Maddy summaryHB 663 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to report to the state legislature on changes in federal greenhouse gas emissions policies. Starting July 1, 2026, and every six months thereafter, the department must report any legally validated federal policy changes - including court-approved repeals of vehicle or stationary source emissions standards - and detail Maryland's response to those changes. The bill specifically mandates that reports cover policy shifts since January 1, 2024, for the first report, and each subsequent report must address changes from the prior six-month period. This reporting requirement expires on May 31, 2029, after a three-year term. The bill directly affects state environmental agencies and the General Assembly, creating a formal process to track federal regulatory shifts impacting climate policy.
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Maddy summaryHB 936 requires health insurance carriers to provide written notice of cancellation or nonrenewal for small group health plans to affected small employers and employees at least 90 days in advance. Notices must be sent via certified mail (return receipt requested) and electronically, including information about alternative coverage options like COBRA or plans through the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange. The bill applies specifically to small group market plans and takes effect July 1, 2025. It mandates carriers to offer affected employers other available plans and prohibits discrimination based on health status.
Maddy summaryHB 1083 requires Maryland's Department of Health to convene a workgroup by December 2025 to create a plan implementing federal child behavioral health screening and treatment rules (EPSDT). The workgroup must include behavioral health professionals, childhood mental health specialists, parents/caregivers, children with behavioral health needs, and advocates. It will develop strategies for screening, using a specific diagnostic tool for children under 5, and expanding community-based services to address early symptoms, routine care, and crisis needs. The plan must align with federal best practices for children’s behavioral health care access. The department must submit the final plan to the legislature by December 1, 2025.
Maddy summaryHB 334 establishes a statewide program requiring the Maryland Department of Health to provide universal newborn nurse home visiting services to all families with newborns (up to 12 weeks old) residing in Maryland. The program must be evidence-based, offered by licensed nurses, and delivered in homes or virtually, focusing on infant health, maternal well-being, family support, and child development. Crucially, the bill mandates that health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations cover and reimburse these services under existing policies. The program is voluntary for families, with no penalties for declining participation, and requires data collection on outcomes across key domains like reducing child maltreatment and improving school readiness.
Maddy summaryHB 820 requires health insurance companies, pharmacy benefits managers, and private review agents to follow specific rules when using artificial intelligence (AI) for medical coverage decisions (utilization review). It mandates that AI tools base decisions on individual patient medical records - not just group data - and cannot replace healthcare providers in review processes. The bill also prohibits AI from causing prohibited discrimination and requires insurers to report whether AI was used in denied claims. This directly affects insurers and review entities that use AI to approve or deny treatments, hospital stays, or medications.
Maddy summaryHB 43 expands Maryland's Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) Grant Program to explicitly include funding for land acquisition. The bill authorizes the Board of Public Works, upon the Secretary of Health's recommendation, to provide grants to counties, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations for purchasing land to build or operate FQHCs. This change adds "acquisition of land for construction or use" as a sixth eligible grant purpose, previously limited to building conversion, renovation, equipment, or construction planning. The policy directly supports community health centers - particularly in underserved areas - by easing access to land for new facilities, without altering existing grant categories. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.
Maddy summaryHB 538 transfers administration of Maryland's Federal Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) from the Secretary of Aging to the Family Investment Administration within the Department of Human Services. The bill updates state law to designate the Family Investment Administration as the central agency managing CSFP using federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (under 7 C.F.R. 247). It repeals the existing requirement that the Secretary of Aging administer the program, streamlining oversight under the Department of Human Services. This change directly affects how CSFP services - providing food packages to low-income pregnant women, infants, and children - are coordinated within the state government. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.
Maddy summaryHB 938 requires continuing care providers (like senior living facilities) with a governing body to appoint an alternate member if only one resident representative serves on that body. The alternate can attend all meetings and vote only when the regular representative is unavailable. The bill also mandates that providers consult with resident associations before appointing an alternate and ensures residents can access nonconfidential meeting details within a month of approval. This applies to all continuing care providers in Maryland operating under the current governance structure.
Maddy summaryHB 879 establishes a 13-member Task Force to study chronic absenteeism in Maryland schools, with members appointed by legislative leaders and the State Superintendent. The Task Force will analyze attendance data, identify best practices, and develop recommendations - including a standardized definition of chronic absenteeism - by December 31, 2025. It will create culturally responsive toolkits for school leaders and guidance for local systems, to be distributed by June 2026. The bill itself does not implement new policies but sets up the process for future regulations. This procedural bill expires automatically on December 31, 2026.
Maddy summaryHB 881 requires all child support payments received in a month to fully pass through to families enrolled in Maryland's Family Investment Program (FIP) and prohibits local agencies from counting child support when calculating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This bill amends Maryland law to ensure child support payments do not reduce FIP assistance amounts or SNAP benefits for eligible households. It specifically updates Section 5-310(a)(4) of the Maryland Code to disregard all child support in benefit calculations, rather than the current partial disregard. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, directly affecting low-income families receiving FIP or SNAP benefits.