales tax. Nor may either use data about a protected class in a way that denies someone a benefit others get. Ordinary pricing is untouched: sales and loyalty discounts, subscription prices, price differences from shipping, taxes, location, supply or cost, prices offered to shoppers who agree to share data, and fixing a pricing error or a system outage. Breaking the ban is an unfair trade practice under state consumer law. A yes vote banned those personal-data price hikes on groceries. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 100-31 and it was signed into law as Chapter 154 of 2026.

    April 11, 2026Supports Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 831, which strengthened Maryland's labor protections. An Executive Branch unit may not ask the federal government to waive any Fair Labor Standards Act provision that applies to it, even where federal law would allow the waiver. Employers may not form employee involvement organizations that fall outside the National Labor Relations Act and the federal labor board's jurisdiction. The Commissioner of Labor and Industry may impose a civil penalty for breaking specified child labor laws. If a specified federal contingency is met, the Public Employee Relations Board's jurisdiction extends to some private employees. A no vote opposed strengthening them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 99-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 167 of 2026.

    April 8, 2026Opposes Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 417, the Maryland Worker Freedom Act, which let workers skip employer meetings about politics or religion. An employer may not punish a worker, threaten to, or refuse to hire someone because the person declines to sit through a company meeting on the employer's political or religious views. Political matters covers elections, parties, proposed changes to law or policy, and whether to join a party or a union. Churches, political groups, schools teaching the subject, legally required training and government new-hire orientation are exempt, and voluntary meetings are still allowed. The state labor commissioner enforces it and must publish a workplace poster by November 1, 2026. A no vote opposed giving them that right. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 96-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 221 of 2026.

    April 8, 2026Opposes Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 220, which capped what landlords can charge tenants for water. Building owners, and the managers or contractors they hire, may install individual water submeters in apartments, dwelling units and mobile homes. An owner who uses those submeters to bill for bulk water service may not charge a unit any water or sewer cost beyond what the water provider actually charged. The bill also sets record-keeping duties, a method for billing when a submeter reads badly, and conditions a landlord must meet first. A no vote opposed the limit. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 95-34 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 262 of 2026.

    February 20, 2026Opposes Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1046, which stopped vehicle repair contracts excluding known defects. A technical service bulletin is a notice a manufacturer issues about a known problem with a vehicle. A mechanical repair contract may no longer contain a clause that denies coverage just because the problem appears in one, and a guarantor or provider may no longer refuse a claim just because the diagnosed problem was named in one. A no vote opposed closing it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 100-38 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 207 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025Opposes Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 431, which voided contract clauses that shorten a consumer's time to sue. If a consumer contract gives a person less time to bring a claim than state law allows, that clause is now against state policy, illegal and void. The rule does not reach contracts from businesses operating under a state license or franchise, services regulated by the Maryland Public Service Commission or the federal communications or energy regulators, or licensed security system providers. A no vote opposed voiding them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 101-38 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 194 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025Opposes Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 861, which made ride-hailing companies show drivers what the company collected on their rides. A company such as Uber or Lyft must give each driver a weekly summary listing total fares collected, total extra fees charged to riders, the driver's own pay, and the driver's pay as a share of each. Each February the company must also send fare and earnings data to the Public Service Commission, where anything not already public is kept confidential as a trade secret. The law took effect January 1, 2026. A no vote opposed requiring them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 103-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 506 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025Opposes Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1020, the Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act, which kept medical debt off credit reports. Credit reporting companies may not list covered medical debt, and no one may use it to decide whether a person is good for a loan. Doctors, hospitals, and sellers of medical products may not report any part of a medical debt to those companies. They must also put that ban in writing in any contract that sells or hands off medical debt for collection. A contract signed after the law took effect without that promise cannot be enforced. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 102-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 121 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025Opposes Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 29, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1294, which brought pay advance apps under Maryland's consumer lending law. Earned wage access products let a worker draw pay before payday, often for a fee or a requested tip. The bill treats certain of these products as loans under the Maryland Consumer Loan Law, requires the companies offering them to be licensed, and sets new rules on accepting tips. It also limits and requires disclosure of the costs and fees of getting one, and reworks the state's credit licensing structure to fit. A no vote opposed regulating them that way. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 99-38 over these votes and it became law without the Governor's signature as Chapter 847 of 2025.

