[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6630161,"mediaKeyId","2699061-44fe3a8d464e293427895ae2ece8d559","parentId",2699061,"title","Bill would broaden Maryland Home Improvement Commission's discretion to pay claims and allow attorney fees from guarantee fund","audioSeconds",977,"startMs",897000,"endMs",1874000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2699061-44fe3a8d464e293427895ae2ece8d559&start=897&end=1874","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2699061-44fe3a8d464e293427895ae2ece8d559/thumbnail_897000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6630161/Maryland/Bill-would-broaden-Maryland-Home-Improvement-Commissions-discretion-to-pay-claims-and-allow-attorney-fees-from-guarantee-fund","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630161-7fdd35caad77378b482dab188d8d5e8a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200397&Signature=h9pTpm6hkhHVeT6jXcgWSP7m6D1ItmlL~0laZZV83~71~Ijj9akpOESotUOw0FJojs3oQseAWnUMiAwel0N89huT8-sVTLMVWPigCgyJwGEoQKkZOXVLxKNjylz4BwHXjHl2JPDAgdTpMjxT~2krKEZyO3UzqJD1vWEqrutNNl2w1Xj27Y5~bKupjlQIoH4yi01-2TgK4PX~~~FK8UhZz2iPhoPrHovcfp491pIh8SLtv4wCEN4K3RC7a-7LpquhUTTIvFfwI37upn9N2z1wo1LdN~kRkGI7oJySW~yr1eCDK0ie0q95YEF0gIpXUBTwcxwZClhqGtp4WSQe3zH5rQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maryland General Assembly - Economic Matters","date","2025-03-19T19:56:01.18Z","article","Senator Clarence Lam asked the Economic Matters Committee for a favorable report on Senate Bill 578, which would amend the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) guarantee fund statute to allow the commission greater discretion to award eligible claimants and to permit the commission to award attorney's fees from the fund at its discretion.

Lam told the committee the bill removes the word \"expressly\" from the statutory language that MHIC uses to interpret arbitration awards and fund eligibility. He said the change responds to an appellate decision (Brzozowski v. Maryland Home Improvement Commission) that courts have applied in a way that narrowed homeowners' access to the fund. Lam said MHIC currently requires arbitration awards to \"expressly\" identify actual losses for the commission to pay, which has prevented some otherwise meritorious awards from resulting in fund disbursements.

The bill also would allow MHIC to pay reasonable attorney's fees up to a statutory cap on total awards. Lam said MHIC estimates any additional payouts could be funded by small increases in licensing fees—an example estimate cited at the hearing was an increase of $5 for new licenses and $9 for renewals if payouts increase 5%—and that the fiscal impact to the state would be minimal. Committee members asked for specifics about when attorney's fees would be paid from the fund and whether caps or reasonableness standards apply; Lam pointed to language in the bill limiting total awards to no more than $30,000 in some circumstances.

A virtual witness, identified as Sabin Swickard and described as a constituent, testified about a multi-year dispute with MHIC and a contractor. Swickard said his case had produced arbitration and appellate rulings in his favor but that MHIC refused to recognize those rulings, forcing him to file new proceedings and incurring substantial attorney fees. Swickard said an initial award of roughly $13,000, with roughly $1,500 in attorney fees early in the dispute, had resulted in six years of litigation and roughly $50,000 in attorney fees when MHIC did not enforce awards and the contractor subsequently reorganized under the same license number. Swickard attributed his extended costs and inability to collect to MHIC practices; those assertions were presented as his testimony to the committee.

