Del. William Valentine

Maddy summaryHB 468 establishes a 5-day initial limit for emergency mental health evaluation petitions in Maryland, allowing courts to extend them in 5-day increments (up to a 30-day total) for "good cause." It requires courts to include expiration dates on petitions and clarifies when peace officers may use reasonable force to execute them. The bill directly affects individuals seeking emergency evaluations, courts issuing petitions, and law enforcement officers carrying out the process. Key changes standardize timeframes, mandate expiration dates, and specify extension procedures for mental health emergencies.

Maddy summaryHB 649 requires Maryland child placement agencies to provide foster parents with a detailed background report before a foster parent can consent to placing a child with them. The report must disclose if the child has had law enforcement interactions (including arrests), been charged with or convicted of a crime, associated with a criminal gang, or faced school suspension/expulsion. This law directly affects foster parents making placement decisions and child placement agencies responsible for providing the information. The policy change takes effect on October 1, 2025, aiming to ensure foster parents have key information about a child's history prior to consent.

Maddy summaryHB 1181 establishes a 17-member task force to study the feasibility of creating a Maryland state park dedicated to veterans' care in Washington County. The task force, including veterans' agency representatives, county officials, and a landowner, will analyze costs, recommend park services (like recreation and therapy), and propose funding models for both startup and ongoing operations. It must report findings to the Governor and relevant committees by December 1, 2026, and the bill expires June 30, 2027, without creating the park itself. This bill directly affects veterans seeking therapeutic services and Washington County residents involved in the proposed park location. The task force’s work is strictly advisory, with no immediate policy changes or funding allocated.

Maddy summaryHB 1399 prohibits licensed health care practitioners in Maryland from prescribing, dispensing, or administering cross-sex hormones (like estrogen or testosterone) or providing cross-sex hormone therapy to minors for the treatment of gender dysphoria. It defines "cross-sex hormone therapy" as treatment developing secondary sex characteristics for gender transition and explicitly targets therapy for gender-related mental health conditions in minors under 18. Violations are classified as a felony punishable by up to life imprisonment. The law, titled the "Protect the Kids Act," takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1188 requires Maryland law enforcement agencies, agents, and local detention facilities to run a national criminal database search when taking custody of an individual. If the search reveals someone not lawfully present in the U.S. has an outstanding criminal warrant, the agency must notify federal immigration authorities and may hold the person for up to 48 hours to facilitate transfer. The bill prohibits local governments or agencies from adopting policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities in these cases. It directly affects police departments, sheriffs' offices, and jail facilities across Maryland, effective October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1374 expands eligibility for publicly funded prekindergarten to include 3-year-olds in certain private providers. It modifies the definition of "Tier I child" to include 3-year-olds whose families meet income requirements (≤300% federal poverty level) or are homeless, live in counties where private providers have opted to enroll them, and choose full-day programs. Eligible private providers (licensed, charging tuition ≤ "cost of quality," meeting quality standards) must sign a memorandum of understanding with the State Department of Education and county boards to enroll these children. The bill directly affects qualifying 3-year-olds, eligible private prekindergarten providers, and local departments responsible for notifying families about enrollment options.

Maddy summaryHB 1403 changes how Maryland calculates state education funding for public schools by altering the definition of "full-time equivalent enrollment." It replaces the previous 3-year average enrollment method with an average of daily enrollment counts on specific dates (September 30, December 31, March 31, and the last day of the prior school year). The bill also excludes the 2020-2021 school year from calculations if it appears in the 3-year average, addressing pandemic-era enrollment disruptions. This directly affects all Maryland school districts receiving state education aid, as it will determine their funding amounts starting in fiscal year 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1430 changes how Maryland public school teachers earn salary increases tied to career advancement. It replaces lump-sum raises with annual stipends: $5,000 for National Board Certified Teachers (NBC), $3,500 for NBC teachers in low-performing schools, and $2,500 for lead teachers, among others. The bill requires counties to prove teachers received a 10% salary increase above negotiated rates (2019-2024) and mandates the State Department of Education to study National Board Certification’s impact. It also sets a new $60,000 minimum teacher salary starting July 1, 2026. The bill directly affects teachers seeking career ladder advancements, county school boards, and state education funding.

Maddy summaryHB 403 requires Maryland correctional facilities to transfer undocumented immigrants serving sentences for certain crimes to U.S. Homeland Security (DHS) under specific circumstances. It directly affects undocumented immigrants incarcerated in Maryland facilities who have been convicted of or suspected of: terrorism/espionage, gang-related offenses under federal law, gang participation as a minor, or aggravated felonies. The bill mandates transfer if the individual meets any of these four criteria, creating a legal mechanism for state-federal coordination. It takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 982, the "Gun Theft Felony Act of 2025," reclassifies the theft of any firearm as a felony regardless of the firearm's value. Currently, firearm theft could be charged as a misdemeanor if the value was below $1,500, but this bill makes all firearm thefts automatically felonies. The bill amends Maryland’s Criminal Law to require that anyone convicted of stealing a firearm must restore the firearm to the owner or pay its value, with penalties including up to 20 years in prison or fines up to $25,000 based on the firearm’s value. This change directly affects individuals who steal firearms, increasing penalties for this specific offense.