    March 14, 2025Opposes Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 933, which put nursing home spending under yearly state review. The Maryland Department of Health must review the cost reports and other data every Medicaid nursing home files. The review covers how much revenue goes to contracted nursing services and how much goes to the pay of front-line staff. That includes nurse aides, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, housekeepers, dietary workers and clerical staff who deal with residents. Each year through 2029 the department must report what it found to the Governor and two legislative committees. A no vote opposed the requirement. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 99-38 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 733 of 2025.

    March 11, 2025Opposes Corporate Accountability

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

Track record — General

General · 3 records
  • Voted against passing HB 1017, an emergency bill shutting privately run detention facilities out of Maryland. A detention facility here means any building used to hold people for civil or criminal violations, so the ban covers private jails and prisons as well as immigration detention; licensed hospitals and youth treatment programs are not covered. Neither the state nor any local government may approve building or operating any property for a private company to use as a detention facility, and a private company may not run or occupy one. Maryland already barred immigration-detention contracts with private companies under a 2021 law. If a state or federal court rules that ban unenforceable, a narrower rule takes its place: such a facility may only be approved where the zoning expressly allows private detention facilities. Because it is an emergency bill, it took effect on signing. A no vote opposed the ban. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 95-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 173 of 2026.

    April 11, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • On 2025-05-06, Seth Howard co-sponsored HB0887, which established qualifications for licensed out-of-state accountants to practice in Maryland; it became Chapter 407.

    May 6, 2025

    Source: mgaleg.maryland.gov · researched August 21, 2026

  • On 2024-02-08, Seth Howard co-sponsored HB1206, which established the Maryland-Ireland Trade Commission; it became Chapter 409.

    February 8, 2024

    Source: mgaleg.maryland.gov · researched August 21, 2026

Track record — Other records

Other records · 45 records
  • Voted against passing SB 949, an emergency bill setting absentee ballot deadlines in law. The bill writes into statute requirements much like the State Board of Elections regulations already governing when an absentee ballot counts as timely. It adds rules for when federal law or a federal court sets a different deadline for ballots carrying federal contests. Votes in non-federal contests on ballots meeting state timeliness rules must still be counted. The board must also adopt canvass regulations that comply with the federal deadline. A no vote opposed doing so. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 96-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 440 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 168, which opened state housing funds to housing built for teachers. A county board of education may now treat providing educator workforce housing as a school purpose, so school land and buildings can be used for it. Three state housing programs — the Housing Innovation Fund, the Housing Innovation Pilot Program and the Neighborhood and Community Assistance Program — may now fund that housing, and municipal corporations and county school boards are added to who may receive the money. Teachers and other local school system staff also count as a specified group for the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. It took effect July 1, 2026. A no vote opposed it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 89-32 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 678 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 872, which widened which rentals fall under the lead paint law. Maryland's Reduction of Lead Risk in Housing law covers residential rental property built before 1978. A rental dwelling unit had to be a single independent habitable unit with permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation. The bill drops the word independent and now counts a unit that either has those provisions or has access to them, bringing more rentals under the law. A no vote opposed widening it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 99-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 225 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 729, which extended free eviction lawyers to mobile home park residents. Maryland's Access to Counsel in Evictions program, run by the Maryland Legal Services Corporation, gives tenants facing eviction a lawyer. The bill expands the program to cover residents of mobile home parks. A no vote opposed extending it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 101-35 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 754 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 187, an emergency bill on prerelease services for incarcerated women. A prerelease facility prepares people for life after prison with work, education and reentry services. The bill reclassifies the women's prerelease unit in the Division of Correction as a prerelease facility for eligible individuals and changes the requirements and timelines around it, including the timeline for providing the comprehensive rehabilitative services it is required to offer. From June 1, 2027 the Correctional Ombudsman must check and verify the corrections department's progress each year and report findings to legislative committees. A no vote opposed the change. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 101-36 over these votes and it became law without the Governor's signature as Chapter 876 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 894, an Administration bill making it easier to build homes next to rail stations. Near a rail station with at least hourly weekday service, a local government generally may not set a minimum number of off-street parking spaces for housing or mixed-use projects within a quarter mile. It may do so only if a recent parking study backs the requirement and the state transportation department agrees. Local zoning must allow mixed-use development within half a mile of such a station. Land owned by the state, Baltimore City or the Washington area transit authority next to such a station, under a state-approved development plan, is exempt from local limits on use, height and setbacks. The bill also makes qualifying transit-oriented developments automatic enterprise zones, which carry state business tax breaks, and stops counties and towns from collecting development impact fees or excise taxes on qualifying housing until the building is finished. Local control over environmental concerns, health and safety, and public facilities rules is untouched, and land zoned single-family on January 1, 2026 and college campus stations are carved out. A no vote opposed overriding those local rules. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 100-32 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 592 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 1, which barred police from covering their faces on duty and required them to wear identification. The state police training commission must write two policies every agency follows. Officers may not wear a face covering on duty except undercover, or where a covering is absolutely needed for health or safety such as bad weather; general worry about officer safety is not enough. Officers must wear identification on their outer layer and say who they are when asked, unless in plain clothes or undercover. Breaking either rule is a civil offense with a fine up to $1,500 and counts as police misconduct. A no vote opposed these requirements. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 100-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 612 of 2026.

