Del. Karen Simpson

Maddy summaryHB 1005, the Survivor Reporting Reform Act, requires Maryland's Department of Human Services to create a new form for professionals (like doctors, teachers, and social workers) reporting suspected child abuse or neglect when the victim is now an adult (18+). The form must include a notice explaining how the report will be used and ask the adult survivor if they want an investigation. It also mandates that reporters include specific details about the adult survivor (name, contact info) and their caregiver at the time of the abuse, while respecting the survivor's preference for investigation. This change aims to better support adult survivors' autonomy in reporting cases of childhood abuse.

Maddy summaryHB 765 amends Maryland's criminal code to explicitly prohibit counterfeiting or possessing counterfeit leases and rental agreements with intent to defraud. It adds "lease" (subsection a(7)) and "rental agreement" (a(13)) to the list of items protected under counterfeiting laws, which previously covered items like bonds and checks. Creating or aiding in creating such counterfeits becomes a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a $1,000 fine, while knowingly possessing them is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 3 years in prison or a $1,000 fine. The bill directly affects individuals who fraudulently create or use fake rental documents, such as those attempting to evade rent or commit property fraud.

Maddy summaryHB 83, the Family and Law Enforcement Protection Act, modifies Maryland's domestic violence protective order process to strengthen firearm safety measures. The bill requires petitioners seeking protective orders to provide specific details about a respondent's firearms - including make, model, location, and whether stored in a vehicle - if the petition alleges abuse involving firearms. Judges must then order the respondent to surrender all firearms and firearm licenses in cases where abuse involved firearm use, threats with a firearm, or serious bodily harm (with or without firearm threat). This directly affects domestic violence victims and respondents in protective order cases, creating clearer mechanisms for law enforcement to enforce firearm surrender during temporary protective orders under Sections 4-504(e) and 4-505(a)(viii) of Maryland's Family Law.

Maddy summaryHB 412 changes Maryland law to require the Child Support Enforcement Administration to verify that a person intentionally withholding child support payments has the ability to pay before suspending their driver's license. It mandates written notice to the obligor (person owing support) about their right to request an investigation on specific grounds, including inaccurate debt amounts, the child living primarily with them, payment agreements, employment impact, or undue hardship due to disability. The bill adds a formal investigation process before license suspension can occur, requiring the Administration to review these grounds and provide a 20-day appeal window to the Office of Administrative Hearings. This affects individuals with outstanding child support debt who face potential license suspension.

Maddy summaryHB 1058 establishes Maryland's Youth Delinquency Prevention Fund to provide grants to community-based programs, including youth service bureaus, that offer preventive services like delinquency prevention, youth suicide prevention, substance use prevention, and youth development. The fund, administered by the state office, is funded through state budget appropriations and interest earnings, and it must be used exclusively for these preventive services without replacing existing funding. The bill requires annual reports detailing grant distribution, the number of children served (disaggregated by age, region, race, and ethnicity), and whether served youth later interacted with justice systems. The fund is non-lapsing, meaning money remains available year-to-year and cannot revert to the General Fund.

Maddy summaryHB 310 limits the use of restrictive housing (locked cell confinement for 22+ hours daily) for incarcerated individuals in Maryland state facilities who have a developmental or intellectual disability. It requires a licensed clinical professional to assess new inmates for these disabilities during intake and to recommend against placing them in restrictive housing for more than 15 consecutive days within any 30-day period. This 15-day limit does not apply if the individual commits a "prohibited act," such as causing serious injury, making threats, or possessing weapons. The bill directly affects incarcerated people with these disabilities and mandates correctional facilities to follow this assessment and limitation process.

Maddy summaryHB 688 would reclassify violations of Maryland's law against intercepting or disclosing wire, oral, or electronic communications from a felony to a misdemeanor. This affects anyone who unlawfully intercepts, discloses, or uses the contents of such communications in violation of the law. The bill amends Section 10-402(b) of Maryland's Courts and Judicial Proceedings code to change the penalty level, though it maintains the same maximum fine ($10,000) and potential imprisonment (up to 5 years) for the offense.

Maddy summaryHB 312 allows correctional officers who previously withdrew retirement contributions to regain service credit by redepositing those funds plus interest. Specifically, it expands eligibility to include members who withdrew from the Employees’ Pension System or Teachers’ Pension System (previously only Employees’ Retirement System was covered). To qualify, members must redeposit the withdrawn contributions in a single payment plus regular interest. This change directly affects former correctional officers seeking to restore prior service credit toward retirement benefits. The bill amends Maryland’s Correctional Officers’ Retirement System rules to include these additional pension systems.

Maddy summaryHB 324 modifies Maryland's child support laws to streamline support collection for foster children. It authorizes the Child Support Administration to secure state assignment of child support rights for children receiving foster care maintenance payments, and requires courts to automatically terminate existing child support orders for these children upon the state's request - without needing to prove a new change in circumstances. This affects foster children (who receive maintenance payments), their parents (whose support obligations may end), and the state (which gains authority to collect support). The bill updates specific sections of Maryland's Family Law code to implement these changes, effective October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 403 amends Maryland's Public Information Act to restrict public access to divorce records. It requires custodians (like court clerks) to deny inspection of divorce-related documents - including divorce applications, financial records submitted during divorce, settlement agreements, and custody orders - unless the requester is a party to the divorce (a "person in interest"), their lawyer, or has a court order authorizing access. The bill directly affects individuals seeking divorce records, making most such records confidential by default. It takes effect October 1, 2026, and does not apply to final divorce decrees.