Del. Vanessa Atterbeary

Maddy summaryHB 1546 requires Maryland's Central Collection Unit (CCU) to collect delinquent federal funds owed to the state, specifically when the federal government fails to comply with court decisions upholding congressionally approved spending. The Board of Public Works gains authority to officially declare the federal government delinquent in these cases, and the CCU can place liens on federal property within Maryland under those circumstances. This bill amends existing state law (sections 3-302, 3-304, and 10-208 of the State Finance and Procurement Article) to formalize these collection procedures and lien mechanisms. It directly affects how Maryland handles unpaid federal obligations, streamlining the state's ability to recover funds through established legal channels.

Maddy summaryHB 1513 prohibits school resource officers and school security employees in Maryland public schools from engaging in federal immigration investigation or enforcement activities. It directly affects school security personnel, including law enforcement officers assigned to schools under memorandums of understanding and non-officer security staff. The bill adds Section 7-1508.1 to Maryland’s education code, explicitly banning the use of school security staff for federal immigration enforcement functions under Section 287(g) of federal law. The prohibition takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 941 requires the Governor to include at least $5 million annually in the state budget for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) starting in fiscal year 2027, continuing until a total of $321,181,312 is appropriated. This addresses a historical funding disparity identified by the state legislature, where UMES (as Maryland’s 1890 land-grant institution) received less per-student state funding than UM College Park (the 1862 land-grant institution) from 1987-2020. Funds must be supplemental to existing appropriations and can be used for infrastructure, faculty, scholarships, or other institutional needs identified by UMES. The bill aims to fully remedy the $321 million shortfall over time through mandatory annual appropriations.

Maddy summaryHB 689 requires Maryland elementary and secondary schools, and county school systems to use funds received from the Maryland Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid) or Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for specific purposes. Schools must allocate these funds to create additional provider positions (like school psychologists), offer paid internships for future providers, and provide retention stipends for current providers - especially in low-performing schools. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, and mandates the Maryland Department of Education to adopt regulations for implementation. This directly affects schools receiving Medicaid/CHIP reimbursement funds for student health services.

Maddy summaryHB 620 narrows the definition of a "reportable offense" for students in Maryland schools to include only crimes of violence, removing all other listed offenses (like drug violations or non-violent property crimes) from the requirement. This change directly affects students arrested for violent crimes, schools (which must be notified within 24 hours), and law enforcement (which must report such arrests). The bill amends Maryland’s education code to delete specific non-violent offenses from the definition, limiting mandatory reporting to violent crime arrests that occur off school premises and not at school events. Schools must still notify principals or security officers of these violent crime arrests, but not for other offenses previously required.

Maddy summaryHB 1103 changes how hotel rental taxes are collected in Maryland by requiring accommodations intermediaries (like online booking platforms such as Airbnb or Expedia) to remit taxes directly to the state Comptroller instead of local counties. It removes counties' authority to create tax exemptions for short-term rentals and establishes new audit procedures for the Comptroller to oversee compliance. This bill affects online travel platforms that facilitate bookings and shifts tax administration from local governments to the state. The policy aims to standardize collection and revenue management for hotel taxes across all counties.

Maddy summaryHB 1444 prohibits counties and municipalities in Maryland from allowing developers to pay a cash fee instead of including moderate-income housing units in new residential developments. It directly affects developers who would previously have paid fees to avoid building affordable units, and local governments that could no longer accept such payments. The bill amends local housing requirements to require actual unit construction, not fee payments, for moderate-income housing in new projects. This change applies prospectively from October 1, 2025, and does not affect existing fee agreements made before that date.

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 17 authorizes the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission to issue licenses for regulated internet gaming operations in Maryland, requiring operators to verify participant registration. The bill establishes new regulations for internet gaming, including multijurisdictional agreements with other states, and directs internet gaming revenue to fund education - specifically, it requires counties to subtract these proceeds from local education funding calculations and appropriate them directly to school budgets starting in 2027. It also creates the Video Lottery Facility Employee Displacement Fund to support displaced workers from former video lottery facilities. This bill directly affects gaming operators, local school districts, and video lottery facility employees, while updating existing state laws governing gaming and education funding.

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.