Maddy summaryHB 1127 requires all Maryland county school districts to develop age-appropriate water safety and swimming instructional content for public school students, integrating it into health and physical education by July 2026. It also mandates each county board to create a plan by December 2025 outlining strategies to increase student access to swimming pools and facilities through community partnerships, cost-effective transportation, and resource coordination. The plan must identify public/private partners and recommend policy changes if needed. Implementation of the curriculum begins in the 2026-2027 school year, while the access plan requirement expires June 30, 2026. This bill directly affects all public school students in Maryland counties and their local school districts.
Del. Kris Fair
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 1138 allows private career schools in Maryland to advertise programs and collect potential student contact information before receiving full approval from the Maryland Higher Education Commission. It directly affects new or expanding private career schools that are preparing to open but lack their final operating certificate. Schools must first complete a market survey, secure property, finish building preparations, and obtain necessary permits (excluding the certificate), demonstrate a high likelihood of approval, and get the Secretary's written permission. The bill requires all such advertising to clearly state the school is "pending approval" and specifies that the Secretary will create regulations for the approval process. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.
Maddy summaryHB 6 requires Maryland's State Department of Assessments and Taxation to create and maintain a statewide database of geographic images (including maps and aerial photos) for property appraisals. It also mandates the Department of General Services to obtain a uniform system for managing these tools. Crucially, counties and Baltimore City must reimburse the state for these costs: 100% of expenses up to $1 million, and 50% for costs exceeding that amount. The reimbursement is allocated based on each jurisdiction's share of statewide property accounts or business assessments. This bill directly affects local governments' budgets for property valuation systems.
Maddy summaryHB 23 allows counties and Baltimore City to create a special property tax rate for certain commercial and industrial properties, which must be in addition to existing taxes and cannot exceed specific limits. This special rate can only fund transportation projects (within designated districts) or county education budgets. The bill requires counties to automatically grant tax exemptions or credits for residential portions in mixed-use buildings and offers tax credits to small businesses (under 50 employees) owning qualifying commercial property. It directly affects commercial/industrial property owners, mixed-use building owners, and small businesses, while ensuring residential sections of buildings receive tax relief.
Maddy summaryHB 986 requires every Maryland county school district to create a new teacher retention program for educators with fewer than two full years of experience. The program must include cohort-based support groups, assign each new teacher a mentor (including retired teachers), survey teachers on challenges, and provide principals with resources to support new teachers. Counties must prioritize support for new teachers from diverse backgrounds and those in schools with high teacher turnover rates, and must compensate mentors and program overseers through additional pay or leave. This bill directly affects new teachers, school principals, and county school districts across Maryland.
Maddy summaryHB 935 requires Maryland high school football games to have either a licensed athletic trainer or an ambulance staffed with emergency medical personnel present on-site during games. This amendment to existing school emergency plan requirements (Section 7-451 of the Education Article) directly affects all public high schools hosting football games in Maryland. The bill adds this specific medical presence requirement to the existing venue-specific emergency action plans, which already cover AED access, heat acclimatization protocols, and cardiac response plans. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and does not change other established emergency plan provisions for athletic facilities.
Maddy summaryHB 1198, the Monica Cooper Prerelease Act, requires Maryland to establish a dedicated prerelease facility for female incarcerated individuals in Baltimore City (on at least 3 acres) by 2027. The facility must serve women with low violence/escape risk and satisfactory behavior, offering evidence-based programs like education, vocational training, trauma-informed healthcare, and family reunification support. It mandates the Department of Public Safety to provide comprehensive rehabilitative services - including help with public health benefits applications - and report progress to lawmakers by 2026. This bill directly affects female inmates eligible for prerelease status, aiming to reduce recidivism through gender-responsive reentry planning.
Maddy summaryHB 644 expands the statewide application of speed monitoring systems in residential districts, requiring all such systems to comply with existing rules previously limited to specific counties. It mandates that speed limit signs in residential areas include specific signage indicating the presence of speed monitoring systems and requires local jurisdictions to provide public notice through websites and newspapers before activation. The bill also specifies that real-time speed displays must be visible at certain locations, including highways in residential zones with 35 mph limits, to inform drivers of speed monitoring activity. These changes standardize requirements across Maryland while maintaining the existing definition of "residential district" and procedural safeguards.
Maddy summaryHB 1325 establishes a 5-year pilot program (2026-2030) to create regional pools of substitute child care providers for Maryland child care facilities. The program, administered by a state-selected nonprofit, will recruit and support qualified providers to fill temporary staffing gaps in licensed centers, family homes, or large family child care homes. Key mechanisms include organizing pools across rural, suburban, and urban regions; helping providers meet background checks, training, and credential requirements; and developing a digital matching platform to connect providers with facilities. The program requires annual $350,000 grants to the nonprofit and $375,000 in annual state budget appropriations, with final reporting due to the legislature in 2029.
Maddy summaryHB 386 prohibits the use of pesticides containing PFAS chemicals (a class of fluorinated chemicals) at specific locations, including schools, healthcare facilities, day cares, residential lawns, and commercial mosquito spraying, beginning June 1, 2026. The Maryland Department of Agriculture must create and maintain a list of all PFAS pesticides by January 1, 2026, and distribute it to certified applicators. The bill also bans new registrations of PFAS pesticides for sale in Maryland starting June 1, 2027, and prohibits all use of these pesticides statewide after June 1, 2028. This directly affects pesticide manufacturers, certified applicators, and entities using pesticides in the specified locations.