Del. Tiffany Alston

Maddy summaryHB 1132 requires Maryland public school principals to investigate every student fight or physical struggle. It prohibits school staff from disciplining students who, after an investigation, more likely than not used reasonable force to protect themselves or escape an attack. If a student was wrongly disciplined for such an incident, the school must remove all related records from their disciplinary file. This bill directly affects students involved in school fights, school administrators, and the accuracy of student disciplinary records.

Maddy summaryHB 1015 requires all Maryland public middle schools to begin instruction no earlier than 8:00 a.m. and public high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m. starting in the 2027-2028 school year. It directly affects every public middle, high, and charter school in Maryland, mandating later start times unless a waiver is granted. County boards and charter schools must also implement public awareness campaigns about sleep deprivation and the benefits of later start times. Waivers for earlier start times are permitted only for compelling reasons, such as natural disasters or severe weather, as determined by the State Board of Education.

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 1216 would exempt Purple Heart, Medal of Honor, Silver Star, and Bronze Star recipients, as well as members of Gold Star families (immediate family members of service members killed in action), from paying vehicle registration fees in Maryland. The bill amends existing law to add these groups as eligible for fee exemptions on vehicles they own, lease, or personally use. This change expands current exemptions that already cover veterans with disabilities and other specific groups under Maryland's Transportation Article. The exemption would take effect on October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1412 prohibits counties or cities from requiring retail stores to charge customers for carryout bags, except for existing ordinances in place before January 1, 2025, which must direct bag fee revenue exclusively to environmental programs. It directly affects local governments (counties/municipalities) and retail stores by limiting new bag fee policies. The bill requires stores to exempt customers using public assistance programs (like SNAP, WIC, or food assistance programs) and seniors aged 65+ from any bag fee. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and does not alter existing bag fee policies that were already active before 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 735 removes psychiatry and all subcategories of psychiatric services from Maryland's Certificate of Need (CON) requirements. This means psychiatric health care facilities and providers offering mental health services no longer need state approval to establish, operate, or expand these services. The bill amends Maryland law by deleting "psychiatry" from the definition of "medical service" in Section 19-120(a)(6)(i) and removing it from the list of services requiring a CON under Section 19-120(j)(iii)(5). This directly affects psychiatric hospitals, clinics, and mental health providers by eliminating a regulatory hurdle for their operations.

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 435 modifies Maryland's jury service disqualification rules by expanding the circumstances under which individuals with criminal convictions cannot serve. It specifically disqualifies people convicted of crimes involving perjury, witness/jury intimidation, or certain offenses under Title 8 of the Criminal Law Article, as well as those currently serving sentences exceeding one year for such crimes. The bill removes an existing exception allowing pardoned individuals to serve, meaning pardons no longer restore jury eligibility for these offenses. This change directly affects Maryland residents with these specific criminal convictions who would now be barred from jury service, effective October 1, 2025.

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 635 requires police officers to document the specific reason for every traffic stop (e.g., speeding, broken taillight) on the citation or police report. It limits enforcement of certain vehicle law violations (like expired registration) to "secondary" actions only - officers must first stop a driver for a primary violation (e.g., speeding) before citing a secondary issue. If an officer fails to document the reason or violates the secondary enforcement rule, evidence from the stop may be excluded in court, and the officer could face administrative discipline. This bill directly affects police procedures during traffic stops and the admissibility of evidence in legal cases.