Rep. Matthew Schindler

Maddy summaryHB 464 requires Maryland local school systems to provide parents of children with disabilities with written information about secondary transition services during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. Specifically, it mandates this information be given at least once yearly and beginning when a student turns 14 years old. The bill also requires that materials be provided in the parent's native language if English is not their primary language. This applies directly to parents of students with IEPs in Maryland public schools, ensuring they receive clear, accessible planning resources for their child's post-secondary goals. The law amends existing Maryland education code sections to formalize these requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 1393 requires recreational youth sports programs (for athletes under 19, excluding high school-level programs) to maintain an annual registry of all coaches, volunteers, and staff. This registry must include valid ID, background checks (either state criminal history or commercial screening), signed safety acknowledgments, and proof of annual training in concussion awareness, heat illness, and child safety. The bill also mandates that parents or guardians sign an acknowledgment confirming they received information about head injuries, heat illness, and the program’s removal/return-to-play policies. Additionally, programs must post their removal/return-to-play policies on their website if available.

Maddy summaryHB 997 allows Maryland counties and municipalities to impose the admissions and amusement tax on the sale of food and beverages at locations where consumption occurs on the premises (such as restaurants, bars, and hotels). The bill sets a maximum tax rate for this tax and prohibits it on certain sales, including venues with only mechanical music or radio/TV, nonprofit events, and some charitable or religious activities. It also clarifies that the overall tax rate cap for local governments does not include this specific food and beverage tax. This bill directly affects local governments that choose to implement this tax and businesses selling food or beverages for on-site consumption.

Maddy summaryHB 1097 establishes a 10-member workgroup to examine mail-in ballot accessibility, specifically focusing on the impact of requiring paper returns on voters with disabilities. The workgroup includes election officials, disability advocates (like Common Cause Maryland and the National Federation of the Blind), and experts in voting accessibility, security, and cybersecurity. It must assess current processes, research accessible alternatives from other jurisdictions, and evaluate options considering security, privacy, cost, and potential discrimination. The group must report findings and recommendations to the Governor and legislature by December 31, 2025, with the bill expiring June 30, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 752 establishes the Commission on State and Local Government Real Property Bearing Confederate Names to identify and recommend renaming state and local government properties (like streets, parks, and buildings) with Confederate names. The commission, composed of 24 members appointed by the governor (including one per county), must develop a framework to identify such properties and submit recommendations by October 1, 2032. It cannot directly rename properties but will advise state and local governing bodies. The bill affects all Maryland state agencies and political subdivisions (counties, cities, school districts) owning real property with Confederate names.

Maddy summaryHB 519 requires all Maryland hospitals to provide free parking for inpatients during their hospital stay and for outpatients during scheduled medical appointments. Hospitals must also display clear signage at all public entrances and parking areas informing patients about this free parking benefit. The law applies to every hospital facility owned, operated, or leased by a hospital and takes effect on October 1, 2025. This policy directly affects hospitals statewide and all patients receiving care at those facilities.

Maddy summaryHB 751 would change Maryland's rules for how municipalities develop land they annex. For five years after annexation, municipalities must generally follow the county's land use and density guidelines from the county's comprehensive plan without needing county approval, but cannot exceed a 50% higher density or change land uses substantially without county approval. If the county gives express approval, the municipality can override these guidelines to allow different land uses or higher densities. This bill directly affects municipalities expanding their boundaries and counties managing regional planning for newly annexed areas.

Maddy summaryHB 495 requires Maryland schools with existing antidiscrimination policies to update those policies to include specific information, such as reporting options for sexual violence, school contact details, investigation processes, victim resources, and medical facility locations. It mandates that policies be written in plain, age-appropriate language, printed for readability, available in common languages spoken by students/staff (5%+ of population), and accessible via oral interpretation for less common languages. Schools must distribute policies annually through handbooks, email, campus postings, and websites, and provide mandatory training to students at the start of each school year and to employees within four weeks of hire. This applies to all public/private K-12 schools, preK programs receiving state funding, and colleges in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 630, the Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act, requires all Maryland county school boards to create and implement policies by the 2026-2027 school year that limit student cell phone use during instructional time (excluding lunch). The policy must prohibit phone use and require secure storage, ban social media apps during school hours, and include disciplinary measures like warnings for first violations. Exceptions allow phone use for students with IEPs/504 plans, health monitoring, emergencies, or for educational purposes directed by staff. The bill directly affects public school students and county boards of education across Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 823 requires developers of generative AI systems (like those creating text, images, or video) to publish detailed documentation about their training data before releasing or significantly updating these systems. Specifically, developers must post on their website by January 1, 2026, and after each major update, including data sources, how the data supports the AI's purpose, and dataset size (static or estimated for dynamic data). The law applies to public-facing AI systems released after January 1, 2022, but excludes specialized uses like hospital medical tools, aircraft safety systems, federal national security applications, and privacy protection tools. This mandate aims to increase transparency about the data powering AI systems that generate content for public use.