Del. Mary Lehman

Maddy summaryHB 51 requires local news organizations meeting specific criteria to provide written notice at least 120 days before a sale. This applies to entities publishing regular local news (print, digital, or both) with full-time journalists covering their community, disclosing ownership, and not primarily funded by political groups. The notice must be sent to affected employees, the county governing body, and nonprofit buyers of local news. The sale cannot be completed without this notice being provided, effective October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes fees on telephone and mobile service providers to fund Maryland's behavioral health crisis response system. It requires traditional phone companies to pay a fee per subscriber and prepaid wireless providers to pay a fee on each retail transaction, with all collected money going into a dedicated state trust fund. The fund is designated to cover the costs of maintaining the 9-8-8 suicide prevention hotline and supporting statewide crisis services such as call centers, mobile teams, and stabilization facilities. Additionally, the legislation mandates that the state Comptroller audit how these fees are collected and limits the amount of revenue that can be used for administrative expenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Task Force to study how Maryland can improve support for people returning to society after incarceration. The group includes government officials, legal representatives, and individuals with personal experience in the criminal justice system, such as former inmates and family members of those currently in prison. The Task Force will evaluate current reentry services, identify missing resources, and create a plan to form a new Division of Returning Citizens within the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. This proposed division would coordinate existing programs and expand access to housing, employment, socialization, and health services for individuals after their release.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Melanie Nicholle Diaz Fire Safety Act, establishes new fire safety requirements for residential rental high-rise buildings in Maryland to improve occupant protection. It mandates the installation of specific smoke detectors in public corridors of these buildings starting July 1, 2024, and requires owners to post notices if their buildings lack complete automatic sprinkler systems. The legislation also ensures that tenants who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing receive appropriate notification appliances without having to pay for them or provide documentation. Additionally, the bill creates a workgroup to develop best practices for pre-1974 high-rise apartments and allows local governments to offer property tax credits for buildings that make qualifying fire safety improvements.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill updates regulations for assisted living managers, primarily by extending the deadline for mandatory licensing and modifying training requirements. It allows managers to delay full licensure until July 1, 2026, while also reducing the required training hours from 80 to a mix of in-person and virtual options, provided the training includes direct faculty interaction. The legislation also clarifies rules for interim managers who step in temporarily and adjusts the composition of the State Board of Long-Term Care Administrators to include more assisted living managers. Additionally, the bill maintains penalties for facilities that fail to employ qualified managers and ensures approved training courses remain affordable and accessible.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Maryland Department of Health to hire an independent consultant to study four state health and insurance agencies: the Health Services Cost Review Commission, the Maryland Health Care Commission, the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission, and the Maryland Insurance Administration. The consultant will examine overlaps in their duties, suggest ways to streamline operations, and analyze how their functions align with state healthcare models. The study must include input from the agencies themselves and conclude with a report to the Governor and relevant legislative committees by January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Qualified Resident Enrollment Program to help individuals in Maryland who currently lack health insurance access enroll in qualified plans. It defines "qualified residents" as people living in the state who are not incarcerated, regardless of their immigration status, and who do not qualify for existing federal or state assistance programs like Medicaid or Medicare. The program allows the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange to manage enrollment, potentially with help from a third-party contractor, and requires a specific federal waiver approval before it can begin. Additionally, the legislation creates a dedicated fund to finance the program's operations and administration, ensuring it has the necessary resources to function.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland law requires the state's medical assistance program to cover remote ultrasound procedures and fetal nonstress tests for eligible pregnant women and their families. To qualify, patients must be at home or in a location other than their provider's office, and the provider must follow the same safety standards as if the test were done in person. The bill mandates that these remote services use FDA-approved digital technology to securely transmit health data for interpretation by a doctor elsewhere. Additionally, the program must reimburse remote fetal nonstress tests at the same rate as on-site tests, provided the equipment is FDA-cleared for monitoring fetal, maternal, and uterine activity. The law takes effect on October 1, 2024, and the state will issue guidance to help providers implement these new requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes requirements for Maryland county school boards to ensure blind and visually impaired students receive textbooks in specialized formats like braille, audio, or digital text. It mandates that textbook publishers provide electronic files to a state center for conversion into these accessible formats and requires the state to cover costs when specialized versions are unavailable. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that students with some remaining vision cannot be denied braille instruction solely based on their vision level, while also setting new standards for teachers of these students.

Maddy summaryThis bill transfers the authority to appoint a deputy clerk who can perform marriage ceremonies from the county administrative judge to the clerk of the circuit court in Maryland. Previously, the administrative judge designated these deputies, but under the new law, the clerk of the circuit court will make this appointment directly. The change applies to all counties in the state and allows designated deputy clerks to legally officiate weddings alongside judges and religious officials. The provision officially takes effect on October 1, 2024.