Rep. Jason Buckel

Maddy summaryHB 1325 authorizes licensed clinical social workers to evaluate permanent impairments involving behavioral or mental disorders in Maryland workers' compensation claims. It requires these social workers to meet specific qualifications, including training in mental/behavioral conditions, rehabilitation counseling registration, two years of post-licensure experience, and COMAR authorization. The bill directly affects workers seeking compensation for mental/behavioral impairments and licensed clinical social workers who wish to provide these evaluations. It amends Maryland’s workers’ compensation law (Article 9, Section 9-721) to expand evaluation eligibility beyond psychologists and physicians. The changes take effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 952 requires operators of "companion chatbots" (AI systems designed to meet social needs through human-like interactions) to establish safety protocols, including preventing harmful content like self-harm discussions and sexually explicit material for minors. Operators must publish these protocols online, display clear warnings that chatbots are AI (not human), and provide crisis resource referrals for users expressing suicidal thoughts. The bill also mandates that operators of chatbots used by minors display mandatory break reminders after 3 hours of continuous use. It excludes business customer service bots, video game features, and basic voice assistants from these requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 1274 authorizes Maryland public school systems to award three types of diplomas to deceased students: standard diplomas (for students near graduation in 12th grade), posthumous honorary diplomas (for students in 11th/12th grade close to graduation), and in memoriam diplomas (for students in grades K-10 or county residents). To qualify, students must have been enrolled in a Maryland public school, met credit requirements, and been in good standing at the time of death. Schools may only issue these diplomas upon written request from a parent, guardian, or next of kin, and all awarded diplomas are ceremonial with no academic credit or impact on graduation rates. The bill amends Maryland’s education code to establish these specific eligibility criteria and procedures.

Maddy summaryHB 1375 requires Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations to cover the full duration of long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease and related tick-borne illnesses (like babesiosis or ehrlichiosis) when ordered by a licensed physician for therapeutic purposes. It prohibits these entities from imposing caps or time limits on such treatment or denying coverage solely because the treatment is labeled "unproven," "experimental," or "investigational." The law applies to all health insurance policies issued, delivered, or renewed in Maryland after January 1, 2027. This directly affects patients with chronic Lyme disease or related conditions who rely on extended antibiotic therapy and their insurers.

Maddy summaryHB 1079 creates Maryland's Office of Regulatory Management to streamline state government processes. It requires all executive branch agencies to report on their regulatory permits, licenses, and certifications by December 2026, including processing times, fees, and online capabilities. Agencies must also develop strategies by December 2026 to reduce regulatory requirements by 25% and simplify application processes, aiming to cut approval times for permits and licenses. The bill directly affects state government agencies, not the public, and mandates annual reports starting July 2027 on upcoming regulatory changes.

Maddy summaryHB 1500 requires Maryland state agencies to finalize regulations implementing a program before collecting any fees under that program. It directly affects state agencies that collect fees for programs authorized by law, such as licensing or permitting services. The bill's key provision states agencies cannot collect fees until they have completed the regulatory adoption process. This change takes effect October 1, 2026, ensuring fees are only collected once rules are formally established. The law applies to all state programs requiring regulatory implementation under Maryland law.

Maddy summaryHB 976 changes how Maryland calculates state education funding for public schools by altering the definition of "full-time equivalent enrollment." It replaces the previous method with an average of enrollment on September 30 and May 31 of the prior school year, directly affecting all public schools receiving state aid based on this metric. The bill also requires the State Department of Education to publish annual reports online and submit detailed data to legislative committees, showing enrollment counts, student categories (including "whereabouts unknown"), and funding allocations by county. These changes aim to standardize enrollment data used for funding calculations starting in fiscal year 2028.

Maddy summaryHB 385 establishes that in personal injury or wrongful death cases, medical bills presented in court are presumed authentic, fair, and reasonable unless proven otherwise. This means the party challenging the bill (e.g., a defendant) must show by a preponderance of evidence that specific charges are invalid, unfair, or unreasonable - without needing expert testimony to verify the bill itself. The bill directly affects individuals and insurers involved in such civil cases where medical costs are disputed. It streamlines court proceedings by reducing the need for additional evidence to validate medical bills, while maintaining a clear standard for rebutting the presumption.

Maddy summaryHB 1586 adds "coercive control" to Maryland's definition of abuse for protective order petitions, specifically for adults experiencing psychological manipulation. It defines coercive control as patterns of behavior including isolating victims from support networks, depriving them of basic needs, controlling finances or movements, or using threats (including about immigration status) to force compliance. This allows individuals in abusive relationships - where physical violence may not occur - to seek protective orders based on these non-physical tactics. The bill updates existing Family Law sections (4-501 and 4-504) to include these specific examples of coercive control as grounds for relief.

Maddy summaryHB 1515 prohibits noncompete and conflict of interest clauses in employment contracts for certain healthcare workers if their employer relocates most operations outside Maryland after the employee leaves. It specifically applies to: - Employees earning ≤ $350,000 annually in licensed, direct patient care roles (or veterinary professionals), - *or* employees of employers who previously had >30 in-state employees but later move most operations out of state. For higher-earning healthcare workers ($350,000+), the bill limits noncompete terms to 1 year and a 10-mile geographic radius. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, and does not apply to client/patient list restrictions.