Del. Terri Hill

Maddy summaryHB 1476 prohibits Maryland employers from disclosing or threatening to disclose an employee’s immigration status to government agencies to hide violations of labor, wage, or tax laws. It directly affects employers who might use immigration status to conceal issues like unpaid wages (under Maryland’s Wage and Hour Law) or failure to provide benefits. The bill authorizes Maryland’s Commissioner of Labor and Industry to investigate complaints, attempt mediation within 90 days, and impose civil fines up to $10,000 for repeated violations. Employers can request an administrative hearing within 15 days of a penalty notice. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1177 requires Maryland's Attorney General to establish a toll-free hotline for tenants to report repair and maintenance issues in residential properties (including those owned by federal, state, or local governments), with anonymous reporting allowed. The Attorney General's office can refer tenants to legal aid, report violations to local authorities, or take legal action against landlords for violations. The bill mandates annual reports to legislative committees starting in 2026, tracking complaint volumes, geographic/demographic breakdowns, resolution times, and patterns like repeated complaints against specific landlords. It directly affects renters facing housing maintenance problems across Maryland, aiming to streamline complaint resolution. The hotline will launch October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1176 extends the expiration date of Maryland's policy allowing plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) to use high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes regardless of passenger count, moving the termination from 2025 to 2030. The bill requires PEV owners to obtain a $20 permit from the State Highway Administration to access HOV lanes, with limits on permit issuance to maintain lane efficiency. It also mandates annual reports to the Governor and General Assembly on how PEV use affects HOV lane operations. This policy directly affects PEV owners seeking HOV lane access and maintains existing access rules without altering vehicle eligibility criteria.

Maddy summaryHB 1097 establishes a 10-member workgroup to examine mail-in ballot accessibility, specifically focusing on the impact of requiring paper returns on voters with disabilities. The workgroup includes election officials, disability advocates (like Common Cause Maryland and the National Federation of the Blind), and experts in voting accessibility, security, and cybersecurity. It must assess current processes, research accessible alternatives from other jurisdictions, and evaluate options considering security, privacy, cost, and potential discrimination. The group must report findings and recommendations to the Governor and legislature by December 31, 2025, with the bill expiring June 30, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1058 clarifies that local governments (counties, cities) may adopt stricter emission standards, ambient air quality standards, or solid waste regulations than state or federal requirements, provided local rules are at least as stringent. It explicitly states that county water/sewer plans and existing environmental laws do not limit this local authority. The bill requires the Maryland Department of the Environment to publish website guidance by October 1, 2025, confirming local governments' right to implement these stricter standards. This bill directly affects municipalities and counties managing air quality and waste systems, without altering existing state/federal standards. It takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 874 repeals Maryland's special property tax assessment for country clubs and golf courses, removing a dedicated tax subclass from the state's property tax code. This bill affects property owners of country clubs and golf courses by ending their previous special tax rate under Sections 8-212 through 8-218 of Maryland's tax law. The bill modifies the property tax classification system (Section 8-101(b)) to delete the specific subclass for these properties, meaning they will now be taxed under standard property tax rules. The repeal takes effect June 1, 2025, applying to all taxable years beginning after June 30, 2025.

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 812 allows nursing homes to direct their electronic health network or medical record vendors to release patient records to the nursing home’s business partners. Vendors must provide these records electronically in a standard format, without charging fees or delaying releases, to support patient care. The Maryland Attorney General can enforce this rule, and affected individuals or entities can sue for violations to seek damages or court orders. This bill modifies existing health code provisions and takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 735 removes psychiatry and all subcategories of psychiatric services from Maryland's Certificate of Need (CON) requirements. This means psychiatric health care facilities and providers offering mental health services no longer need state approval to establish, operate, or expand these services. The bill amends Maryland law by deleting "psychiatry" from the definition of "medical service" in Section 19-120(a)(6)(i) and removing it from the list of services requiring a CON under Section 19-120(j)(iii)(5). This directly affects psychiatric hospitals, clinics, and mental health providers by eliminating a regulatory hurdle for their operations.

Maddy summaryHB 845 creates a framework for Maryland to establish six community-based overdose and infectious disease prevention programs, approved by the Maryland Department of Health and located in areas with high drug use incidence (two urban, two suburban, two rural). These programs provide supervised consumption sites with health professionals, sterile drug supplies, overdose response (including naloxone), referrals to treatment and testing for HIV/hepatitis, and education on safe drug use and disposal. The bill allows programs to bill insurance for covered services, accept donations/grants, and prohibits arrests or penalties for individuals using these services. It also requires programs to coordinate with existing health services and maintain security while operating within specified locations.