Del. Jheanelle Wilkins

Maddy summaryHB 1182 allows Maryland public and nonpublic schools to coordinate with students and parents to use locative devices (such as wearable trackers) for monitoring a student's location during elopement (leaving campus without permission) or wandering (leaving classroom area without permission) incidents. This requires documented behavior in the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) or behavior plan, written parental consent, and limits data collection to what's necessary for addressing the behavior while protecting privacy through safeguards. The State Department of Education must issue guidance on implementation and privacy protections, but the bill does not require schools to provide devices or families to purchase or use them.

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 29 requires Maryland county school boards to provide free access to three types of post-college and career readiness pathways for students who meet statewide college and career readiness standards: competitive college prep programs (like IB or AP), early college/dual enrollment options, and career/technology education programs. It allows counties to set income eligibility guidelines for the college prep pathway costs (but mandates free access for students at or below federal poverty level), while requiring all other pathways to be free for all qualifying students. The bill also mandates schools to offer counseling to help students choose pathways, ensure graduation requirements are met through these pathways, and maintain full student services regardless of pathway enrollment. This applies to all Maryland public high school students meeting the readiness standards, effective July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1268 requires new or renewed environmental permits for facilities in Maryland neighborhoods identified as "at-risk" (based on high pollution levels or proximity to pollution sources like power plants or landfills) to include a "burden report" detailing existing environmental health issues. The state Department of the Environment must deny permits if approval would worsen pollution stressors in these areas, using Maryland’s Environmental Justice Tool to define "at-risk" census tracts. It applies specifically to air quality permits for construction and water discharge permits for facilities like power plants, waste sites, or mining operations. The bill mandates public participation in permit reviews for these facilities and requires the Department to document its assessment for judicial review.

Maddy summaryHJ 8 is a symbolic resolution apologizing for Maryland's historical role in racial terror lynchings. It formally acknowledges the state's complicity in 38 documented lynchings between 1854-1933, including failures to protect Black citizens, colluding with local governments to conceal perpetrators, and failing to pass anti-lynching laws. The resolution commits Maryland to taking reparative actions as recommended by the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission, though it does not establish new programs or allocate funds. It directly addresses the legacy of harm experienced by Black Marylanders and their descendants. This is a procedural resolution, not a law with enforceable provisions.

Maddy summaryHB 960 establishes Maryland's Federal Employee-to-Entrepreneur Program within the Department of Commerce to assist former or transitioning federal employees in starting businesses. The program provides annual training, one-on-one coaching, and tools for business planning, compliance, marketing, and capital readiness to 60 participants (4 cohorts of 15) each fiscal year. It requires the Department to develop application procedures and a curriculum, with $400,000 in annual state funding to support these services. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026, creating a structured pathway for federal workers seeking entrepreneurial careers.

Maddy summaryHB 884 requires Maryland to appropriate at least $5 million annually to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) starting in fiscal year 2028, continuing until a total of $321,181,312 is funded. This addresses a historical funding disparity between UMES (Maryland's 1890 land-grant university for historically Black students) and the University of Maryland, College Park (the 1862 land-grant institution), which received less state funding per student from 1987-2020. Funds must supplement - never replace - existing state budget allocations and can be used for infrastructure, faculty investment, scholarships, or other institutional needs identified by UMES. The bill mandates annual appropriations that cannot decrease year-over-year, aiming to fully remediate the identified funding gap.

Maddy summaryHB 1488 proposes amending the Maryland Constitution to replace gendered terms like "man," "his," and "him" with gender-neutral language such as "person" and "their." It specifically targets multiple articles and sections across the Constitution (including the Declaration of Rights, Executive Department, and Judiciary Department) to update outdated terminology. The bill does not change substantive rights or policies but modernizes the language to be inclusive. This is a procedural constitutional amendment focused solely on terminology, not on altering legal obligations or government functions.

Maddy summaryHB 1261, the Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act, requires manufacturers of AI toys marketed to children in Maryland to include specific safety features and data privacy protections. It mandates parental consent mechanisms, age-appropriate content filters to block harmful or inappropriate material (like violence or emotional manipulation), automatic "safe mode" that disables the toy during risky interactions, and prohibitions on using child data for marketing. The law directly affects toy manufacturers selling AI toys in Maryland, requiring them to conduct safety assessments and update software for vulnerabilities. Violations are treated as unfair trade practices under Maryland's Consumer Protection Act, with enforcement handled by a new Review Panel under the Attorney General's office.

Maddy summaryHB 444 prohibits Maryland state and local governments, including county sheriffs and agencies, from entering into new agreements with federal authorities to enforce civil immigration law. It requires existing agreements to be terminated by July 1, 2026, or immediately upon the law’s effective date (June 1, 2026). The bill specifically targets contracts, memorandums, or agreements that allow local entities to assist in federal immigration enforcement under federal laws like 8 U.S.C. § 1103 or § 1357. This directly affects local law enforcement agencies and government bodies that previously collaborated with federal immigration authorities. The law aims to prevent state/local resources from being used for immigration enforcement under federal programs.