Del. Scott Phillips

Maddy summaryHB 578 requires Board of Public Works approval for Department of Transportation and Maryland Transportation Authority contracts related to roads, bridges, or highways valued at $500,000 or more. It exempts contracts below this threshold from Board review and mandates 40 days' written notice to local governments before land acquisition for transportation projects. The bill also specifies that the Board retains authority over procurement for itself and must ensure consistent procedures across agencies. This change standardizes oversight for major transportation contracts while maintaining exemptions for smaller projects.

Maddy summaryHB 697 requires Maryland health insurance carriers to submit quarterly reports to the Maryland Insurance Commissioner about their use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision-making systems. Specifically, carriers must report details on AI system deployment (including training data sources, purpose, and bias testing), as well as expanded demographic data on grievances and adverse decisions (broken down by zip code, race, ethnicity, gender, and age). The bill also updates existing reporting rules to include the monetary value of grievance decisions and timeframes for handling cases. These reports will enable the Commissioner to compile annual oversight summaries and identify potential disparities in insurance practices.

Maddy summaryHB 626 requires new or majorly improved multi-tenant commercial and residential properties (like apartment complexes or office buildings) to install micro conduits - small tubes for fiber optic cables - in utility easements and building telecom rooms during construction. It also mandates that buried fiber optic cables in Maryland highways, installed after October 1, 2025, include conduit with at least seven microducts. The bill requires state and local transportation agencies to provide broadband providers neutral, non-discriminatory access to these conduits and allows reasonable fees for that access. This law directly affects developers of multi-tenant properties, transportation departments, and broadband service providers.

Maddy summaryHB 1398 (Victoria, Scottie, Ashleigh, and Yader’s Law) makes it a felony to distribute heroin, fentanyl, or their synthetic versions when that distribution causes death or serious bodily harm. It targets individuals selling or giving these drugs (excluding non-commercial sharing like exchanging for goods), with penalties including up to 20 years in prison and consecutive sentencing to other charges. The bill also provides immunity from prosecution for people who seek or provide medical assistance during an overdose emergency. This law directly affects drug distributors whose actions result in harm, not users or those aiding overdose victims.

Maddy summaryHB 311 repeals the requirement for the Governor to approve medical parole decisions for incarcerated individuals serving life sentences. It directly affects people in Maryland prisons who have severe, chronic medical conditions making them physically incapable of posing a safety risk. The key change removes the Governor’s 180-day review period (previously required under Section 7-309(i)), allowing the Maryland Parole Commission to make final decisions on medical parole without gubernatorial oversight. The bill updates the process so the Commission’s approval becomes effective immediately, streamlining release for eligible individuals while maintaining existing medical evaluation and safety review standards.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill (HB 1165) allows a parent to request an emergency court hearing if the other parent violates a court-ordered visitation schedule without valid reason. If approved, the court must hold a hearing within 10 days and can order the noncompliant parent to pay for missed visitation time, attend parenting classes, cover legal costs, or schedule additional time that aligns with the child’s best interests. It directly affects parents in custody disputes and courts enforcing visitation agreements under Maryland’s Family Law. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and focuses on enforcing existing schedules rather than changing custody arrangements.

Maddy summaryHB 818 allows courts to award reasonable attorney fees and expenses to winning plaintiffs who sue to correct violations of rights protected by Maryland's Constitution or Declaration of Rights (e.g., cases against state agencies or local governments). It also permits fees to winning defendants only if the plaintiff's case was filed in bad faith or without legal basis. Courts must use factors from Maryland Rule 2-703(F)(3) to determine fees, and the law explicitly overrides standard fee limits under Maryland's Tort Claims Act for these cases. The bill applies only to cases filed after its October 1, 2025, effective date.

Maddy summaryHB 759 requires Baltimore County to create a special fund using fines collected from speed monitoring systems. After covering the costs of operating these systems, any remaining fines must be deposited into the fund. The fund can only be used to pay for traffic calming devices (like speed bumps or crosswalk improvements) on county roads. This ensures fines directly support local road safety projects rather than general county budgets.

Maddy summaryHB 607 establishes the PAREA Grant Program to provide financial assistance to minorities residing in historically redlined neighborhoods and underrepresented communities for training to become real estate appraisers. The program aims to close appraisal gaps in these areas, diversify the appraisal profession, and support individuals pursuing real estate appraisal careers. Administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, the grants directly target residents in communities historically excluded from the appraisal field. This policy creates a concrete pathway for career development in a specific profession while addressing documented disparities in real estate services.

Maddy summaryHB 941 requires the Governor to include at least $5 million annually in the state budget for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) starting in fiscal year 2027, continuing until a total of $321,181,312 is appropriated. This addresses a historical funding disparity identified by the state legislature, where UMES (as Maryland’s 1890 land-grant institution) received less per-student state funding than UM College Park (the 1862 land-grant institution) from 1987-2020. Funds must be supplemental to existing appropriations and can be used for infrastructure, faculty, scholarships, or other institutional needs identified by UMES. The bill aims to fully remedy the $321 million shortfall over time through mandatory annual appropriations.