Del. Linda Foley

Maddy summaryHB 1344 requires Maryland's Department of General Services to assess all state-owned facilities to determine if they could be leased to child care centers (as defined in Maryland law). The department must report by December 1, 2026, including a full inventory of facilities and details on each facility's suitability and leasing availability for child care centers. The report must be submitted to the General Assembly and published online. The bill expires automatically on June 30, 2027, after a two-year term.

Maddy summaryHB 1222 (Maryland Values Act) requires Maryland correctional facilities to detain and transfer individuals who are not lawfully present in the U.S. and have been convicted of a violent crime to federal immigration authorities within 48 hours when requested. It prohibits law enforcement officers from detaining people or prolonging arrests based on immigration status during routine stops or investigations, and bans transferring individuals to federal immigration authorities except for the defined "covered individuals" (those with violent crime convictions and unlawful presence). The bill also terminates existing immigration enforcement agreements between Maryland entities and federal authorities by a specified deadline. This directly affects state/local correctional facilities, law enforcement officers, and individuals with certain immigration statuses and violent crime convictions.

Maddy summaryHB 798 requires Maryland's Office of Overdose Response (with the Department of Health) to create and maintain a public interactive dashboard tracking how settlement funds from opioid-related lawsuits are spent. The dashboard must show, by state, county, and municipality: payment schedules, past spending, spending plans, funded initiatives, and public hearing details. Local governments receiving these funds must submit required financial data through an online portal to the Department for inclusion on the dashboard. The dashboard will be developed and maintained using existing Opioid Restitution Fund money from the state budget, not new appropriations. This bill focuses solely on transparency, with no new policy changes or funding mechanisms.

Maddy summaryHB 334 establishes a statewide program requiring the Maryland Department of Health to provide universal newborn nurse home visiting services to all families with newborns (up to 12 weeks old) residing in Maryland. The program must be evidence-based, offered by licensed nurses, and delivered in homes or virtually, focusing on infant health, maternal well-being, family support, and child development. Crucially, the bill mandates that health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations cover and reimburse these services under existing policies. The program is voluntary for families, with no penalties for declining participation, and requires data collection on outcomes across key domains like reducing child maltreatment and improving school readiness.

Maddy summaryHB 850 requires Maryland's Commissioner of Labor and Industry to create and maintain a public data dashboard tracking information about contractors and apprentices working on state public work projects. Contractors must submit weekly data on employee wages, staffing levels, and apprentice details - including trade, certification, demographics, and registration dates - to the Commissioner. The dashboard must be updated monthly, posted prominently on the Labor Department website, and retain 24 months of historical data. This law directly affects all contractors awarded state public work contracts, aiming to increase transparency around wage practices and workforce composition.

Maddy summaryHB 384 establishes the Maryland Disability Service Animal Program within the Department of Disabilities. The program requires the Department to select a nonprofit organization to train service animals and creates a dedicated fund to support eligible individuals with disabilities (as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act). Key provisions include referring individuals to the nonprofit trainer, providing funding assistance for service animal training, and encouraging successful participants to help with outreach to others. This directly affects Maryland residents with disabilities who need service animals trained to perform specific tasks for daily living.

Maddy summaryHB 628 requires the State Highway Administration to prioritize funding for sidewalk and bicycle pathway construction or reconstruction near highways that follow a Complete Streets policy or Vision Zero program. It affects local governments requesting such projects and the State Highway Administration, which must fund these improvements under specific cost-sharing rules. Key provisions include full state funding for projects in sustainable communities, a 75% state/25% local cost split in priority funding areas, and "system preservation" funding for safety-critical projects. The bill amends existing law to clarify these funding priorities and maintenance responsibilities for completed infrastructure.

Maddy summaryHB 767, the Tenant Possessions Recovery Act, updates Maryland landlord-tenant eviction procedures. It requires landlords to provide tenants with notice before an eviction order is executed and mandates that tenants' belongings be safely stored (not discarded) after eviction. The bill sets a 60-day deadline for landlords to act on eviction orders or risk losing the judgment, includes weather-related stays for extreme conditions (like freezing temps or storms), and prioritizes completing evictions within 5 days after weather ends. This directly affects landlords and tenants involved in eviction cases under Maryland law.

Maddy summaryHB 1375 allows tow trucks in Maryland to display portable digital message signs while at the scene of accidents or disabled vehicles. The bill requires these signs to follow state traffic control device standards and only show messages approved by the State Highway Administration. This change specifically applies to tow truck operations and does not affect other vehicle types. The law will take effect on October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 182 sets new civil penalties for speeding violations recorded by speed monitoring systems (photo radar), with fines increasing based on how much over the speed limit a driver was traveling - ranging from $40 for 12-15 mph over to $350 for 40+ mph over. It restricts where these systems can be used, limiting deployment to specific areas like residential zones (35 mph limits), school zones, and certain highways in Anne Arundel, Prince George’s, and Baltimore counties. Local jurisdictions must authorize the systems through public hearings and local laws before implementation. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, and applies only to civil penalties, not criminal charges.