Del. Scott Phillips

Maddy summaryHB 604 prohibits caregivers, family members, or household members from knowingly stealing property from vulnerable or senior adults with the intent to deprive them of it. It classifies such theft as a consumer fraud under Maryland law, enabling the Attorney General’s Senior and Vulnerable Adult Asset Recovery Unit to recover stolen assets and block offenders from inheriting victims’ property. The bill creates new criminal penalties, requires District Court jurisdiction for these cases, and allows prosecutors to freeze defendants’ assets early in proceedings. These changes directly affect vulnerable seniors, their families, and caregivers who commit financial exploitation.

Maddy summaryHB 5 updates Maryland's criminal law to explicitly include artificial intelligence-generated images in the definition of "computer-generated image" under child pornography statutes. This means AI-created images that appear indistinguishable from real child abuse material - such as those adapted to look like actual minors - will now be covered under existing laws prohibiting possession or viewing of such content. The bill directly affects individuals who create, possess, or access these AI-generated images, applying the same penalties (up to 5 years in jail or $2,500 fine for misdemeanors) as real child pornography. It maintains exceptions for artistic works like drawings or cartoons and parental photos of children in non-exploitative contexts. The law aims to close a legal gap as AI technology advances, ensuring existing protections apply to digitally generated content.

Maddy summaryHB 756 allows petitioners seeking guardianship of an alleged disabled person's property to request a temporary halt (stay) of six specific civil lawsuits against that person, including rent non-payment cases, eviction proceedings, foreclosure, and property-related claims. The stay remains in effect until a guardian is appointed or the petition is denied, and requires legal notices to be served on the appointed guardian instead of the disabled person. This bill directly affects individuals facing property-related lawsuits while a guardianship petition is pending, as well as courts and guardians handling these cases. It amends Maryland’s Estates and Trusts code (§ 13-223) to create this procedural mechanism, effective October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1156 changes the Maryland Parole Commission by increasing its size from 10 to 15-20 members and altering how members are appointed. It requires the Governor to select members from a list of nominees provided by a panel of eight stakeholders, including law enforcement, public defense, social work, and community representatives, though this panel process applies only to initial appointments. The bill also removes the Commission's authority to appoint hearing examiners, transferring that responsibility to the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services. These changes directly affect the Commission’s structure and the process for conducting parole hearings in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 1151 allows sellers of residential property to request a second appraisal if an initial appraisal values the property below its current market value. The bill requires lenders to provide a written copy of this additional appraisal to the seller at no cost. It directly affects residential property sellers who disagree with an initial appraisal, giving them a formal process to seek a revised valuation. The key provision ensures sellers receive a free, written copy of the second appraisal, addressing concerns about appraisal discrepancies during sales transactions. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 623 requires Maryland counties and Baltimore City to create a centralized website where registers of wills will publish estate-related notices instead of using newspapers. This affects personal representatives (both domestic and foreign), heirs, and creditors who must receive notices about estate appointments, probate requests, and claims deadlines. The bill replaces old newspaper publication rules with website notices, mandating specific content like the foreign representative’s details and claim deadlines, and eliminates the need for foreign representatives to record certifications with the register. It directly changes how notices are delivered, shifting from physical newspapers to a single online platform for all counties.

Maddy summaryHB 74 updates Maryland law to clarify which digital publications can legally publish court orders, property notices, and other official legal notices. The bill requires digital newspapers to maintain a public archive of all published legal notices and employ at least one staff member focused on local news. It defines "newspaper in general circulation" to include digital publications meeting specific criteria (e.g., regular local content, weekly publication, postal service eligibility), replacing older print-only standards. This affects counties and municipalities that mandate legal notices in publications, with special provisions for Prince George’s and Dorchester counties. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1147 requires the Maryland Parole Commission to improve transparency and equity in parole decisions. It mandates annual reports that break down parole outcomes by race, requires the Commission to provide incarcerated individuals with key documents in advance (not just on request), and prohibits permanent parole denials. The bill also requires the Commission to publicly share hearing transcripts (after redaction), state reasons for denials, and document all decisions on the record. These changes directly affect incarcerated individuals in Maryland seeking parole and the Commission's operational procedures.

Maddy summaryHB 1352 prohibits Maryland institutions of higher education from denying students access to facilities or services due to sickle cell disease diagnosis and requires them to provide reasonable accommodations. The bill mandates the Maryland Department of Health to develop an education campaign for campuses about sickle cell disease challenges, create uniform procedures with the Maryland Higher Education Commission for supporting affected students, and compile training materials for faculty and staff. Institutions must also establish clear reporting procedures for violations and publicly share accommodation policies. These requirements take effect October 1, 2025, directly impacting all Maryland colleges and universities and students with sickle cell disease.

Maddy summaryHB 935 requires Maryland high school football games to have either a licensed athletic trainer or an ambulance staffed with emergency medical personnel present on-site during games. This amendment to existing school emergency plan requirements (Section 7-451 of the Education Article) directly affects all public high schools hosting football games in Maryland. The bill adds this specific medical presence requirement to the existing venue-specific emergency action plans, which already cover AED access, heat acclimatization protocols, and cardiac response plans. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and does not change other established emergency plan provisions for athletic facilities.