Del. Bernice Mireku-North

Maddy summaryHB 983 requires Maryland's State Board of Elections to determine if local election boards need to provide language assistance based on census data showing significant limited English proficiency among voters. Specifically, a county must provide assistance if either: (1) over 2% of its voting-age population (but at least 100 people) shares a non-English language and has limited English proficiency, or (2) over 4,000 people share a non-English language and have limited English proficiency. Local election boards must then provide translated voting materials, bilingual election judges where available, and multilingual signage at polling places in designated languages. This policy directly affects voters with limited English proficiency in qualifying counties, ensuring access to election materials and assistance.

Maddy summaryHB 325 allows adults seeking a high school diploma through the GED exam to take all test components in either English or Spanish, directly affecting adult learners, particularly English language learners with interrupted education. The bill requires Maryland's Department of Labor to study offering the exam in additional languages and submit a report to legislative committees by December 2026. It amends existing law to expand language options for the exam while maintaining other eligibility requirements, such as not having previously earned a diploma. The policy change focuses on improving access to the diploma pathway through language flexibility.

Maddy summaryHB 879 establishes a 13-member Task Force to study chronic absenteeism in Maryland schools, with members appointed by legislative leaders and the State Superintendent. The Task Force will analyze attendance data, identify best practices, and develop recommendations - including a standardized definition of chronic absenteeism - by December 31, 2025. It will create culturally responsive toolkits for school leaders and guidance for local systems, to be distributed by June 2026. The bill itself does not implement new policies but sets up the process for future regulations. This procedural bill expires automatically on December 31, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1204 (Ace's Law) requires public and nonpublic schools in Maryland to notify a student's parent or guardian within 24 hours if a student leaves school grounds without permission ("elopement"), except for students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Behavior Intervention Plan addressing wandering/elopement. Schools must also submit annual reports starting in 2026 detailing elopement incidents by student demographics (disability, race, gender, etc.) and steps taken to prevent them, including staff training on identifying and addressing such behavior. The State Department of Education will collect these reports from school districts and nonpublic schools, verifying data accuracy for zero-incidence reports. This law directly affects schools, parents/guardians, and state education officials through mandatory notifications and data reporting requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 782 requires Maryland's State Department of Education to study how public middle and high schools can better detect deadly weapons and rapidly report findings to law enforcement. The study mandates a comprehensive audit of all schools' current security systems - including physical measures, technology gaps, and potential improvements - and specifically evaluates unused detection methods, AI software integration, optimal camera placement, and expanded metal detector use. The Department must complete this study and submit findings to the House Speaker and Ways and Means Committee by December 1, 2025, with the bill automatically ending on June 30, 2026. This bill affects all Maryland public middle and high schools by directing a formal review of their security protocols, without implementing new requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 1121 establishes a temporary pilot program to help foster youth aged 16-22 access childcare subsidies. It directly affects youth who were in state foster care at age 18 or older, removing specific barriers like proof of employment, parental information, or parental authorization from the application process. The program, running from 2026-2028, requires the Department to track subsidy usage monthly and report annually to the legislature on progress. It aims to simplify access to childcare support during critical transitions to adulthood. The bill does not change subsidy amounts but streamlines eligibility for this specific group.

Maddy summaryHB 1475 (Mixed Delivery Model Viability Act) requires Maryland's Office of Child Care Advisory Council to study the state's publicly funded prekindergarten system, which serves children through a mix of public and private providers. The analysis will assess policy differences between public/private providers, reimbursement methods, administrative processes, language accessibility, quality rating procedures, and opportunities for resource-sharing among private providers. The Council must submit an interim report by June 1, 2026, and a final report by December 31, 2027, to the State Board of Education and General Assembly. This bill does not change current law but directs a review to identify potential improvements in program efficiency and equity for providers and families.

Maddy summaryHB 853 (Maryland Second Look Act) allows individuals serving prison sentences of 20+ years to petition courts for sentence reduction under specific conditions. To qualify, petitioners must have served at least 20 years and wait 5 years after any prior petition, with a maximum of three petitions total. Courts must hold hearings considering factors like rehabilitation, victim input, the individual’s age at the offense, and safety risks, and must publicly state their reasons for granting or denying relief. The law applies retroactively to eligible individuals already serving long sentences.

Maddy summaryHB 1424, the "Protect Our Federal Workers Act," expands state financial assistance to Maryland residents affected by federal government disruptions beyond just shutdowns. It renames the "Federal Government Shutdown Employee Assistance Loan Fund" to the "Federal Government Employee Assistance Loan Fund" and broadens eligibility to include current federal employees not paid during shutdowns *and* Maryland residents recently terminated due to federal office closures, relocations, or mass layoffs. The bill allows funds from the state’s Catastrophic Event Account to cover costs for these individuals, administered by the Maryland Department of Labor. This changes existing law to provide loans for both ongoing shutdowns and post-layoff financial hardship from federal facility changes.

Maddy summaryHB 1057 requires Maryland's Department of Human Services to reallocate a portion of its annual budget starting in fiscal year 2026 to provide child care stipends to private treatment foster care homes. These homes, which care for children with special physical, emotional, or behavioral needs, will receive funding similar to public treatment foster care homes to cover child care expenses. The bill mandates that the Secretary of Human Services include this funding request in annual budget proposals and adopt procedures ensuring private homes meet the same equity standards and anti-discrimination requirements (prohibiting discrimination based on race, gender, disability, etc.) as public homes. The policy change takes effect July 1, 2025, aiming to create funding parity for private providers.