Rep. Kris Fair

Maddy summaryHB 166 establishes the Henrietta Lacks Commission in Maryland to address the legacy of Henrietta Lacks and the ethical use of HeLa cells. The commission, composed of appointed state officials and representatives from health, tourism, and economic development agencies, will review medical research ethics, promote education about Lacks' story, curate tributes to her, integrate her legacy into tourism, and support economic development in Dundalk's Turner Station community. It must submit annual reports to the governor and legislature starting in 2027. This bill creates a procedural framework for oversight and commemoration but does not enact new regulations or funding.

Maddy summaryHB 1472, the Better Small Business Employee Benefit Act of 2026, exempts professional employer organizations (PEOs) from certain health benefit plan requirements when providing coverage to small employers in Maryland. The bill requires PEOs to provide written disclosure of specific plan details to small businesses before offering health benefits. This change modifies Maryland’s insurance laws to remove the requirement for PEOs to offer plans through the state’s health benefit exchange, while ensuring transparency for small employers. The bill directly affects small businesses that use PEOs for employee health benefits and the PEOs themselves.

Maddy summaryHB 466 modifies Maryland's comparative negligence law for motor vehicle accident cases involving vulnerable individuals (as defined in § 21-901.3 of the Transportation Article, such as minors or elderly individuals). It prevents plaintiffs from being barred from recovering damages solely due to their own negligence, unless their negligence was both a direct cause of their injury and greater than the combined negligence of all defendants. Damages awarded under this law would be reduced proportionally based on the plaintiff’s share of fault. The law applies only to accidents occurring on or after October 1, 2026, and does not change existing rules about joint liability or the last clear chance doctrine.

Maddy summaryHB 410 requires food manufacturers, processors, and retailers in Maryland to use standardized date labels on packaged food starting July 1, 2027. It mandates replacing "Sell By" with "Best If Used By" for quality dates and "Use By" for safety dates, while prohibiting the sale of items labeled with "Sell By" after that date. The bill also requires the Maryland Department of Health to create and post educational materials about these labels online by July 2027. This affects all food businesses selling packaged products to consumers, excluding infant formula, beer, and malt beverages.

Maddy summaryHB 941 requires public restrooms in state and local government buildings, public transportation facilities (like stations), and public parks or recreation centers to provide specific hygiene products. It mandates an adequate supply of hand soap, toilet paper, towels or drying devices, water, waste containers, and menstrual hygiene products (such as tampons, sanitary napkins, and pads). The bill applies to all "public buildings" as defined - excluding schools - but covers facilities owned, leased, or operated by the state or political subdivisions. The law takes effect on October 1, 2026, ensuring consistent access to essential hygiene items in publicly accessible spaces.

Maddy summaryHB 1380 requires health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations in Maryland to cover prescriptions for gender-affirming care and hormone therapy (defined as lawful treatment under state law) for up to a 12-month supply per prescription. It prohibits insurers from forcing patients to accept a full 12-month supply if the patient or their provider requests a smaller amount. Pharmacists must dispense qualifying prescriptions (after January 1, 2027) in quantities up to a 12-month supply unless exceptions apply, such as acute drug shortages (limiting to 90 days) or prior coverage in the same plan year. The bill applies to all health plans issued or renewed in Maryland on or after January 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1375 requires Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations to cover the full duration of long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease and related tick-borne illnesses (like babesiosis or ehrlichiosis) when ordered by a licensed physician for therapeutic purposes. It prohibits these entities from imposing caps or time limits on such treatment or denying coverage solely because the treatment is labeled "unproven," "experimental," or "investigational." The law applies to all health insurance policies issued, delivered, or renewed in Maryland after January 1, 2027. This directly affects patients with chronic Lyme disease or related conditions who rely on extended antibiotic therapy and their insurers.

Maddy summaryHB 156 allows unaffiliated voters in Maryland to affiliate with a political party during early voting for primary elections. Specifically, unaffiliated voters can request to change their party affiliation at an early voting center and receive a provisional ballot for their chosen party. The bill amends election law to permit this change during early voting periods, requiring election judges to verify the voter's county residency before issuing the provisional ballot. This change applies only to primary elections and does not alter standard voter registration rules or deadlines for affiliation. The bill does not affect voting eligibility for other elections or nonpartisan contests.

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.

Maddy summaryHB 832, the "ICE Breaker Act," prohibits Maryland state law enforcement agencies from hiring individuals who were hired as sworn officers by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on or after January 20, 2025. It applies specifically to agencies defined in the bill, including the Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, and others listed in Section 3-535 of the Maryland Annotated Code. The law only affects new hires after its effective date (October 1, 2026), with no retroactive application to current employees hired before that date. The bill creates a clear hiring restriction for these state agencies regarding individuals with recent ICE employment.