Del. Scott Phillips

Maddy summaryHB 438 (Buddy's Law) increases the maximum compensatory damages for pet owners when someone negligently causes injury or death to their domesticated pet. It raises the cap from $10,000 to $25,000, covering costs like veterinary care and the pet’s fair market value before death. The law specifically applies to domesticated pets (excluding livestock) and affects owners in Maryland whose pets are harmed by negligence. The bill amends Maryland’s tort law and takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 293 allows courts in Maryland to order child victims of abuse to testify via closed-circuit TV outside the courtroom when their presence with the defendant would cause serious emotional distress that prevents them from communicating. This applies to cases under Maryland’s Family Law or Criminal Law regarding child abuse, but only if the defendant has legal representation. The bill specifies that defendants cannot be in the same room as the child during testimony, and limits who may be present (attorneys, therapists, or others supporting the child). It also prohibits two-way video that would let the child see or hear the defendant during testimony. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 646 extends the deadline for a task force studying the creation of a Division of Returning Citizens and expanded reentry services. The bill delays the task force's report submission date from December 31, 2025, to October 31, 2026, and extends the task force's termination date from 2026 to 2027. This procedural bill amends previous legislation (Chapters 936 and 937 of the 2024 Acts) without changing the task force's purpose or creating new services. It directly affects the existing task force by providing additional time to complete its work.

Maddy summaryHB 502 establishes the Office of Disability Employment Advancement and Policy within Maryland's Department of Disabilities and creates the "Maryland as a Model Employer Initiative." The bill directly affects state government agencies and employees with disabilities by requiring them to improve hiring, retention, and career advancement opportunities for people with disabilities. Key provisions include collecting employment data from state agencies, providing training on disability-inclusive hiring practices, and reporting annual progress to the Governor and General Assembly starting December 1, 2026. The initiative aims to reduce barriers in state employment through outreach, assistive technology access, and evaluating agency policies. The Office will begin operations on July 1, 2026, with mandatory reporting on outcomes and recommendations for improvement.

Maddy summaryHB 601 amends Maryland's Small Business Guaranty Fund program (Section 5-540 of the Economic Development Article) to expand how loan guarantees can be supported. It now allows guarantees to be backed by the State’s full faith and credit *or* by alternative financial instruments like irrevocable letters of credit, treasurer’s checks, escrow accounts, or other instruments promising reimbursement for lender losses. The bill also adds a requirement that the Authority must determine a loan will have "substantial economic impact" before approving a guarantee, considering factors like job creation and loan terms. This directly affects small businesses seeking loans (applicants) and financial institutions providing those loans by making guarantee options more flexible and adding a new review step. The changes take effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 579 modifies Maryland's certification process for U Nonimmigrant Status visas (U visas), which help victims of certain crimes access legal immigration status. The bill expands who can certify victim helpfulness to include agencies like child protective services, adult protective services, and the Commission on Civil Rights (not just police). It requires certifying officials to provide specific details about the crime and victim's cooperation when completing Form I-918, Supplement B. This directly affects crime victims seeking U visas and the state agencies that issue these certifications. The bill aligns Maryland's process with federal U visa guidelines to streamline eligibility verification.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires licensed hospitals in Maryland to create clinical staffing committees with equal representation from management and employees, including frontline staff such as nurses, patient care technicians, and dietary workers. These committees must develop staffing plans that specify the number of healthcare workers needed on each unit during each shift based on patient volume and acuity levels, with guidelines ideally based on national evidence-based standards. Hospitals must review and update their staffing plans annually by July 1, implement them by January 1, 2026, and publicly post both the plan and daily staffing numbers on patient units and their websites. The bill also establishes a complaint process allowing nurses and other frontline staff to report when staffing assignments do not meet the plan, with committees required to resolve these complaints through a majority vote. State hospitals are exempt from these requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires boaters involved in accidents causing injury or death to stop near the scene, return to remain there until assisting others, and provide their name, address, and vessel ID to injured persons. It defines "serious bodily injury" (e.g., risk of death, permanent disfigurement) and sets penalties: up to 1 year/$3,000 for injury, 5 years/$5,000 for death, or 10 years/$10,000 if the operator knew injury/death was likely. Boaters must also report serious accidents (death, disappearance, injury requiring medical care beyond first aid) within 48 hours to Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources. The law applies to all vessel operators in Maryland waters who cause accidents meeting these injury/death thresholds.

Maddy summaryHB 525 prohibits using AI-generated deepfakes (synthetic media) to influence voters in Maryland elections. The bill defines "fraud" to include deepfakes - AI-created videos, audio, or images that falsely depict candidates or alter their appearance/speech - to prevent deceptive influence. It bans anyone from intentionally using such deepfakes to sway voting decisions, whether through force, threats, or other means. Violations are misdemeanor offenses punishable by fines up to $5,000 or up to 5 years in prison. This directly affects individuals or groups distributing deepfakes during elections in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 503, the Housing Development Act, requires Maryland’s Department of Housing and Community Development and Department of Planning to calculate regional housing infrastructure gaps (such as water, sewer, and road capacity shortfalls) and assign these gaps to specific counties and cities. Local governments must then take steps to reduce these gaps and are required to expedite approvals for certain housing projects - particularly those addressing the gaps - without denying them without specific justifications. The bill directly affects all counties and incorporated municipalities in Maryland, especially those identified as having significant housing infrastructure deficits. It creates a new framework for streamlining housing development by shifting approval responsibilities to local jurisdictions based on regional needs.