Del. Jennifer White Holland

Maddy summaryHB 1056 designates October 1 as "Purple Lights Night" in Maryland, requiring the Governor to annually proclaim this day. The bill honors individuals in the state who are victims or survivors of domestic violence and expresses support for eliminating domestic violence. It adds this commemorative day to Maryland law through a procedural change in the Annotated Code (Section 7-417), without creating new programs or funding. The bill is purely ceremonial, focusing on symbolic recognition rather than policy implementation. It takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 860, the Arnaud and Magruder Memorial Act, sets a 5-day initial limit for emergency evaluation petitions after court approval, with extensions of up to 5 days each (totaling no more than 30 days) based on the individual's current behavior. The bill requires courts to include the petition's expiration date and clarifies that peace officers must transport individuals to emergency facilities when holding a valid petition (either court-endorsed within 5 days or signed by authorized professionals), allowing electronic petitions. This law directly affects courts reviewing petitions, peace officers executing them, emergency facilities receiving individuals, and people subject to emergency evaluations. It standardizes timelines and procedures to ensure timely care while preventing prolonged detention without court review.

Maddy summaryHB 1143 bans the use of the "lung float test" (a hydrostatic lung test) during perinatal autopsies in Maryland. It directly affects the Chief Medical Examiner, deputy examiners, assistant examiners, and authorized pathologists when determining if a death was a stillbirth or occurred after a live birth. The bill prohibits this specific test method and allows parents, guardians, or legal representatives to file a civil lawsuit if the test is used unlawfully. Violations also become grounds for disciplinary action against medical examiners.

Maddy summaryHB 1150 expands pharmacists' scope of practice in Maryland to prescribe, administer, and dispense medications for specific minor conditions and HIV prevention/treatment under statewide protocols. It directly affects pharmacists (by allowing new clinical duties) and patients (by increasing access to care for conditions like cold sores, strep throat, flu, lice, urinary infections, and HIV testing). Key provisions include permitting pharmacists to prescribe for minor, self-limiting conditions without a new diagnosis and to perform/interpret HIV lab tests while prescribing PrEP/PEP medications. The bill repeals the previous nPEP standing order program and requires the Maryland Department of Health to establish these protocols.

Maddy summaryHB 1029 modifies Maryland's real estate laws to clarify how homebuyers can get their deposits back when canceling a home purchase under a contingency clause (e.g., for inspections or appraisals). It requires sellers to provide the escrow agent with a copy of a court complaint or mediation request within 10 days of a buyer’s termination notice. If no legal action is filed within that period, the escrow agent must return the deposit to the buyer within 5 days. This affects homebuyers, sellers, and escrow agents by creating a clearer, time-bound process for handling deposits during contract terminations. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1593 requires Maryland's Deputy Secretary for Developmental Disabilities to provide public notice before changing the Self-Directed Services Manual, which governs waiver program services for individuals with developmental disabilities. The bill mandates a 90-day public comment period for proposed changes and prohibits adopting any revisions until this period ends. It directly affects individuals and families using self-directed services - where participants control their own care choices, staffing, and budget management - and ensures their input is considered before policy changes take effect. This procedural bill amends Maryland’s health code to formalize transparency and public engagement in updating the manual (effective October 1, 2026).

Maddy summaryHB 1048 requires Maryland chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to display warning icons next to menu items containing high sodium (1,150mg+ per serving) or high added sugars (25mg+ per serving) starting January 1, 2028. The Maryland Department of Health must adopt regulations by January 2027 establishing the icon designs, minimum sizes, and accompanying text. The bill also mandates a 2027 public education campaign to help restaurants comply with the new requirements. This directly affects large chain restaurants operating in Maryland, aiming to increase consumer awareness of nutritional content in menu items.

Maddy summaryHB 382 (Maryland Broadband Opportunity and Fairness Act) requires broadband providers serving 10,000+ Maryland customers to establish low-cost internet programs by December 1, 2026. These programs must offer minimum speeds of 100/20 Mbps (for households of two or fewer) or 200/20 Mbps (for larger households), at least 1.2 terabytes of data, and low latency for eligible low-income consumers. Eligibility includes households meeting federal poverty guidelines (350% of federal poverty level), qualifying for SNAP/food assistance, Medicaid, or low-income energy programs. Providers may raise prices by no more than 2% annually with 30 days’ notice, and cannot require automatic payment plans for program enrollment.

Maddy summaryHB 196 amends Maryland's definition of "baby food" to explicitly include infant formula and infant cereal (previously excluded), directly affecting baby food manufacturers in the state. The bill requires manufacturers to test each production batch of baby food for toxic metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury) starting January 1, 2025, using accredited labs at least monthly. Beginning January 1, 2026, manufacturers must publicly post test results online for each product and include QR codes on labels linking to FDA information about metal testing and health effects. The law aims to increase transparency and safety for infants under age 2 by aligning testing requirements with FDA standards.

Maddy summaryHB 658 establishes Maryland’s Community Forensic Aftercare Program within the Department of Health. The program monitors two groups: individuals found not criminally responsible due to mental illness who are on conditional release, and people with mental illness or intellectual disability requiring community monitoring under specific legal circumstances. Key provisions require the Program to create a community monitoring board to make decisions about conditional release and out-of-state travel for these individuals. The bill amends existing criminal procedure and health codes to implement this new oversight structure, replacing outdated sections with the new program framework.