    April 13, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 571, which extended a housing tax exemption to nonprofit subsidiaries. Subsidiary entities of housing authorities are already exempt from state and local taxes. The bill changes the definition of a nonprofit housing corporation and gives that same exemption to the subsidiaries such corporations set up. It took effect July 1, 2026. A no vote opposed extending it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 96-33 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 727 of 2026.

    April 11, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 523, which put Maryland's vernal pools on a map. A vernal pool is a seasonal wetland that dries out part of the year and is a breeding ground for amphibians. The Department of Natural Resources, working with the environment department, must build and maintain a list of them. Environment department staff must be designated and trained to identify them, and where trained staff spot a possible vernal pool while doing their existing nontidal wetlands work, they must tell natural resources so it can be considered for the list. A no vote opposed creating them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 97-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 164 of 2026.

    April 10, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 305, which extended funding for reentry job training. For one more year, through fiscal 2029, the Governor may include $1.0 million in the budget to be used only as an operating grant to qualifying non-profits that train formerly incarcerated people in automotive repair. It took effect July 1, 2026. A no vote opposed extending it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 98-34 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 403 of 2026.

    April 10, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 994, which required travel sellers to carry insurance. Sellers of travel services and independent agents must file proof each year with the Maryland Department of Labor of professional liability and errors and omissions insurance of at least $1,000,000. The department must tell consumers and sellers about the requirement, enforce it, and write rules covering registration and enforcement. The bill also creates a registration fund the department administers. A no vote opposed requiring it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 97-34 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 611 of 2026.

    April 10, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 351, the No Kings Act, which created a state lawsuit against federal officers who violate someone's rights. A person who was harmed, or the Attorney General, may sue a covered officer who acted under color of law and took away a right protected by law, including the U.S. Constitution. A covered officer is one who can arrest for federal crimes and carry a gun on duty; Maryland officers on a joint task force are not covered. The suit may seek money and a court order, a winning plaintiff may recover lawyer and expert fees, and the deadline to sue is five years. Officers may still raise any immunity defense that existed when the claim arose. A no vote opposed creating it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 97-35 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 459 of 2026.

    April 10, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 136, which gave police officers of the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission the same collective bargaining rights most state employees have. Supervisors, managers and confidential staff were left out. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 99-33 and it was signed into law as Chapter 65 of 2026.

    April 8, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 11, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 711, the Data Privacy Act, which walled personal data off from immigration enforcement. A company that decides how personal data is used may not knowingly sell a consumer's data to any federal, state or local government body that, in the previous six months, carried out or backed civil immigration enforcement by supplying staff or resources. Without a court warrant naming the exact data, such a company also may not answer subpoenas from those agencies or otherwise cooperate with them. The bill widens what counts as protected data, including location data and sensitive data, and makes matching changes to the public records law and to the rules on police database access. A no vote opposed the limits. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 94-35 over these votes and it became law without the Governor's signature as Chapter 874 of 2026.

    March 21, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1148, which helped heirs keep a home out of tax sale. The State Tax Sale Ombudsman's services now reach the estate or personal representative of a dead homeowner and their heirs and legatees. The bill creates the Legacy Protection Program in the state assessments department, funded by $250,000 a year from the state and $500,000 a year from the counties. An heir who is not on the title may receive the homeowners' and homestead property tax credits for up to three tax years if they otherwise qualify. A no vote opposed creating them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 99-34 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 718 of 2026.

    March 18, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 254, the Supporting Inclusive Community Adaptation Act. The Department of Natural Resources must bring communities into the planning and development of its projects. The bill sets up a grant fund the department runs, aimed at climate change resilience, alongside other departmental work on it. It also loosens an existing loan fund for shore erosion control projects by removing certain funding limits and allowing part of a loan to be forgiven. A no vote opposed it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 98-35 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 76 of 2026.

