Del. Sarah Wolek

Maddy summaryThis bill allows terminally ill Maryland residents with decision-making capacity to request medication to end their lives through a structured process. It requires two physician consultations (including a consulting physician confirming the diagnosis), a mental health assessment, and written requests spaced at least 15 days apart. Pharmacists may dispense the medication only to qualifying patients, and the law clarifies that providers acting under these rules won’t violate assisted suicide laws. Death from self-administered medication will be recorded as natural causes for insurance and legal purposes.

Maddy summaryMaryland's HB 914 provides state employees (including temporary and part-time workers across all government branches) with up to 4 hours of paid leave annually for cancer screenings. Employees must request and receive prior approval from their supervisor to use this leave. The bill requires the Secretary to establish regulations governing how employees request and obtain this leave, effective July 1, 2025. It directly affects all state employees seeking routine cancer screenings during work hours.

Maddy summaryHB 661 grants collective bargaining rights to specific faculty at Maryland's public higher education institutions, including full-time, part-time, and adjunct employees with academic responsibilities (such as teachers, researchers, and department heads) at the University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. It establishes separate bargaining units for faculty at each institution but allows these units to voluntarily combine into a single bargaining unit. The bill excludes officers, supervisors, confidential employees, and student employees from coverage. This legislation amends Maryland’s labor laws to formally define "faculty" and create a framework for collective bargaining negotiations over wages, hours, and working conditions.

Maddy summaryHB 1431 restricts federal immigration enforcement agencies from accessing Maryland state and local government databases without a valid warrant. It requires state/local law enforcement agencies, DMV, and other government units to deny federal requests for personal information, photos, or facial recognition data unless accompanied by a federal or Maryland court warrant. The bill also mandates annual reporting to the legislature on all such federal requests received, including how many were denied or granted with warrants. This directly affects Maryland state agencies, local governments, and federal immigration officers seeking access to these databases.

Maddy summaryHB 611, the "Informed Enrollment Act," requires Maryland colleges admitting first-time undergraduates to prominently display a link to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard on their public websites by July 1, 2026. It mandates that institutions explain the Scorecard’s data on cost of attendance, graduation rates, salary outcomes, and debt directly on their websites and during student recruitment. Colleges must also share this information through orientation events, recruitment materials, and regularly with prospective students, new students, advisors, and career counselors. If the federal Scorecard ends, the Maryland Higher Education Commission must provide comparable data using state sources like the Maryland Longitudinal Data System.

Maddy summaryHB 540 requires the Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education to create and maintain a dedicated website by March 2027, featuring step-by-step guides for schools to adopt sustainable practices. The website must include beginner-friendly resources ("Novice Section"), transition tools for advancing green initiatives ("On-Ramp Section"), and application templates for formal recognition ("Application Section"). County school boards must prominently link to this website on their own sites, and the bill allocates $70,000 for fiscal year 2027 and $40,000 for 2028 specifically to support these website updates and outreach efforts. This directly affects Maryland public schools seeking green school designation and provides standardized resources to help them meet environmental literacy goals.

Maddy summaryHB 612 establishes Maryland's Lifesaver Schools Program, which recognizes public schools that provide specific health and safety training to students and staff. To qualify, schools must offer evidence-based first aid training, mental health support programs, schoolwide mental health assemblies, and professional development opportunities for staff during school hours. Schools must also maintain online resources for mental health support and host community outreach events, with recognition requiring reapplication every four years. The program, administered by the Maryland Department of Education, takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 613 requires Maryland courts to remove identifying information (like names, addresses, or phone numbers) from court documents in sexual assault cases, unless a judge finds "good cause" to disclose it. It specifically protects victims of sexual assault (defined as alleged victims of certain crimes under Maryland's Criminal Law Article) by mandating redaction of their personal details from all filings, including existing case documents, upon written request. The law also requires the Supreme Court of Maryland to establish rules for implementing this redaction process. This applies to both new court filings and existing cases in criminal or juvenile delinquency proceedings involving sexual assault. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 456 extends the time victims have to file civil lawsuits for nonsexual child abuse or neglect. It allows claims to be filed up to 20 years after the victim turns 18, or 3 years after the abuser is convicted of a related crime (like child neglect or physical injury). The bill also caps noneconomic damages at $1.5 million per claimant against a single defendant for cases that would have been barred before October 2025. This affects victims seeking compensation and defendants (including government entities) facing liability. The law specifically excludes sexual abuse cases from these provisions.

Maddy summaryHB 520 establishes a Tri-Position Identification Number (Tri-PIN) system for Maryland's Executive Branch state agencies, allowing positions to be filled either by one full-time employee or through job sharing (two part-time employees sharing duties). It requires state agency leaders to review all new or existing vacancies occurring after October 1, 2025, within 15 months to determine if job sharing is feasible without compromising work quality, budget, or labor compliance. If approved, positions must be advertised as job-sharing opportunities; if not, agencies must document the rationale for filling the role with a single full-time employee. The bill directly affects state agencies and future job applicants by changing how vacancies are processed and advertised.