Overview
- Gov. Wes Moore, who signed more than 200 bills Tuesday, approved an emergency Voting Rights Act, a sweeping foster care overhaul named for Kanaiyah Ward, and a ban on data-driven grocery pricing.
- Kanaiyah’s Law responds to the 2025 death of 16-year-old Kanaiyah Ward in a Baltimore hotel by banning placements in unlicensed settings and creating an independent foster youth ombuds to investigate complaints.
- The child-welfare overhaul also expands background checks for adults in guardianship homes and codifies stricter oversight so children are not left in hotels, offices or shelters without proper care.
- The Voting Rights Act of 2026 takes effect immediately and lets residents and the state attorney general sue local governments over voting plans that dilute voter strength, including cases of polarized voting.
- The Protection From Predatory Pricing Act bars grocers and delivery services from using dynamic or surveillance-based pricing, requires listed prices to hold for at least one business day, and takes effect Oct. 1, 2026.