Del. Denise Roberts

Maddy summaryHB 1291 requires the Maryland Department of Health to create procedures ensuring seniors aged 65+ who received in-home services within the past six months can temporarily continue care during service lapses caused by departmental errors. The bill mandates that temporary service continuation (up to 52 days or 1,248 hours) begin immediately upon service interruption and cover only previously approved services. It prohibits the department from altering existing appeal rights or billing recipients for services provided during this temporary period. The law applies specifically to seniors facing administrative or technical errors in their Medicaid coverage, ensuring uninterrupted care without financial burden. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Maryland public schools to recognize autism diagnoses made by licensed medical, mental health, or educational professionals until the school completes its own initial evaluation. It mandates that schools begin their evaluation process within 30 days of receiving an external autism diagnosis and parental consent, while also requiring schools to provide supports recommended in the diagnosis during the evaluation period. The law specifies which professionals qualify for making external diagnoses, including developmental pediatricians, clinical psychologists, and psychiatrists, and allows schools to offer alternative supports only if the original recommendations conflict with laws or pose safety risks. This legislation takes effect on July 1, 2026, ensuring students with external autism diagnoses receive appropriate support during the school's evaluation timeline.

Maddy summaryHB 897 (the "Lower Bills and Local Power Act of 2026") requires electric companies operating high-voltage transmission lines (>69,000 volts) in Maryland to join regional transmission organizations. It mandates new application details for certain utility projects, creates a Solar and Energy Storage Market Stabilization Program within the Maryland Energy Administration, and redirects funds from the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund to provide refunds or credits to residential electricity customers. The bill also requires studies on siting transmission lines and battery storage systems within existing rights-of-way and sets deadlines for the Public Service Commission to review project certificates. These provisions directly affect electric utilities, the Public Service Commission, and residential electricity customers through cost adjustments.

Maddy summaryHB 920 requires developers, builders, brokers, and real estate agents to enter the final sale price of new homes into a multiple listing service (MLS) or similar database within 30 days of the sale. This applies to all new home transactions in Maryland and aims to make final sale prices publicly accessible through real estate databases used for market evaluations and appraisals. The bill defines "multiple listing service" as a database utilized by real estate professionals. It takes effect on October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 853 creates a State Board of Common Ownership Community Managers within Maryland’s Department of Labor to license and regulate professionals managing residential communities. It directly affects condominiums, cooperatives, and homeowners associations (excluding timeshares) by requiring community managers to hold licenses, mandating community registration under certain conditions, and requiring contracts to include fidelity bonds or theft insurance. Key provisions include setting licensing standards, specifying required contract terms for management services, and establishing a dedicated fund to cover board operations. The bill aims to standardize oversight for community management services across Maryland’s residential communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires recipients of Maryland state and local government funding to report annually to the Comptroller on how they use those funds, including details about any contractors or subcontractors they hire. Entities receiving payments for providing goods or services must also include this information on their income tax returns, such as the number of employees, work locations, and whether contractors are certified minority businesses. The Comptroller will then compile this data and submit a summary report to the General Assembly each year, showing the percentage of in-state versus out-of-state contractors, average employee counts, and the share of minority business enterprises. These reporting requirements apply to state, county, and municipal government units as well as individuals and corporations that receive public funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a state income tax credit for Maryland residents aged 77 and older to help reduce their tax burden. Eligible taxpayers must have federal adjusted gross income below $175,000 for individuals or $250,000 for couples filing jointly. The credit amount increases with age, ranging from 25% of the state income tax for those turning 77 to a full 100% credit for those aged 80 and older. The bill applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, and prevents taxpayers from claiming both this credit and another existing senior tax credit in the same year.

Maddy summaryHB 935 requires Maryland to establish a dedicated prerelease facility for female incarcerated individuals, directly affecting women eligible for prerelease programs at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women. The bill mandates a separate facility meeting specific criteria: at least 3 acres, not within 1 mile of other prisons, and designed to house 1.25 times the 2024 prerelease-eligible population. It requires the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to provide comprehensive rehabilitative services (including gender-responsive programming) and report progress to legislative committees by a specified deadline. The facility must operate by June 1, 2023, with the Department of General Services directing procurement for its construction.

Maddy summaryHB 686, "Zoey's Law," increases penalties for drivers who flee police and cause death during the chase. It reclassifies causing death while attempting to elude police as a felony, raising the maximum penalty to 5 years for a first offense and 10 years for repeat offenses, with fines up to $5,000. The bill directly affects drivers who evade law enforcement and result in a fatality, replacing prior misdemeanor penalties. This change applies to all drivers who fail to stop for police signals (e.g., lights, sirens) and cause death, regardless of whether the driver was fleeing for a "crime of violence."

Maddy summaryHB 488 establishes the geographic boundaries for Maryland's eight congressional districts for the 2026 elections. It specifies exact county and election district portions, using census tract data to define district lines where precincts are split, based on boundaries as they existed on January 13, 2026. This bill directly affects voters in Maryland's congressional districts by determining which communities are grouped together for electing U.S. Representatives. It replaces previous election law sections (8-702 through 8-709) and clarifies that certain districting rules apply only to state legislative districts, not congressional ones.