Del. Brian Chisholm

Maddy summaryHB 668 designates November 7 as "Victims of Communism Memorial Day" in Maryland, requiring the Governor to annually proclaim this day. The bill directs the Department of Legislative Services to send a copy of the act to the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington, D.C. This ceremonial observance, effective October 1, 2025, does not impose new taxes or regulations but formally recognizes the historical impact of communist regimes. The legislation aligns with existing federal recognition of the day, as established by President Trump in 2017.

Maddy summaryHB 468 establishes a 5-day initial limit for emergency mental health evaluation petitions in Maryland, allowing courts to extend them in 5-day increments (up to a 30-day total) for "good cause." It requires courts to include expiration dates on petitions and clarifies when peace officers may use reasonable force to execute them. The bill directly affects individuals seeking emergency evaluations, courts issuing petitions, and law enforcement officers carrying out the process. Key changes standardize timeframes, mandate expiration dates, and specify extension procedures for mental health emergencies.

Maddy summaryHB 649 requires Maryland child placement agencies to provide foster parents with a detailed background report before a foster parent can consent to placing a child with them. The report must disclose if the child has had law enforcement interactions (including arrests), been charged with or convicted of a crime, associated with a criminal gang, or faced school suspension/expulsion. This law directly affects foster parents making placement decisions and child placement agencies responsible for providing the information. The policy change takes effect on October 1, 2025, aiming to ensure foster parents have key information about a child's history prior to consent.

Maddy summaryHB 1399 prohibits licensed health care practitioners in Maryland from prescribing, dispensing, or administering cross-sex hormones (like estrogen or testosterone) or providing cross-sex hormone therapy to minors for the treatment of gender dysphoria. It defines "cross-sex hormone therapy" as treatment developing secondary sex characteristics for gender transition and explicitly targets therapy for gender-related mental health conditions in minors under 18. Violations are classified as a felony punishable by up to life imprisonment. The law, titled the "Protect the Kids Act," takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1374 expands eligibility for publicly funded prekindergarten to include 3-year-olds in certain private providers. It modifies the definition of "Tier I child" to include 3-year-olds whose families meet income requirements (≤300% federal poverty level) or are homeless, live in counties where private providers have opted to enroll them, and choose full-day programs. Eligible private providers (licensed, charging tuition ≤ "cost of quality," meeting quality standards) must sign a memorandum of understanding with the State Department of Education and county boards to enroll these children. The bill directly affects qualifying 3-year-olds, eligible private prekindergarten providers, and local departments responsible for notifying families about enrollment options.

Maddy summaryHB 1185 allows Maryland public high schools to permit homeschool students enrolled in state-approved home instruction programs to join school sports teams under the same conditions as enrolled students. It specifically requires schools to follow COMAR guidelines for home instruction programs and gives priority to enrolled students if team spots are limited. The bill amends Maryland’s education code to clarify that homeschoolers in compliant programs may participate in athletic activities outside regular school hours without earning academic credit. It takes effect on July 1, 2025, directly affecting homeschool families and public high school athletic departments.

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 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.