Del. William Wivell

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Maryland public high school students to earn one math credit toward graduation by completing a college-prep computer science or programming course instead of a traditional math class. Students must take the course after completing Algebra II, and county school boards must certify eligible courses to the state Department of Education. It modifies existing graduation requirements to expand math credit options for students pursuing computer science pathways. The policy takes effect July 1, 2025.

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 1326 establishes a Prekindergarten Savings Account Program in Maryland, depositing state funds into accounts for eligible prekindergarten students to cover education costs. The state deposits 75% of per-pupil funding for families at or below 500% of the federal poverty level and 50% for higher-income families, based on the resident school district's funding. These funds can be used exclusively for prekindergarten education at qualifying nonpublic schools (excluding homeschools), and parents must agree to use the funds solely for the student, not enroll in public prekindergarten (except for contracted services), and return unused funds upon program completion.

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.

Maddy summaryHB 653 mandates that Maryland correctional facilities must transfer undocumented immigrants serving sentences for specific offenses to U.S. Homeland Security. It directly affects undocumented immigrants incarcerated in Maryland who are convicted of terrorism/espionage threats, gang-related crimes (under federal definitions), aggravated felonies, or certain sexual offenses requiring registration. The bill requires transfer if an individual meets any of five specified conditions, including active gang participation or conviction for an aggravated felony. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and adds these requirements to Maryland's Correctional Services code.

Maddy summaryHB 1271 requires healthcare providers to perform a transabdominal ultrasound before most abortions, with a mandatory 24-hour waiting period after the ultrasound (or 2 hours if the patient lives 100+ miles from the facility). The bill mandates specific ultrasound standards, including measuring fetal development, offering to show the image or fetal heartbeat, and documenting results. Crucially, it states patients cannot be forced to accept any offered services during the ultrasound, such as viewing the image or receiving a printout. This law directly affects women seeking abortions in Maryland and the healthcare providers performing them, adding procedural requirements to the existing abortion access framework.

Maddy summaryHB 1205 requires local social services departments to provide prospective foster parents with a child’s medical, educational, and behavioral history directly relevant to their care. It increases the maximum number of children allowed in a single out-of-home placement from two to four. The bill also strengthens sibling placement requirements, mandating written justifications if siblings cannot be placed together and allowing separated siblings to petition courts for visitation rights. These changes directly affect foster parents, children in foster care, and local departments managing foster care placements.

Maddy summaryHB 1215 extends the deadline for homeowners associations, condominiums, and cooperative housing corporations to reach recommended reserve funding levels after an initial reserve study. Currently, these groups must meet the funding target within 3 fiscal years of completing the study, but the bill would extend this period to 5 fiscal years. The change applies only to the initial reserve study requirement, not to ongoing annual reviews or funding levels. This affects all Maryland community associations that have completed an initial reserve study and must adjust their funding plans accordingly.

Maddy summaryHB 1186 prohibits knowingly causing another person to ingest an abortion-inducing drug when the perpetrator knows or believes the person is pregnant and does so without consent, through fraud/coercion, or by force/threat of force. It directly affects individuals who commit such acts, criminalizing them as a felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison. The law defines "abortion-inducing drug" as any substance designed to induce an abortion and creates new criminal penalties under Maryland's Criminal Law. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, and focuses solely on preventing coercive acts related to abortion drugs.