Rep. Emily Shetty

Maddy summaryHB 930 establishes Maryland's Public Health Abortion Grant Program to improve access to abortion care by redirecting excess funds from health insurance coverage. It requires insurance carriers in Maryland to transfer 90% of unused funds from their abortion coverage accounts (after covering patient costs) into a new special fund. This fund will support abortion clinical services, particularly where federal funding is restricted, benefiting individuals seeking abortion care in Maryland. The program mandates annual reporting by insurers and transfers existing excess funds starting in 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 674 prohibits individuals from intentionally concealing a death by failing to notify emergency services or law enforcement, dismembering or destroying human remains, or burying a dead body. It also bans aiding or abetting these acts. Violating this law is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, with sentences served consecutively to other related convictions. The bill directly affects anyone who attempts to hide a death through these specific actions, targeting concealment of death rather than the underlying crime.

Maddy summaryHB 538 transfers administration of Maryland's Federal Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) from the Secretary of Aging to the Family Investment Administration within the Department of Human Services. The bill updates state law to designate the Family Investment Administration as the central agency managing CSFP using federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (under 7 C.F.R. 247). It repeals the existing requirement that the Secretary of Aging administer the program, streamlining oversight under the Department of Human Services. This change directly affects how CSFP services - providing food packages to low-income pregnant women, infants, and children - are coordinated within the state government. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 910 increases Maryland's property tax exemption for blind individuals from $15,000 to $40,000 on their primary residence. It directly affects blind homeowners and their surviving spouses (who haven't remarried) who own a dwelling house meeting specific occupancy and visual impairment criteria. The bill amends existing law to raise the exemption amount, which applies to the assessed value of the home, and continues the exemption to surviving spouses after the blind individual's death. The change takes effect June 1, 2025, for all taxable years beginning after June 30, 2025.

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 881 requires all child support payments received in a month to fully pass through to families enrolled in Maryland's Family Investment Program (FIP) and prohibits local agencies from counting child support when calculating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This bill amends Maryland law to ensure child support payments do not reduce FIP assistance amounts or SNAP benefits for eligible households. It specifically updates Section 5-310(a)(4) of the Maryland Code to disregard all child support in benefit calculations, rather than the current partial disregard. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, directly affecting low-income families receiving FIP or SNAP benefits.

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 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 1198, the Monica Cooper Prerelease Act, requires Maryland to establish a dedicated prerelease facility for female incarcerated individuals in Baltimore City (on at least 3 acres) by 2027. The facility must serve women with low violence/escape risk and satisfactory behavior, offering evidence-based programs like education, vocational training, trauma-informed healthcare, and family reunification support. It mandates the Department of Public Safety to provide comprehensive rehabilitative services - including help with public health benefits applications - and report progress to lawmakers by 2026. This bill directly affects female inmates eligible for prerelease status, aiming to reduce recidivism through gender-responsive reentry planning.

Maddy summaryHB 210, the "Porch Piracy Act of 2025," prohibits the theft of mail or packages delivered by the U.S. Postal Service or commercial carriers. It defines "mail or package" as tangible items left for delivery and makes knowingly taking such items without the recipient's permission a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison. The bill also allows courts to offer diversion programs for third or subsequent violations instead of jail time. This law directly affects individuals who steal mail or packages, aiming to criminalize what is commonly called "porch piracy." The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.