Del. Marvin Holmes

Maddy summaryHB 606 requires real estate professionals - such as developers, builders, brokers, and agents - to report the final sale price of new homes sold in Maryland into a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) or similar public database within 30 days of the sale. This applies specifically to new home sales and directly affects those selling new properties. The key provision mandates that final sale prices, not initial listings, be entered into existing MLS systems used by real estate professionals. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, aiming to increase transparency in new home pricing data without creating new reporting systems.

Maddy summaryHB 299 requires board members and officers of condominiums and homeowners associations (HOAs) in Maryland to complete mandatory training within 90 days of taking office. The training covers Maryland’s housing laws, governance responsibilities, fiduciary duties, financial management, and dispute resolution, developed by approved organizations. Boards must certify completion, retain records, and report to the state commission, with certifications valid for three years. Failure to complete training may result in removal from office or invalidation of votes. This bill directly affects governing bodies of residential common ownership communities across Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 306 establishes a Common Ownership Community Ombudsman Unit within the Maryland Attorney General's office to handle complaints from residents about final adverse decisions by community governing bodies (like condo boards or homeowners associations). It requires all common ownership communities (including condominiums, cooperatives, and homeowners associations) to file governing documents with the Department of Housing and Community Development, which must create a public database of these documents. The bill also creates county-level commissions to review complaints referred by the Ombudsman, and the Ombudsman unit must annually report on its activities, including complaint volumes and resolutions. This directly affects community residents, governing bodies, and local governments by adding a dispute-resolution pathway and increasing transparency in community governance.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill establishes funding for the Professional and Volunteer Firefighter Innovative Cancer Screening Technologies Program to help firefighters access advanced cancer screening. It mandates that the state budget include at least $100,000 annually for the program from fiscal years 2021 through 2024, with an option to increase funding to at least $500,000 per year starting in fiscal year 2025. The legislation also ensures that all funds used for this program are subject to audits by the Office of Legislative Audits to maintain financial accountability.

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 summaryHB 1092 requires the Maryland 9-1-1 Board to create training standards for public safety answering point personnel that include high-quality telecommunications cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction. This training must follow current national emergency care guidelines, cover recognition protocols for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and teach compression-only CPR techniques. The bill also updates the 9-1-1 Trust Fund to allow money from this source to pay for these specific CPR training costs. These changes aim to better equip 9-1-1 operators to provide life-saving guidance during cardiac emergencies.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill officially changes the common name of the northern snakehead to "Patuxent Fish" or "Chesapeake Channa" in state laws and department publications. It creates a specific commercial fishing license for catching this fish in tidal waters, allowing the use of bow and arrow or hook and line methods with certain safety restrictions near swimmers and divers. The license costs $15 per year, is valid for one year, and cannot be transferred to another person. The Department of Natural Resources must update all its materials to use the new names by January 1, 2025, while the law itself takes effect on October 1, 2024.