Del. Terri Hill

Maddy summaryThis bill allows terminally ill Maryland residents with decision-making capacity to request medication to end their lives through a structured process. It requires two physician consultations (including a consulting physician confirming the diagnosis), a mental health assessment, and written requests spaced at least 15 days apart. Pharmacists may dispense the medication only to qualifying patients, and the law clarifies that providers acting under these rules won’t violate assisted suicide laws. Death from self-administered medication will be recorded as natural causes for insurance and legal purposes.

Maddy summaryHB 713 requires the Maryland Department of Health to create safety literature covering firearm safety, training, suicide prevention, mental health awareness, and conflict resolution. This literature must be distributed by county health departments to all firearm and ammunition retailers within their jurisdiction. Retailers are then required to display the materials visibly at checkout and provide them to every customer purchasing firearms or ammunition. Violations of these requirements may result in civil penalties of up to $500 for a first offense or $1,000 for subsequent offenses.

Maddy summaryHB 847 establishes a public Domestic Violence Offender Registry in Maryland, requiring individuals convicted three or more times of a domestic violence-related crime (including crimes against current or former intimate partners) to register with their local sheriff upon release, probation, or when not imprisoned. Registrants must provide personal details like their address, photo, and crime descriptions, updating this information annually or within 10 days of moving. The registry, maintained by the state, will be publicly accessible online, by phone, and in person, with registration lasting 15 years from the latest conviction or release, plus 20 additional years for each new conviction. Individuals may seek court exemption if convictions are reversed, pardoned, or under specific court orders.

Maddy summaryHB 536 updates Maryland's school health policies to allow school personnel to administer emergency epinephrine for anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions) without requiring a student to have a prior diagnosis or prescription. It changes the term "auto-injectable epinephrine" to "emergency use epinephrine" and renames the program to "Emergency Use Epinephrine Program" to include all FDA-approved delivery devices. The bill requires schools to train staff on recognizing anaphylaxis symptoms and administering epinephrine, and mandates reporting incidents to the state education department. These changes directly affect public and nonpublic schools, school nurses, and staff who may need to respond to allergic emergencies.

Maddy summaryHB 1368 modifies Maryland's process for changing sex designation on birth certificates and identification cards. It removes the prior requirement for medical treatment or diagnosis to update sex designation, instead allowing individuals (or their legal representatives for minors) to request a change through a written affidavit under penalty of perjury. The bill also updates options for indicating sex designation on driver's licenses, ID cards, and moped permits issued by the Motor Vehicle Administration. This directly affects transgender, intersex, and non-binary individuals seeking to align official documents with their gender identity, as well as parents updating birth certificate parentage information. The key change streamlines the process by eliminating medical certification as a mandatory step.

Maddy summaryHB 1422 establishes the Maryland Reparations Commission to study and recommend benefits for individuals whose ancestors were enslaved in Maryland or were impacted by historical inequitable government policies (such as housing segregation and redlining during the Jim Crow era). The Commission, composed of 15 members including state officials, historians, community representatives, and public members, will examine U.S. reparations models and potential benefits like monetary compensation, tax rebates, or housing assistance. It must submit a preliminary report by January 2027 and a final report by November 2027 to the Governor and General Assembly. The bill focuses solely on research and recommendations, not on implementing specific reparations.

Maddy summaryHB 1006, the "Protecting Sensitive Locations Act," requires Maryland's Attorney General to create guidelines limiting immigration enforcement at specific sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, places of worship, childcare centers, and domestic violence shelters. State agencies operating at these locations must either adopt policies aligned with the guidelines or submit written justification and existing policies if they choose not to comply. The bill directly affects all Maryland state agencies managing facilities listed in the law, such as public schools, community health centers, and emergency shelters. Its key mechanism is mandating agency adherence to the guidelines or transparent documentation of non-compliance. The law aims to reduce immigration enforcement disruptions at places where vulnerable populations seek essential services.

Maddy summaryHB 1393 requires recreational youth sports programs (for athletes under 19, excluding high school-level programs) to maintain an annual registry of all coaches, volunteers, and staff. This registry must include valid ID, background checks (either state criminal history or commercial screening), signed safety acknowledgments, and proof of annual training in concussion awareness, heat illness, and child safety. The bill also mandates that parents or guardians sign an acknowledgment confirming they received information about head injuries, heat illness, and the program’s removal/return-to-play policies. Additionally, programs must post their removal/return-to-play policies on their website if available.

Maddy summaryHB 55 allows individuals with completed misdemeanor or felony sentences to petition courts for expungement (clearing criminal records) at any time if they demonstrate "good cause." Courts must consider factors like the crime's nature, the person's rehabilitation, public safety risk, and how the conviction impacts employment, housing, and education. If denied, the decision cannot be appealed, and the person cannot reapply for five years for the same conviction. This bill directly affects people with past convictions seeking to improve their job prospects, housing options, and access to public assistance.

Maddy summaryHB 875 establishes a 17-member Commission on History, Culture, and Civics in Education to recommend curriculum changes for Maryland public schools. The commission must include specific representatives from Maryland’s Indigenous tribes, LGBTQIA+ community, disabled community, teachers, Latino, African American, and Asian American/Pacific Islander communities, with a majority required to have classroom or curriculum development experience. It will examine contributions of diverse groups (including American Indians, religious minorities, women, and disabled communities) and make annual recommendations to the State Board of Education by December 30 each year. All commission meetings, materials, and reports must be publicly posted online. The bill directly affects Maryland’s K-12 education system through required curriculum updates based on these recommendations.