Del. Jessica Feldmark

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes fees on telephone and mobile service providers to fund Maryland's behavioral health crisis response system. It requires traditional phone companies to pay a fee per subscriber and prepaid wireless providers to pay a fee on each retail transaction, with all collected money going into a dedicated state trust fund. The fund is designated to cover the costs of maintaining the 9-8-8 suicide prevention hotline and supporting statewide crisis services such as call centers, mobile teams, and stabilization facilities. Additionally, the legislation mandates that the state Comptroller audit how these fees are collected and limits the amount of revenue that can be used for administrative expenses.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill redefines consent in sexual crime laws to mean a clear and voluntary agreement, explicitly stating that past relationships, clothing choices, or submission due to fear do not constitute consent. It removes the requirement for force or threats to prove a crime, instead making the lack of consent a standalone element that can be shown through words or actions. The law also clarifies that consent can be withdrawn at any time and cannot be documented in writing. Additionally, the bill mandates that the Maryland Judiciary report annual statistics on sexual crime charges and convictions, broken down by county and demographic factors, until 2029.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill updates the Renters' Property Tax Relief Program by clarifying which financial items count toward a renter's asset total. Specifically, it removes the cash value of qualified retirement savings plans and individual retirement accounts from the list of assets used to determine eligibility. The change ensures that renters with significant retirement savings are not disqualified from receiving tax credits solely because of those funds. The legislation also maintains existing limits, such as capping the credit at $1,000 and restricting benefits to renters with a net worth of $200,000 or less. These adjustments take effect for taxable years beginning after June 30, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes requirements for Maryland county school boards to ensure blind and visually impaired students receive textbooks in specialized formats like braille, audio, or digital text. It mandates that textbook publishers provide electronic files to a state center for conversion into these accessible formats and requires the state to cover costs when specialized versions are unavailable. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that students with some remaining vision cannot be denied braille instruction solely based on their vision level, while also setting new standards for teachers of these students.

Maddy summaryHB 1092 requires the Maryland 9-1-1 Board to create training standards for public safety answering point personnel that include high-quality telecommunications cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction. This training must follow current national emergency care guidelines, cover recognition protocols for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and teach compression-only CPR techniques. The bill also updates the 9-1-1 Trust Fund to allow money from this source to pay for these specific CPR training costs. These changes aim to better equip 9-1-1 operators to provide life-saving guidance during cardiac emergencies.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the sunset date for a Maryland income tax deduction that allows residents and corporations to subtract donations made to diaper banks and other specific charitable entities. The law defines eligible recipients as nonprofit organizations that collect or distribute diapers, hygiene products, and feminine care items to individuals in need. To claim the deduction, taxpayers must file their tax returns with the names of the organizations and proof of the donation value, while the state Comptroller is tasked with creating rules for entity registration. By updating the expiration date from June 30, 2024, to June 30, 2027, the legislation ensures this tax benefit continues for three more years without requiring further legislative action.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Maryland laws regarding video lottery employee licenses and the valuation of table game chips. It establishes that the face value of a chip used in table games counts as its legal value for theft cases, even if no specific amount is printed on it. Additionally, the legislation creates exceptions to disqualify applicants from holding video lottery licenses if their past convictions involve nonviolent misdemeanors, provided they completed a problem-solving court program or are not working in gaming or security roles. These changes aim to refine how crimes involving moral turpitude are handled in the context of gaming employment while clarifying financial assessments for chip-related theft.