    March 18, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1490, which stopped cash assistance being cut off over child support. The Family Investment Program may no longer deny, reduce or end assistance where someone has good cause for not cooperating with child support enforcement, under criteria the Secretary of Human Services sets. The program must find good cause where cooperating may be against the child's best interest, and a caseworker granting it may not contact the parent the support would come from. A no vote opposed the protection. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 103-30 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 763 of 2026.

    March 18, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 115, which requires corrections officials to send monthly release information to election officials so they can restore an eligible Marylander's prior voter registration at a new in-state address. The person must get notice and can decline registration or update their address. It became Chapter 428 of 2026. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 100-33.

    March 18, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 30, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 480, which gave ride-hailing drivers an appeal when they are cut off. Deactivation is when a company switches off a driver's access to its app, ending their ability to earn. A transportation network company must now keep and follow a written deactivation policy setting out the procedures it uses, including an internal appeal process for the driver. It took effect January 1, 2027. A no vote opposed requiring them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 98-38 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 232 of 2026.

    March 11, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 557, which let people check a criminal record against a license before applying. Someone can now ask a state department to review their criminal history in advance and say whether it would disqualify them from the occupational license or certificate they want. The department uses existing resources but may charge up to $100 for the review, and it may waive that fee for anyone whose income is at or below three times the federal poverty level, as determined by the District Court of Maryland. The process runs from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029. A no vote opposed creating it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 96-28 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 302 of 2026.

    March 5, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 85, which created a legal path to permanently affordable co-op housing. A limited equity housing co-op is one where resale prices are capped so the homes stay affordable. The bill lets a Maryland nonstock corporation convert into one and sets out how. A county or town may not restrict such a co-op, including by restricting the sale of rental buildings to a nonstock corporation that plans to convert. The housing department may add rights and requirements and may run a grant program to encourage them. A no vote opposed creating it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 103-33 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 260 of 2026.

    February 26, 2026

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 666, which guaranteed operating money for community action agencies. Community action agencies are local non-profits that run anti-poverty services. For each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030 the Governor must include $250,000 in the budget for the housing department, to be used only as operating grants to eligible agencies. The requirement took effect July 1, 2025 and ends June 30, 2032. A no vote opposed guaranteeing them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 109-30 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 288 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 93, which told local election boards to remind voters they can vote by mail. A local board of elections must include a written notice about requesting a state absentee ballot application whenever it sends a specimen ballot or other mailing to voters, so that people know mail-in voting is an option. The board need not send it to a voter who already has permanent absentee status, need not send it more than once per election, and need not send it at all for a vote-by-mail election. A no vote opposed requiring them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 104-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 310 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 634, which gave recently released prisoners a way to clear old state tax debt. It covers a person convicted of a crime who is still serving, or who was released within the past two years after serving between six months and ten years in a state or federal prison. For tax years 2025 through 2029, such a person who gets a tax bill for a year they were incarcerated may ask the Comptroller for an installment plan of up to ten years, and the Comptroller must waive the interest and penalties that piled up. The Comptroller works with the corrections department on an awareness campaign and writes the rules, which may set income limits, and reports to the legislature on the program each December 1 from 2026. A no vote opposed creating it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 103-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 734 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 15, the Maryland Limited Worker Cooperative Association Act. A worker cooperative is a business the people who work there own and control. The bill creates a legal form for one in Maryland: a limited liability company that elects to be a limited worker cooperative association. It sets out how such a business is formed, run and wound up, and says no existing contract or obligation is disturbed by it. It took effect October 1, 2026. A no vote opposed creating it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 102-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 198 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 856, the Maryland Tenant Mold Protection Act. The Maryland Department of the Environment, working with the health, housing, labor and general services departments, must build and maintain a central website on mold remediation and damp, and produce an information pamphlet or use a specified federal one. The bill also places duties on landlords about mold in rental units, including carrying out a mold assessment and remediation as specified. A no vote opposed them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 103-35 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 539 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 974, which locked in no-cost coverage of preventive care as the federal rules stood at the end of 2024. Insurers must already cover certain preventive services with no copay, coinsurance or deductible. The bill makes the Insurance Commissioner enforce that using the federal recommendations in effect on December 31, 2024, so a rollback in Washington would not shrink the list. The Commissioner may add later federal recommendations that help consumers. A high-deductible plan may still apply its deductible to these services unless the Commissioner decides otherwise, and the existing religious exemption from contraceptive coverage still applies. A no vote opposed locking it in. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 100-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 745 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1473, which widened the duty of state agencies to serve people with limited English or a disability. Each covered agency must write a language access plan and give help that is accurate, on time, free to the person, and not much slower or worse than the service English speakers get. More papers must be translated, including applications, consent and complaint forms, emergency notices, and letters about state benefits. A new Maryland Language Advisory Group tracks how agencies are doing and reports to lawmakers each year. A no vote opposed the expanded duties. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 104-35 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 434 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1424, the Protect Our Federal Workers Act, which offered state help to Marylanders who lost federal jobs. It let two state emergency funds be spent on former federal workers, and renamed one of them the Federal Government Employee Assistance Loan Fund. It changed who may borrow from that fund and allowed some loans to be forgiven, meaning the money never has to be paid back. It let the Governor move up to $5.0 million into that fund in fiscal 2025 from the Rainy Day Fund, the state's savings account. It gave the Attorney General more power to go to court over federal actions that harm Marylanders, and required at least $2.5 million a year for that office. It also set up a temporary program to hire people who left federal service into open state jobs. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 105-33 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 97 of 2025.