Committee members asked whether MHIC had participated in the hearing and whether the bill would solve systemic problems; the sponsor said MHIC did not attend the hearing and that the bill seeks to address the statutory interpretation issue and to allow the commission discretion to make homeowners whole where appropriate. No formal vote on SB 578 was recorded at the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","ECM Committee Session, 3/19/2025 #1","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 578 would give the Maryland Home Improvement Commission broader discretion to pay guarantee-fund claims and to award attorney's fees from the fund; sponsor and a witness described cases in which homeowners say they could not access the fund despite arbitration and court rulings in their favor.","taxTitle","Economic Matters Committee, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Maryland","taxId",15059,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6630165,"Bill would require builders to disclose appliance warranty registrations to homebuyers at closing",376,404000,780000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2699061-44fe3a8d464e293427895ae2ece8d559&start=404&end=780","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2699061-44fe3a8d464e293427895ae2ece8d559/thumbnail_404000.jpg","/articles/6630165/Maryland/Bill-would-require-builders-to-disclose-appliance-warranty-registrations-to-homebuyers-at-closing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630165-0781128f17fde87c99e9f7ea8199041d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200397&Signature=GQBOhFdfLtXKSsb-FichXkRXPZMvSP2ympxwuxb-6iJDhQS9cIjhMwCd7NHwIjFypej13pbQ8hBSOKt7lajC8Jck5PZh8zdFV4hrb1EChSL7o4iLQ0G~WHYGsYOT8SP~k6mYFFmie8DhbsOYhcipqTlFSftyE16x73mCn75np6~3p2Oa-GVS5qK~SLEurjPwXeFGpANC-m0NLmKIjOjUT8UNMCppLcNlOgscSUEi2~Zr~ofwUMtNUToJvAYjeka7sdY6TE~Qwnu0qltUM3y8aaGrxohFwtNTe64Q9DUpLlTFf7hwwrG7Nx-5NPb5njqn43tM0ry9gYtKAYsx19vqXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Nick Charles urged the Economic Matters Committee to support Senate Bill 522, a proposed consumer-protection measure that would require home builders to provide written warranty information for appliances, including heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, at the time of closing on an initial home sale.

Charles said the bill responds to cases in which buyers discovered, after purchase, that an appliance had been registered earlier by the builder and therefore had less remaining warranty coverage than the buyer expected. He illustrated the concern with a hypothetical in which \"a home might come with an HVAC system that has a 5 year warranty, but the buyer could find out that there are only 2 years left having no idea the appliance was registered 3 years in advance.\" He said the bill does not require builders to provide a warranty themselves, only to provide information about any existing warranty and registration status.

Committee members pressed the sponsor on enforcement. Charles said the bill, as drafted for the hearing, does not include an enforcement mechanism and that he is \"more than willing to work with the House to come up with an amendment that adds teeth to the bill.\" A committee member questioned whether a bill without enforcement would leave buyers told they were \"protected\" but with no recourse; Charles said he would work on amendments.

No formal vote on SB 522 was recorded at the hearing; the item was presented with sponsor testimony and committee questions.","Senate Bill 522 would require home builders to provide written warranty information, including for HVAC systems registered by the builder, at closing; sponsor said the change improves transparency for buyers though the bill contains no current enforcement mechanism.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6630170,"Senator seeks technical fix to clarify appointment process for Board of Stationary Engineers",263,139000,402000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2699061-44fe3a8d464e293427895ae2ece8d559&start=139&end=402","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2699061-44fe3a8d464e293427895ae2ece8d559/thumbnail_139000.jpg","/articles/6630170/Maryland/Senator-seeks-technical-fix-to-clarify-appointment-process-for-Board-of-Stationary-Engineers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630170-4fa66e10f447cd41461fd07bb004d04f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200397&Signature=Kq2mUV-29WTQqENpqXmT7XEOI-j5jRbZ6l79yBtZCbCmpJVNQKis3tCiyO7z1YaR2DpS~YS0v1qRrbxmFa6Z9~FBu4MWO4q-Z6L-IdzxRTwF7rQd9KnSxoWorNizcFe~2oU~LC7uLyqMuzJRSnmQtbePA308ZQAREls2ozy6ezH6UuDKlTx1xIFEzmv64iF8AMAnxsq-pCMjPVCkUdeAzTYdtnaQrQkBvs8GGTqWTcS~HX760ggDVKhK2qfTG3qsbe40jRW~32QImzTZuDs-Qb~Pzp0T4o9PiC638naVijny013UJDAySmkZm4LHqe7LcllZGJ1bSqBo~h-r4uD5Yw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Simon Eyre on behalf of the sponsor asked the Economic Matters Committee to approve Senate Bill 147, a technical amendment to clarify how members of the Board of Stationary Engineers are appointed. The bill would add the word \"consent\" to statutory language so the statute states appointees are made \"by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.\" Eyre said the change would align statute with current practice and Department of Labor materials and that there is no opposition or fiscal impact.

