Rep. Matt Morgan

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Maryland Department of Health to create regulations ensuring that drug and alcohol treatment programs discharge patients only when it is appropriate for their mental health or substance use disorder diagnosis. It specifically prohibits discharging patients who would become homeless or need residential care, while requiring programs to refer such individuals to halfway houses or recovery residences if they agree to that level of care. The legislation also mandates that treatment programs establish referral agreements for medical, mental health, legal, and social services within three working days after creating an individualized treatment plan, and ensures these agreements remain valid even if a patient is discharged. These standards apply to medium-intensity and high-intensity residential treatment programs in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 1449 establishes the Maryland Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to independently oversee state agency operations. It creates an Advisory Board (with the Governor, Comptroller, and legislative leaders) to appoint the OIG director, who must have expertise in auditing, law, or public administration and serve a 6-year term. The bill requires all state agencies ("units") to fully cooperate with OIG investigations and audits, protects whistleblowers who report misconduct to the OIG, and ensures confidentiality for OIG records under public information laws. This new office directly affects state agencies by mandating their cooperation and provides a formal structure for oversight of state government spending and operations.

Maddy summaryHB 1510 requires unemployment insurance claimants in Maryland to use two-step verification (like a password plus a code) when accessing online claim services to prevent fraud. It mandates the Department of Labor to review claims with suspicious patterns - such as identical bank account details used across multiple claims - and refer suspected fraud cases to law enforcement. The bill also authorizes the Department to recover overpaid benefits by withholding from state income tax refunds and increases penalties for fraud, including extending disqualification periods for claimants found to have committed fraud.

Maddy summaryHB 1331 requires Maryland’s Department of Health and Department of Human Services to verify eligibility for public benefits (like Medicaid) through automated data-sharing with federal and state agencies, replacing self-attestation. It mandates monthly reviews of death records, incarceration, and address changes, and quarterly checks of tax filings, employment, and income data to ensure ongoing eligibility. The bill prohibits providing benefits to non-citizens, requires annual inspections of retail facilities for certain programs, and establishes new work requirement compliance reviews. These changes directly affect individuals applying for or receiving public assistance by shifting verification from self-reported information to cross-checked data.

Maddy summaryHB 1322 requires Maryland public universities to treat all outdoor campus areas as public forums where students, faculty, staff, and guests can engage in expression without being confined to designated "free speech zones." It allows only reasonable, content-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions that don’t disrupt campus operations or block spontaneous assembly. The bill prohibits charging security fees based on speech content and permits the Attorney General or affected individuals to sue schools for violations. This directly affects public university campuses and their community members by clarifying free speech boundaries under state law.

Maddy summaryHB 696 modifies prescription drug coverage for Maryland state retirees based on their hire date. It continues drug benefits for retirees who began state service before July 1, 2011, while ending these benefits for retirees (and their Medicare-eligible spouses/children) who started on or after that date. The bill replaces three existing retiree drug programs with a new reimbursement program covering out-of-pocket costs for eligible retirees who qualify for partial subsidies. It also removes reporting requirements related to Medicare-eligible retirees’ access to services.

Maddy summaryHB 1319 restricts the Governor of Maryland from ordering the National Guard or militia members into active duty combat (defined as participation in armed conflict, hazardous foreign service related to conflict, or war-related duties) unless the U.S. Congress has officially declared war or taken specific action under Article I, Section 8, Clause 15 of the U.S. Constitution. The bill directly affects the Governor's authority to deploy state military forces for combat operations. It preserves the Governor's ability to deploy forces for non-combat purposes like disaster response (under existing State active duty provisions) or under Title 32 for domestic support. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, and explicitly states it does not limit Title 32 deployments within the U.S.

Maddy summaryHB 1398 suspends Maryland's state transfer tax on property transactions for three years, from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029. This directly affects individuals and businesses transferring property through deeds, sales, or other recorded instruments during that period. The bill amends Maryland's tax code to exclude these transactions from the standard transfer tax requirement, applying to both county circuit court recordings and Department filings. It does not change the tax rate or permanent rules, only temporarily halting the tax collection during the specified window. The suspension applies to all qualifying property transfers within the defined timeframe.

Maddy summaryHB 1146, the "Sacred Places Safety Act," prohibits committing any crime of violence (as defined in Maryland law) within medical facilities or places of worship. It directly affects individuals who commit such acts in these locations, which include hospitals, clinics, and nonresidential religious gathering spaces. The bill increases penalties by making such violations a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, in addition to penalties for the underlying violent crime. This law takes effect June 1, 2026, and applies to all relevant locations statewide.

Maddy summaryHB 751 requires Maryland's governor to annually proclaim November 7 as "Victims of Communism Memorial Day." The bill directs the Department of Legislative Services to send a copy of the law to the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington, D.C. It does not create new programs, funding, or legal obligations for citizens or government agencies. The bill is purely ceremonial, aligning Maryland with a national observance previously recognized by the U.S. Congress and President Trump. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.