    April 7, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 29, 2026

  • Voted against passing SB 432, the Expungement Reform Act of 2025, a bill sent up by the Governor's office. Expungement is a court order erasing the record of an old case. The bill starts the waiting period when the whole sentence ends, including probation or parole, and adds credit card theft and driving without a license to the offenses that can be erased. A judge must also weigh how well the person did on supervision and whether they paid any restitution or truly cannot afford it. From January 31, 2026 the state's public case-search website stops showing certain dropped, inactive and pardoned cannabis charges. A no vote opposed these changes. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 101-38 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 95 of 2025.

    April 2, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 102, which pushed back the start of Maryland's paid family and medical leave program. The Family and Medical Leave Insurance program collects contributions from workers and employers and later pays benefits to people who take leave. The bill delayed the start of contributions by 18 months to January 1, 2027, and delayed benefit payments by at least six months, to a date between January 1, 2027 and January 3, 2028 that the Secretary of Labor sets and announces. It also pushed optional participation by self-employed people back until rules are adopted by July 1, 2028. A no vote opposed the delay. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 95-34 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 363 of 2025.

    March 28, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1111, which opened a solar incentive to panels over ponds and old quarries. Solar systems on or over a water retention pond or a quarry now or previously zoned industrial can qualify for the Small Solar Energy Generating System Incentive Program, if they generate between 20 kilowatts and 5 megawatts and meet the program's other rules. Local governments may also grant a property tax credit for non-residential solar built on a brownfield, a retention pond or such a quarry. A no vote opposed extending it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 101-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 458 of 2025.

    March 17, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 731, which set up a state effort to keep wildlife off the highways. The bill creates the Maryland Connectivity Coalition to improve the connections between wildlife habitats and cut collisions between animals and vehicles. The State Highway Administration chairs the coalition and has the final say over where wildlife crossings go, how they are designed, and how they are funded. The bill also creates a Wildlife Connectivity Fund, run by the natural resources department, that can pay for crossings, fencing, habitat maps and maintenance, and that takes state money plus public donations through a new website. Local governments must consider wildlife movement and habitat connections when they write or amend their comprehensive plans, and the planning department must supply them the relevant information. A no vote opposed them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 101-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 549 of 2025.

    March 17, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1315, which locked pharmacist vaccine rules and insurance coverage to federal advice as it stood at the end of 2024. Maryland lets pharmacists give the shots a federal panel recommends. The bill says that means the federal rules in force on December 31, 2024, plus any new vaccine the panel adds later, so a rollback in Washington would not narrow what pharmacists may give. Health plans must also cover every visit and cost for the childhood and teen shots the panel recommended as of that date, starting with plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. A no vote opposed locking it in. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 103-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 738 of 2025.

    March 17, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1085, which widened a property tax break for housing built by public housing authorities. Housing authorities set up separate nonprofit companies to build and run housing. Property owned by those nonprofits was tax free in only three places: Baltimore City, Howard County and Montgomery County. The bill gives the same break to the nonprofits of every housing authority in the state. A no vote opposed extending it beyond the three original places. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 103-34 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 169 of 2025.

