Del. Jessica Feldmark

Maddy summaryHB 816 requires that summaries on petition signature pages and ballot questions be written in plain language, avoiding legal jargon, passive voice, and double negatives. This means including a clear summary of the proposal's purpose and a statement explaining the practical outcome of each voting choice for both petitions and ballots. The bill also updates deadlines for ballot question certification and mandates that election boards make information available for public comment and post details online before general elections. These changes directly affect petition sponsors, ballot question proponents, and election officials in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 387 imposes an excise tax on firearms dealers' gross receipts from firearm sales within Maryland and to Maryland residents. The tax revenue will fund three existing state programs: the Coordinated Community Supports Partnership Fund (Education), the Maryland Trauma Physician Services Fund (Health), and the Maryland Violence Intervention and Prevention Program Fund (Public Safety). The bill creates new tax provisions under "Title 7.7" in the Tax-General Article to collect and distribute these funds, replacing previous language in multiple code sections. This directly affects firearms dealers through the new tax obligation and directs funding to community safety and health programs. The policy change is a concrete tax mechanism for reallocating firearm sales revenue to specific public safety initiatives.

Maddy summaryHB 843 requires car manufacturers to provide independent mechanics and vehicle owners with diagnostic tools, repair manuals, and vehicle data (like telematics information) under fair terms. It specifically mandates that manufacturers install open data platforms in vehicles with connected systems, allowing independent repair shops to access vehicle diagnostics without relying solely on dealership services. The law applies to most passenger vehicles but excludes heavy-duty trucks over 14,000 pounds. It also requires manufacturers to give new owners a document explaining their rights to repair their vehicles and access to vehicle data. The bill creates new definitions and standards for "fair and reasonable" access to repair information, without forcing manufacturers to share trade secrets.

Maddy summaryHB 842 requires farm equipment manufacturers to provide independent repair shops and farm owners with necessary documentation (like manuals and diagnostics), updates, and part numbers for repairing farm equipment. It prohibits manufacturers from using contracts to avoid this requirement or withholding part numbers, and mandates that access to parts and information must be offered at fair, reasonable costs comparable to what they provide to their own dealers. The law directly affects farmers who maintain their own equipment and independent repair businesses that serve them. It updates Maryland law to establish clear standards for repair access under a new "Farm Equipment Repair" subtitle.

Maddy summaryHB 551 establishes a $60,000 minimum salary for all public school employees in Maryland, effective July 1, 2026. It also creates two new salary increases: $10,000 for educators earning National Board Certification or an approved alternative high-quality credential, and $7,000 for qualified educators assigned to low-performing schools (as defined by county boards), effective July 1, 2025. These provisions apply to public school employees across Maryland, including teachers, nurses, social workers, and JROTC instructors in specific counties as defined in the bill. The salary increases are mandatory for eligible employees and remain in place even if a school's performance rating changes.

Maddy summaryHB 69 establishes a new "Postconsumer Recycled Content Program" for Maryland, requiring producers of certain plastic beverage containers and rigid plastic containers to meet minimum recycled content standards before selling in the state. Producers must register annually with the Department of the Environment and pay a fee, with funds supporting the program and a dedicated recycling trust fund. The bill sets specific recycled content percentages for covered products, allows limited waivers for producers facing supply challenges, and mandates the Department to publish compliance data online. It amends existing environmental laws to implement these requirements and strengthen recycling markets.

Maddy summaryHB 834 prohibits commercial egg producers with more than 5,000 hens from confining egg-laying hens in small cage systems (like battery cages) after a specific date, requiring them to use cage-free housing systems that provide roaming space and natural behavior enrichments. It also bans businesses from selling shell eggs or egg products derived from non-compliant farms after the same date. Small farms producing under 5,000 hens annually are exempt from these requirements. The law applies to all commercial egg production and sales within Maryland, with exceptions for medical research, veterinary care, and agricultural exhibitions.

Maddy summaryHB 488 requires Maryland's State Department of Education to collect and publish detailed discipline data for all public schools, broken down by student characteristics including race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, socioeconomic status, and English language proficiency. The data must be available as an electronic spreadsheet on the Department's website at the state, school system, and individual school levels. The bill also mandates annual reporting on schools with high suspension rates for specific student groups to identify potential disparities in discipline. This policy increases transparency around school discipline practices without changing disciplinary procedures.

Maddy summaryHB 232 establishes Maryland's Beverage Container Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction Program. It requires beverage producers to register, pay fees, and join a stewardship organization to manage recycling, while mandating that containers sold in Maryland display refund information and that retail prices include the refund value (with limited exceptions). Retailers must include refund details on sales receipts, and local governments can create redemption facilities to help meet state recycling targets. The program aims to increase beverage container recycling, reduce litter, and fund public water refill stations through a new grant program, directly affecting producers, retailers, and consumers.

Maddy summaryHB 495 requires Maryland schools with existing antidiscrimination policies to update those policies to include specific information, such as reporting options for sexual violence, school contact details, investigation processes, victim resources, and medical facility locations. It mandates that policies be written in plain, age-appropriate language, printed for readability, available in common languages spoken by students/staff (5%+ of population), and accessible via oral interpretation for less common languages. Schools must distribute policies annually through handbooks, email, campus postings, and websites, and provide mandatory training to students at the start of each school year and to employees within four weeks of hire. This applies to all public/private K-12 schools, preK programs receiving state funding, and colleges in Maryland.