Del. William Valentine

Maddy summaryHB 734, the Real Time for Violent Crime Act, prohibits incarcerated individuals convicted of first- or second-degree murder from earning sentence reduction credits (diminution credits) that shorten their prison time. It also limits sentence reductions for violent crimes to no more than 10% of the total sentence for those convicted of crimes of violence (as defined in Maryland law), and restricts judges from granting pretrial release to defendants charged with violent crimes if they have pending charges or recent convictions for specific violent offenses. The bill directly affects people serving sentences for murder or violent crimes in Maryland correctional facilities and changes how courts handle sentence reductions and pretrial releases for these cases.

Maddy summaryHB 727 allows drivers or applicants to voluntarily share with Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administration that they or a minor under their care have been diagnosed with certain conditions like autism, ADHD, diabetes, or vision impairments. The Administration must add a brief, non-identifying description of this disclosure to the driver's record, without including the specific diagnosis or personal details. Drivers can later request to have this description removed from their record. The bill aims to help law enforcement better understand and assist individuals with disabilities during emergencies, effective October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 725 expands eligibility for two Maryland higher education grant programs by amending the definition of "dually enrolled student" to include students from nonpublic secondary schools and home schools. This change allows these students to apply for the Part-Time Grant Program (under §18-1401) and the Early College Access Grant (under §18-14A-01), which provide financial aid for college courses taken while still in high school. The bill modifies existing sections of Maryland’s education code (specifically §§15-127, 18-1401, 18-14A-01, 18-14A-02, and 18-14A-03) to reflect this expanded definition. The policy change directly affects home-schooled and nonpublic school students seeking college credit through dual enrollment, without altering grant amounts or application requirements. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1297 requires counties, municipalities, and school boards to adopt ethics rules that meet or exceed Maryland’s state-level conflict of interest standards. Specifically, local rules must include provisions allowing governing bodies to remove officials for ethics violations and mandate that ethics commissions publicly share recommendations about such removals. The bill also sets minimum requirements for financial disclosure and lobbying regulations at the local level. These changes apply directly to local government officials and school board members across Maryland. The law aims to standardize ethics enforcement without altering existing state ethics frameworks.

Maddy summaryHB 732 increases the required classroom teaching time for Maryland public school teachers on career ladder levels one, two, or three from 60% to 80% of their working time. This change directly affects teachers who are certified but not yet at the highest career levels (such as those pursuing a master’s degree or National Board Certification). The bill specifies that the remaining 20% of their time must be spent on activities like improving instruction, tutoring students, or participating in professional development. The policy takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 885 requires that investigation records related to police misconduct complaints found "unfounded" (allegations not factually supported) or "exonerated" (officer followed law/policy) be removed from an officer’s personnel record three years after the finding by an administrative committee or trial board. This directly affects police officers whose complaints are dismissed, as it limits the duration those records remain in their official files. The bill amends Maryland law to mandate this removal, ensuring such records do not permanently impact an officer’s personnel history. It does not change how complaints are investigated or processed, only the retention period for dismissed cases. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 537 allows police officers in Maryland who are denied a right under disciplinary procedures to apply to a circuit court before their hearing. Specifically, officers employed by countywide or local agencies can file in their county's circuit court, while those with statewide or bicounty agencies must file in Anne Arundel County circuit court. The bill creates a process for officers to seek a court order requiring their law enforcement agency to explain why the denied right (such as a specific procedural safeguard) should not be granted. This amendment adds a new step to police disciplinary proceedings under Maryland law, directly affecting officers facing potential discipline.

Maddy summaryHB 156, the "Fairness in Girls’ Sports Act," requires Maryland public and nonpublic high schools competing against public schools to designate interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity sports teams based solely on biological sex. It prohibits schools from allowing students assigned male at birth to participate on teams designated for students assigned female at birth. The bill also prevents government agencies or athletic organizations from penalizing schools for maintaining separate teams for females, and allows students or schools harmed by violations to file civil lawsuits seeking damages, attorney fees, or injunctions. This law directly affects high school athletic programs and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 652 prohibits Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services from hiring or retaining employees convicted of specific serious crimes, directly affecting individuals seeking or holding jobs in juvenile services. The bill bans hiring for 14 offenses including abduction, kidnapping, murder, rape, child abuse, sexual offenses against minors, and certain violent assaults. An exception allows hiring if the conviction was reversed or vacated. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1385 requires Maryland county school boards to create and implement policies promoting parental involvement in students' education. The bill mandates that these policies include specific provisions: parents must have access to curricula and instructional materials (via website or written copy), the right to withdraw students from certain activities or instruction, consent for gender pronoun usage differing from biological sex, and access to all student records. It also establishes a formal complaint process where parents can report violations to the county superintendent, who must investigate and respond within 14 days, followed by an appeal to the county board. The policy directly affects parents, students, and school personnel across Maryland’s public school system.