Del. Nicole Williams

Maddy summaryHB 1123 removes the requirement for the governor to approve medical parole decisions by the Maryland Parole Commission for inmates serving life sentences. It directly affects incarcerated individuals with severe medical conditions who qualify for medical parole. The bill mandates the Department of Public Safety to submit specific inmate names to the Commission, requires risk assessments for certain cases, and sets deadlines for parole hearings. It also authorizes the Justice Reinvestment Oversight Board to recommend funding for the Commission to support these parole processes. These changes streamline the medical parole process while maintaining safety considerations.

Maddy summaryHB 853 (Maryland Second Look Act) allows individuals serving prison sentences of 20+ years to petition courts for sentence reduction under specific conditions. To qualify, petitioners must have served at least 20 years and wait 5 years after any prior petition, with a maximum of three petitions total. Courts must hold hearings considering factors like rehabilitation, victim input, the individual’s age at the offense, and safety risks, and must publicly state their reasons for granting or denying relief. The law applies retroactively to eligible individuals already serving long sentences.

Maddy summaryHB 786 authorizes Maryland's Appellate Court to hold sessions at any secondary (e.g., high schools) or postsecondary (e.g., colleges) educational institution in the state, not just the University of Maryland Baltimore Campus and University of Baltimore as previously allowed. This change requires the Chief Judge to coordinate with school administrators to designate specific institutions for sessions. The bill modifies existing law to expand where the court can operate while maintaining the requirement that sessions must be held for at least ten months annually in Annapolis unless designated otherwise. It does not alter court procedures or affect the public directly, only changing the court's scheduling flexibility.

Maddy summaryHB 438 (Buddy's Law) increases the maximum compensatory damages for pet owners when someone negligently causes injury or death to their domesticated pet. It raises the cap from $10,000 to $25,000, covering costs like veterinary care and the pet’s fair market value before death. The law specifically applies to domesticated pets (excluding livestock) and affects owners in Maryland whose pets are harmed by negligence. The bill amends Maryland’s tort law and takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1440 requires Maryland circuit courthouses built or renovated after October 1, 2025, to provide private lactation rooms with specific amenities (lockable doors, sink, refrigerator, and electrical outlet for breast pumps). It also allows breastfeeding mothers and individuals with legal custody of children under age 4 requiring continuous care during court hours to be excused from jury service. The bill amends Maryland law to mandate these accommodations and establishes clear criteria for jury excusal, limiting excusals to twice per person unless extraordinary circumstances exist. These changes directly affect parents, nursing individuals, and court operations.

Maddy summaryHB 646 extends the deadline for a task force studying the creation of a Division of Returning Citizens and expanded reentry services. The bill delays the task force's report submission date from December 31, 2025, to October 31, 2026, and extends the task force's termination date from 2026 to 2027. This procedural bill amends previous legislation (Chapters 936 and 937 of the 2024 Acts) without changing the task force's purpose or creating new services. It directly affects the existing task force by providing additional time to complete its work.

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 1057 requires Maryland's Department of Human Services to reallocate a portion of its annual budget starting in fiscal year 2026 to provide child care stipends to private treatment foster care homes. These homes, which care for children with special physical, emotional, or behavioral needs, will receive funding similar to public treatment foster care homes to cover child care expenses. The bill mandates that the Secretary of Human Services include this funding request in annual budget proposals and adopt procedures ensuring private homes meet the same equity standards and anti-discrimination requirements (prohibiting discrimination based on race, gender, disability, etc.) as public homes. The policy change takes effect July 1, 2025, aiming to create funding parity for private providers.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires boaters involved in accidents causing injury or death to stop near the scene, return to remain there until assisting others, and provide their name, address, and vessel ID to injured persons. It defines "serious bodily injury" (e.g., risk of death, permanent disfigurement) and sets penalties: up to 1 year/$3,000 for injury, 5 years/$5,000 for death, or 10 years/$10,000 if the operator knew injury/death was likely. Boaters must also report serious accidents (death, disappearance, injury requiring medical care beyond first aid) within 48 hours to Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources. The law applies to all vessel operators in Maryland waters who cause accidents meeting these injury/death thresholds.

Maddy summaryHB 604 prohibits caregivers, family members, or household members from knowingly stealing property from vulnerable or senior adults with the intent to deprive them of it. It classifies such theft as a consumer fraud under Maryland law, enabling the Attorney General’s Senior and Vulnerable Adult Asset Recovery Unit to recover stolen assets and block offenders from inheriting victims’ property. The bill creates new criminal penalties, requires District Court jurisdiction for these cases, and allows prosecutors to freeze defendants’ assets early in proceedings. These changes directly affect vulnerable seniors, their families, and caregivers who commit financial exploitation.