    March 17, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 881, which sends more collected child support straight to families on cash assistance. When a parent on the Family Investment Program is owed child support, the state collects it and has kept part of it. Starting in fiscal 2028 the share passed through to the family rises each year, and from fiscal 2031 the family gets 100% of what is collected that month. The money passed through is also ignored when the state works out the family's benefit, so it does not cut their assistance. A no vote opposed the change. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 106-31 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 373 of 2025.

    March 14, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 765, which let hospitals sell patient debt only to buyers who wipe it out. State law had barred hospitals from selling patient debt at all. Now a hospital may sell it to a government body or a nonprofit, but only if the contract says the point of the sale is to cancel the debt, and the patient then owes nothing. The debt must be at least two years old and owed by someone earning up to five times the federal poverty level, or whose medical debt tops 5% of family income. The buyer must tell the patient the debt is gone and try to undo any court judgment or credit report damage. A no vote opposed the change. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 103-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 750 of 2025.

    March 13, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1082, which set up state subsidies to cushion a coming rise in health plan premiums. Federal tax credits hold down what people pay for health plans bought on the state exchange, and the share of income households owe was set to rise in 2026 and 2027. The Maryland Health Benefit Exchange must build a state-funded subsidy program, within available money, aimed at the people that increase hits. The exchange has to track spending monthly and publish it. If Congress extends the federal credits for those two years, the whole program ends. A no vote opposed creating it. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 102-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 468 of 2025.

    March 12, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 1380, which made minimum childbirth care standards a condition of a hospital's license. The Maryland Department of Health, working with the state's emergency medical services institute, must write rules setting minimum perinatal care standards — the care around pregnancy and birth — that meet or beat the existing Maryland Perinatal System Standards. The rules were due by October 1, 2026. Every hospital that delivers babies and every freestanding birthing center must meet them to keep its license. A no vote opposed making them mandatory. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 101-39 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 709 of 2025.

    March 11, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 390, the Affordable Housing Payment in Lieu of Taxes Expansion Act. It lets a county drop the county property tax on a rental building if the owner keeps at least a quarter of the units affordable for 15 years or more. In exchange the owner signs a deal to pay the county a set yearly amount instead of the tax. A unit counts as affordable if a household earning 60% or less of the area's middle income can rent it for no more than 30% of its pay. A no vote opposed giving counties this new property tax break. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 100-38 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 107 of 2025.

    March 11, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 31, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 249, which stopped local governments from punishing people for calling 911. Some counties and towns had rules that treated a rental home as a nuisance once police or emergency crews were called there a set number of times, and that let them penalize the owner or the tenant. The bill bars a county or town from enforcing any such rule, and the ban applies even when someone other than the tenant made the call. It took effect July 1, 2025. A no vote opposed overriding those local rules. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 96-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 476 of 2025.

    March 4, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 197, which told the state to plan for restorative practices schools. Restorative practices is a student discipline model focused on relationships and on students taking personal accountability. By July 1, 2026 the Maryland State Department of Education must write a full plan for setting these up, using outside experts, and must help schools that ask. A local school board that opens one must follow it. The department must report to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2026. The state's school discipline rules now say restorative practices instead of approaches. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 94-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 240 of 2025.

    February 28, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 29, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 297, which made health insurance subsidies for young adults permanent. Maryland ran a pilot giving young adults money toward health plans bought on the state exchange, set to end June 30, 2026. The bill repeals that end date and renames it the State-Based Young Adult Health Insurance Subsidies Program. The exchange is now authorized rather than required to run it, and may not run it in a year when the money from a specified assessment is not there. A no vote opposed making them permanent. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 98-37 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 721 of 2025.

    February 20, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 39, the Carlton R. Smith Act, which erased Maryland's crime of passing on HIV. Knowingly giving or trying to give someone HIV had been a misdemeanor, the lower level of crime. The bill removed it and its penalty. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 100-36 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 651 of 2025.

    February 20, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched August 29, 2026

  • Voted against passing HB 199, which changed when the state contacts permanent absentee voters. Voters on the permanent absentee list get a ballot mailed for every election without asking each time. The bill requires the State Board of Elections to send each of them the pre-election notice between 120 and 90 days before the election, and repeals the old cutoff date limiting who gets it. If the board cannot reach a voter by the method the voter chose, it must now try another method. It took effect July 1, 2025. A no vote opposed them. The Maryland House of Delegates passed it 104-33 over these votes and it was signed into law as Chapter 280 of 2025.

    February 13, 2025

    Source: legiscan.com · researched September 2, 2026

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