Del. Nicole Williams

Maddy summaryHB 875 establishes a 17-member Commission on History, Culture, and Civics in Education to recommend curriculum changes for Maryland public schools. The commission must include specific representatives from Maryland’s Indigenous tribes, LGBTQIA+ community, disabled community, teachers, Latino, African American, and Asian American/Pacific Islander communities, with a majority required to have classroom or curriculum development experience. It will examine contributions of diverse groups (including American Indians, religious minorities, women, and disabled communities) and make annual recommendations to the State Board of Education by December 30 each year. All commission meetings, materials, and reports must be publicly posted online. The bill directly affects Maryland’s K-12 education system through required curriculum updates based on these recommendations.

Maddy summaryHB 1400, the "No Tax on Tips Act," requires restaurants and food service businesses to clearly disclose service fees (including their amount and whether they go to employees) on menus or visibly before ordering. It prohibits employers from counting tips toward meeting minimum wage requirements for tipped workers, ensuring they receive the full minimum wage without tip credits. Additionally, the bill allows tipped employees to subtract qualified tips from their state income tax bill (effectively making tips tax-free) and provides businesses a tax credit for wages and tips paid to employees. This directly affects tipped workers in restaurants and similar establishments, as well as the businesses that employ them.

Maddy summaryHB 211 grants collective bargaining rights to graduate assistants and postdoctoral associates at Maryland's public universities (including the University System, Morgan State, and St. Mary's College). The bill amends Maryland law to remove these workers from an existing exclusion, creating separate bargaining units for them - distinct from faculty or undergraduate student employees. Key provisions define "graduate assistant" as a graduate student in teaching/administrative/research roles and "postdoctoral associate" as a doctoral-level employee in research positions, explicitly including them in collective bargaining protections. This change directly affects these graduate and postdoctoral workers, allowing them to negotiate wages, benefits, and working conditions through union representation.

Maddy summaryHB 926 amends Maryland law to expand the definition of "health care provider" in malpractice claims. It specifically adds "an employee, agent, or contractor of a hospital who is licensed, certified, registered, or otherwise authorized to render health care services in Maryland" to the existing list of covered entities. This change directly affects hospital staff (like nurses or technicians working under contract) who would now be individually liable in malpractice lawsuits, not just the hospital itself. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, and does not alter other aspects of malpractice law.

Maddy summaryHB 1014, the "Fair Share for Maryland Act of 2025," makes significant changes to Maryland's tax code affecting residents, businesses, and estates. It adjusts estate tax calculations to maintain Maryland's tax rate despite potential federal changes, imposes a business transportation fee on corporations and pass-through entities, and expands eligibility for the earned income tax credit by lowering income thresholds for individuals without qualifying children. The bill also requires annual inflation adjustments for tax credit phase-out amounts, limits net operating loss deductions, and modifies child tax credit eligibility. These changes directly impact Maryland taxpayers, businesses, and families relying on state tax credits.

Maddy summaryHB 608 requires Maryland county school boards to grant temporary school admission to students when parents or guardians cannot immediately provide proof of required immunizations. This temporary enrollment lasts up to 60 days, during which parents must schedule an appointment with a health provider or local health department to obtain immunizations, reconstruct lost records, or get evidence of age-appropriate immunity. Parents must then submit proof of the immunization on the next school day following the appointment. The bill directly affects public school students and their families in Maryland, balancing school safety with practical barriers to documentation.

Maddy summaryHB 400 prohibits Maryland state agencies and instrumentalities from using state funds for magnetic levitation (maglev) transportation systems within the state. The bill specifically blocks appropriations for building or operating such systems but allows spending on salaries for staff reviewing permits or approvals for maglev projects. This directly affects state budgeting decisions and any entities seeking state financial support for maglev infrastructure. The law takes effect June 1, 2025, and does not prevent private development of maglev systems.

Maddy summaryHB 696 eliminates citizenship requirements for members of certain Maryland state boards, committees, commissions, task forces, and workgroups. It replaces these requirements with a mandate that appointees should reflect the "full diversity of the State to the extent practicable." The bill affects multiple state entities across health, environment, labor, and other sectors by changing appointment rules in over 20 specific code sections. This policy change directly impacts who can be appointed to these bodies, prioritizing diversity considerations over citizenship status.

Maddy summaryHB 665 requires Maryland's Medicaid program (Maryland Medical Assistance Program) and certain health insurers to cover annual behavioral health wellness visits starting July 1, 2026. These visits, defined as clinical assessments to identify potential psychiatric or substance use disorders, must be covered regardless of whether a diagnosis is made. Insurers must reimburse providers for these visits at the same rate as visits resulting in a diagnosis. The bill applies to Medicaid recipients and health plans operating in Maryland, effective January 1, 2026, for new or renewed policies.

Maddy summaryHB 495 requires Maryland schools with existing antidiscrimination policies to update those policies to include specific information, such as reporting options for sexual violence, school contact details, investigation processes, victim resources, and medical facility locations. It mandates that policies be written in plain, age-appropriate language, printed for readability, available in common languages spoken by students/staff (5%+ of population), and accessible via oral interpretation for less common languages. Schools must distribute policies annually through handbooks, email, campus postings, and websites, and provide mandatory training to students at the start of each school year and to employees within four weeks of hire. This applies to all public/private K-12 schools, preK programs receiving state funding, and colleges in Maryland.