Del. Pam Guzzone

Maddy summaryHB 1468 transfers Maryland's Cyber Maryland Program from the Maryland Technology Development Corporation to the Maryland Department of Labor, restructuring its governance and operations. The bill requires the Program to award competitive grants for IT/OT workforces starting in fiscal year 2026, alters how the Cyber Maryland Fund can be used (including rolling over unused balances), and updates the Program's purpose to focus on creating a cybersecurity talent pipeline to reduce workforce vacancies by July 2026. It also mandates the Program to coordinate with cybersecurity industry groups, develop a statewide workforce plan, and ensure diversity in outcomes. These changes directly affect Maryland employers seeking cybersecurity talent and state workforce development programs.

Maddy summaryHB 957 requires state contractors to ensure a specified percentage of workers on certain projects are Maryland residents and that a certain percentage of work hours are performed by residents. It directs the Maryland Department of Labor to enforce these residency requirements for state procurement contracts. Contractors who violate these rules may be debarred from future state contracts, with debarment triggered by specific violations like criminal convictions related to contracting or failure to meet residency standards. The bill amends existing procurement law and adds new sections (17-6B-01 to 17-6B-05) to establish these requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 1246 requires Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations to include certain patient discounts, financial assistance, product vouchers, or out-of-pocket expenses paid for prescription drugs when calculating cost-sharing (like copays or deductibles). This applies to covered drugs without a preferred generic equivalent or where prior authorization was needed, but excludes high-deductible health plans. The bill also mandates that providers notifying insureds about the maximum value and expiration date of these discounts. It takes effect January 1, 2026, for all health plans issued or renewed in Maryland after that date. The law directly affects Maryland residents using prescription drug coverage under these health plans.

Maddy summaryHB 1483 requires Maryland public schools to issue simultaneous bids for boys' and girls' high school sports officiating services (like referees for basketball or soccer) and prohibits pay disparities between genders for similar sports. Schools must reject any bid that would result in different pay rates for officials officiating comparable boys' and girls' sports events. The bill allows schools with existing contracts to extend them until July 2029 to align timelines for similar sports, but new contracts must follow these rules starting July 1, 2025. It directly affects school systems hiring officiating services for high school athletic competitions.

Maddy summaryHB 1199 creates a new 3-year limited license for internationally trained physicians to practice medicine in Maryland, effective October 1, 2027. It directly affects foreign-trained doctors who meet strict criteria, including holding a WHO-recognized medical degree, completing 2+ years of equivalent postgraduate training, practicing for 5+ years in their home country, passing U.S. medical exams (USMLE Steps 1-3), and residing in Maryland for at least one year. The license cannot be renewed but may lead to full licensure through conditions set by the State Board of Physicians. This provision does not change existing full licensure pathways but adds a temporary option for eligible international physicians.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires licensed hospitals in Maryland to create clinical staffing committees with equal representation from management and employees, including frontline staff such as nurses, patient care technicians, and dietary workers. These committees must develop staffing plans that specify the number of healthcare workers needed on each unit during each shift based on patient volume and acuity levels, with guidelines ideally based on national evidence-based standards. Hospitals must review and update their staffing plans annually by July 1, implement them by January 1, 2026, and publicly post both the plan and daily staffing numbers on patient units and their websites. The bill also establishes a complaint process allowing nurses and other frontline staff to report when staffing assignments do not meet the plan, with committees required to resolve these complaints through a majority vote. State hospitals are exempt from these requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 911 allows landlords to charge a security deposit of up to two months' rent if a tenant operates a family child care home (caring for up to eight children) on the property. It prohibits landlords from unreasonably restricting or banning such homes in single- or multifamily rentals (excluding owner-occupied small units or condo/co-op rules), requires tenants to notify landlords 30 days in advance, and mandates providing insurance certificates naming the landlord as an additional insured. Landlords are also shielded from civil liability for issues related to the tenant’s child care operations. The bill applies to residential leases starting October 1, 2025, and does not override local zoning laws.

Maddy summaryHB 429 allows counties in Maryland to request the Department of Health to delegate authority for inspecting nursing homes (including site visits and full surveys) to county staff. If a county makes such a request, the Department and the county must equally share the costs of these inspections. This bill directly affects nursing homes (which may be inspected by county staff instead of state staff) and counties that choose to assume this responsibility. It does not change existing inspection frequency requirements but adds a new option for conducting inspections.

Maddy summaryHB 1544 establishes the Maryland Law Enforcement Public Service Medal, the state's highest honor for officers demonstrating extraordinary bravery, sacrifice, or impact on public safety during critical incidents. It requires a law enforcement agency to grant a one-grade promotion to medal recipients and creates a review committee to evaluate nominations from agencies, officials, or community groups. The bill also mandates an annual state ceremony honoring six specific workers who died in the 2024 Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, listing them on a permanent honor roll at the State House. This affects current and future law enforcement officers eligible for the medal and directly memorializes the Key Bridge victims.

Maddy summaryHB 1314 prohibits health insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations (collectively "carriers") from using artificial intelligence to automatically deny prior authorizations for medical treatments. It also bans healthcare providers from charging patients or facilities fees to obtain prior authorizations from these carriers. The bill directly affects patients seeking medical care, healthcare providers (like doctors and hospitals), and insurance companies. Key provisions take effect January 1, 2026, for all new or renewed health benefit plans in Maryland. The law aims to reduce administrative barriers to care by eliminating both AI-driven denials and out-of-pocket fees for authorization requests.