Del. Aaron Kaufman

Maddy summaryHB 970 prohibits Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations from requiring patients to try less expensive diabetes medications before covering insulin. It directly affects people with type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes who rely on insulin or similar insulin analogs for treatment. The bill bans "step therapy" or "fail-first" protocols - where insurers force patients to attempt alternative drugs first - regardless of how insurers label these policies. This change takes effect for all new or renewed health insurance policies on or after January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 666 requires Maryland's Medicaid program (Maryland Medical Assistance Program) and most health insurance plans to cover calcium score testing for individuals with specific heart disease risk factors. It directly affects people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a family history of early heart disease - requiring coverage if they have at least three of these risk factors. The law mandates coverage starting January 1, 2026, for Medicaid and all health insurance policies issued or renewed after that date. This change applies to insurers, nonprofit health plans, health maintenance organizations, and managed care organizations operating in Maryland. The bill does not alter coverage for other medical services but specifically adds calcium scoring to required benefits.

Maddy summaryHB 974 requires Maryland health insurers to cover specific preventive services - like evidence-based screenings rated A/B by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, recommended immunizations, and women’s preventive care - without requiring copays, deductibles, or coinsurance for policyholders. It directly affects health insurers and their customers by mandating coverage for these services under state law. The bill shifts enforcement authority to the Maryland Insurance Commissioner, who must ensure compliance with federal rules and guidance in effect as of December 31, 2024. The law takes effect on June 1, 2025, aligning state coverage requirements with federal standards for preventive care.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals Maryland's Section 18-601.1 of the Health-General Article, which previously prohibited individuals with HIV from knowingly transferring the virus to others and imposed criminal penalties (fines up to $2,500 or up to 3 years in jail). It directly affects individuals living with HIV who might have been subject to this specific criminal provision. The key mechanism is the removal of the legal prohibition and associated penalties from Maryland's code, effectively eliminating this criminal charge. This change focuses solely on repealing the existing law, not altering broader HIV transmission policies or public health approaches.

Maddy summaryHB 1083 requires Maryland's Department of Health to convene a workgroup by December 2025 to create a plan implementing federal child behavioral health screening and treatment rules (EPSDT). The workgroup must include behavioral health professionals, childhood mental health specialists, parents/caregivers, children with behavioral health needs, and advocates. It will develop strategies for screening, using a specific diagnostic tool for children under 5, and expanding community-based services to address early symptoms, routine care, and crisis needs. The plan must align with federal best practices for children’s behavioral health care access. The department must submit the final plan to the legislature by December 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 675 modifies Maryland's Rape Kit Testing Grant Fund to specifically fund testing of untested sexual assault evidence kits collected before October 1, 2020, and support related services. The bill directs the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention to distribute funds annually to law enforcement agencies for testing, while prohibiting the fund from supporting the Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Tracking System (Section 31-33). It also allocates funding to the State Sexual Assault Coalition for a victim notification hotline providing advocacy, information on untested kits, and guidance navigating the tracking system (Section 9-19). The Executive Director must ensure all pre-2020 kits are tested or determined non-testable by fiscal year end, with funds maintained at prior-year levels unless reduced (Section 5-6). This directly affects law enforcement agencies, victims of sexual assault, and the State Sexual Assault Coalition.

Maddy summaryHB 820 requires health insurance companies, pharmacy benefits managers, and private review agents to follow specific rules when using artificial intelligence (AI) for medical coverage decisions (utilization review). It mandates that AI tools base decisions on individual patient medical records - not just group data - and cannot replace healthcare providers in review processes. The bill also prohibits AI from causing prohibited discrimination and requires insurers to report whether AI was used in denied claims. This directly affects insurers and review entities that use AI to approve or deny treatments, hospital stays, or medications.

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 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 860 prohibits common carriers (such as bus companies, railroads, taxis, and ride-sharing services like Uber/Lyft) from damaging public infrastructure - like bridges or highways - so severely that closure is required. It declares such damage a "public nuisance," allowing state or local governments to sue for repairs, injunctive relief, and $1,000 daily penalties until infrastructure is restored. The bill directly affects transportation companies operating on public roads or bridges, requiring them to cover costs for damage causing closures. It does not create new infrastructure but establishes clear legal consequences for existing damage. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.