Del. Sarah Wolek

Maddy summaryHB 578 requires Maryland's Secretary of Natural Resources to review and update regulations for endangered and threatened species by July 1, 2033, and every 10 years thereafter. It clarifies definitions like "foreseeable future" for species assessments and expands "harm" to include significant habitat degradation that affects breeding or feeding. The bill mandates delisting species under specific conditions and specifies required details for petitions to remove species from protected lists. These changes directly affect wildlife managers, landowners, and conservation efforts by strengthening habitat protections and streamlining species listing processes under Maryland law.

Maddy summaryHB 1389 updates Maryland law to explicitly include female genital mutilation (FGM) under the legal definition of "abuse" for child protection purposes. This requires healthcare workers, educators, and others to report suspected FGM cases - just like other forms of child abuse - and increases penalties for violations. The bill also allows victims to file civil lawsuits and mandates the Maryland Department of Health to create educational materials about FGM. These changes directly affect mandated reporters, medical professionals, and individuals at risk of FGM.

Maddy summaryHB 804 establishes the Aging Resilience Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund under Maryland law. The fund, administered by the Secretary of Aging, will support the Department of Aging's mission through investment earnings, fees, and other designated sources. It can be used for administrative expenses like personnel, partnership development, and programs aligning with the Department's goals. The fund must be held separately by the State Treasurer, with interest earnings credited back to it, and expenditures require compliance with the state budget. This is a procedural bill creating a new funding mechanism rather than changing substantive policies.

Maddy summaryHB 478 modifies Maryland's income tax by expanding the existing $250 deduction for unreimbursed classroom supply expenses to include prekindergarten teachers. Previously, only K-12 classroom teachers qualified; this bill explicitly adds prekindergarten teachers employed full-time in state programs. The deduction remains limited to $250 per year for supplies used by students or for teaching preparation, excluding expenses already deducted federally. This change affects prekindergarten teachers statewide who purchase classroom supplies without reimbursement, effective for taxable years starting after December 31, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 720 repeals the expiration date for the Douglas J. J. Peters Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship, removing the current cutoff of June 30, 2030, for awarding new scholarships and eliminating restrictions on renewing scholarships for recipients who received their initial award before that date. This change directly affects eligible veterans, active service members, or their dependents (spouses, children) who served in the Afghanistan or Iraq conflicts and meet Maryland residency and enrollment requirements at participating institutions. The bill maintains all existing provisions, including the 50% tuition coverage limit, 2.5 GPA requirement, and 5-year full-time renewal period. It ensures the scholarship program continues indefinitely without time-based restrictions on new awards or renewals.

Maddy summaryHB 1445, the "Maryland Protecting People With Disabilities Act," changes eligibility rules for home- and community-based services under Maryland's Medicaid program (Maryland Medical Assistance Program). It requires the state to continue services uninterrupted during appeals if an individual loses eligibility, prohibits automatic termination solely due to administrative errors (procedural disenrollment), and mandates data sharing between providers and the Department of Health. The bill directly affects people receiving Developmental Disabilities Administration services and Medicaid beneficiaries who risk losing community-based care due to eligibility disputes. Key provisions include extending appeal timelines (replacing 90-day deadlines with continuous service until appeal resolution) and requiring the state to reserve waiver slots for those who lost eligibility unfairly. These changes aim to align with the Olmstead v. L.C. Supreme Court ruling protecting community integration rights.

Maddy summaryHB 450 protects victims of sexual assault or stalking by requiring courts and parties in criminal or juvenile cases to redact identifying information (like names or addresses) from public court records and filings. It directly affects victims, courts, and legal parties by prohibiting disclosure of such information to nonparties unless the court finds "clear and convincing evidence" of good cause to allow it. The bill mandates redaction of victim identifiers in all filings - including charging documents - and requires courts to redact existing records upon written request from the victim. Exceptions only apply when a court specifically authorizes disclosure after reviewing evidence of necessity. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1458 establishes Maryland's State Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Refugees and Asylees, providing food assistance to specific groups who lost federal SNAP eligibility after July 3, 2025. The program directly affects refugees, asylees, parolees (including Afghan and Ukrainian humanitarian parolees), and other noncitizens who met SNAP eligibility requirements under pre-2025 federal rules but became ineligible due to changes in federal law. It requires the Maryland Department of Human Services to administer the program using the same eligibility standards that were in effect on July 3, 2025, ensuring households with qualifying individuals receive benefits. The program takes effect July 1, 2026, restoring access to nutrition assistance for affected individuals.

Maddy summaryHB 1059 requires Maryland's State Department of Education to evaluate specific Asian American history training programs from seven approved organizations (including the Smithsonian and Asian American Education Project) for inclusion in its teacher professional development program. It creates a grant program providing up to $2,000 per teacher to cover costs for these trainings and up to $1,000 annually per school library to purchase age-appropriate books and resources on Asian American and Pacific Islander history. The bill mandates annual state funding of $500,000 starting in fiscal year 2028 to support these grants. The bill directly affects Maryland public school educators and school libraries by expanding access to culturally specific professional development and learning materials.

Maddy summaryHB 387 protects artists' rights by prohibiting state-funded public art contracts from requiring artists to waive copyright protections. It also mandates that entities commissioning such art register key details - including the artist's name, location, type, title, and installation date - with the Maryland State Arts Council. The bill directly affects artists and state agencies involved in public art projects receiving state funding, regardless of whether the state directly paid for the artwork. Registration must be completed for all new commissions after the bill's October 2026 effective date. Artists may still voluntarily waive rights in writing, but contracts cannot force such waivers.