The change arises from an apparent omission in current law that leaves the statute reading that appointees are made \"with the advice of the Senate,\" language the sponsor said appears nowhere else in statute. Eyre told the committee the board protects the public by overseeing safe operation of power plants and related machinery and that the bill merely clarifies the appointment process so it matches the way appointments have been handled \"in practice.\" He asked for the committee's \"favorable consideration.\"

Committee members asked brief clarifying questions about the practical effect of adding the word \"consent.\" One committee member summarized the change as allowing the Senate to confirm appointees; Eyre agreed. The sponsor stated the Department of Labor supports the bill and that there is no opposition.

No formal vote on SB 147 was recorded during the hearing; the item was presented as a bill hearing with sponsor testimony and questions from the committee.","Senator Simon Eyre presented legislation to add the word \"consent\" to statutory language governing gubernatorial appointments to the Board of Stationary Engineers, saying the change would align the statute with current practice; sponsor said the bill has no opposition or fiscal impact and is supported by the Department of Labor.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6630156,"Technical fix proposed to clarify interaction between Maryland parental leave law and FMLA",415,2025000,2440000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2699061-44fe3a8d464e293427895ae2ece8d559&start=2025&end=2440","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2699061-44fe3a8d464e293427895ae2ece8d559/thumbnail_2025000.jpg","/articles/6630156/Maryland/Technical-fix-proposed-to-clarify-interaction-between-Maryland-parental-leave-law-and-FMLA","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6630156-cbe9063b7be30ccc4b0c8b7e494e0592/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200397&Signature=IxsMNGKvlgN8kJ4ITx2VefhXUgem-fnAwPxTsHJU00BAkloLIbq6Sr5rd38f2ytUcSYnK21ixeluOJNjFlfbR-QJjbvaxkTmfszGF4wpoYyAY3litpCnUhm2PlQWzdlwywoJLaTkq3-KQrWizG17Fn-8sVxot91uGLEoOwY21IcBhKscUEKMygxQqo6uzXsb8aCJdwsO9X0XWPCk4AYnl2~TrzDGEH0KLG~OIchOzkh2VXbYZ4LA1VftHTaboNP~knjwsKx1MYXZVxR8PtUDShKA3G3kU5DG0sdk33sjJwTGajlSKcPxkLFjF8rR354hgFKD0LvNWlRlLVN7DLfJEA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Justin Reedy presented Senate Bill 785 to the Economic Matters Committee as a technical correction to Maryland's parental leave law. Reedy said the bill clarifies how Maryland's unpaid parental leave for employers with 15 to 49 employees interacts with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which applies to employers with 50 or more employees.

Reedy explained the issue involves timing and differing definitions of a \"year\" for administering leave: Maryland law provides six weeks of leave in a year but does not define the applicable 12-month period in the same way FMLA does, and employers that cross the 50-employee threshold can experience confusion about whether leaves stack or run concurrently. The bill's amendment adds language to state law specifying that an employer is covered under the 15-to-49-employee provision only if the employer \"is not covered under the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act for the current calendar year,\" which the sponsor said would reduce uncertainty for human-resources professionals.

Committee members asked about administrative implementation and whether the Department of Labor participated; the sponsor said the department did not oppose the bill and that the change is meant to be a technical fix. No formal vote on SB 785 was recorded during the hearing.","Senate Bill 785 would amend Maryland's parental leave statute to clarify coverage for employers near the federal FMLA 50-employee threshold, preventing overlapping or stacked unpaid leaves; sponsor described the change as a technical correction and said there was no opposition from the Department of Labor.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill would broaden Maryland Home Improvement Commission's discretion to pay claims and allow attorney fees from guarantee fund

Bill would require builders to disclose appliance warranty registrations to homebuyers at closing

Senator seeks technical fix to clarify appointment process for Board of Stationary Engineers

Technical fix proposed to clarify interaction between Maryland parental leave law and FMLA