Del. Heather Bagnall Tudball

Maddy summaryHB 1112 requires Maryland's Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission to study and recommend actions to stabilize individual and group health insurance markets. The Commission must examine specific areas including comparing Medicaid and commercial rates for potential premium savings, exploring regulatory changes for managed care organizations, merging insurance markets, and evaluating interstate purchasing pools. It also directs the Commission to assess prescription drug cost controls, support for health centers, reinsurance funds, and the potential reinstatement of the Maryland Health Insurance Plan. This bill does not create new laws or directly affect residents - it mandates a study to inform future policy decisions. The findings will be reported to the General Assembly by December 2026.

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 1263 establishes a workgroup to study the regulation of postoperative cosmetic care provided by non-physician practitioners (such as estheticians or massage therapists), focusing on patient safety, consumer protection, and access to qualified providers. The workgroup, composed of health officials, patient advocates, and care providers, will examine current rules, identify gaps in care access, review risks from unregulated services, and evaluate best practices from other states. It must submit interim and final reports by December 2026 and 2027, respectively, and cannot recommend new licensing without legislative approval. The workgroup expires on June 30, 2028, unless extended.

Maddy summaryHB 1068 requires health insurance carriers in Maryland to provide a 60-day special enrollment period for individuals who become newly hired by small businesses that do not offer employer-sponsored health plans. This applies to people purchasing coverage through the state’s health insurance marketplace (Individual Exchange) or outside it. The special enrollment period begins on the first day of employment and allows new hires to enroll in health insurance without waiting for the standard open enrollment period. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, directly benefiting newly employed workers at small businesses without health benefits.

Maddy summaryHB 543 allows landlords to charge up to two months' rent as a security deposit if a tenant operates a family child care home (defined as caring for up to eight children in a residence). It prohibits landlords from unreasonably restricting or banning such homes on single-family rental properties and shields landlords from civil liability related to the child care operation. Tenants must provide written notice 60 days before starting, share their child care registration, and supply insurance naming the landlord and property owners as additional insureds. The bill also requires tenants to notify landlords immediately if they stop operating the home and permits landlords to mandate $1 million liability insurance coverage.

Maddy summaryHB 520 updates Maryland's regulations for naturopathic doctors. It modifies their scope of practice by clarifying which prescription drugs they can dispense as "starter doses" (limited to 72 hours or initial therapy), renames the Naturopathic Doctors Formulary Council to focus specifically on "Controlled Dangerous Substances," and adds new requirements for license renewals. The bill also mandates that naturopathic doctors provide patients with specific insurance information and report professional liability insurance details to the State Board of Physicians upon request. These changes directly affect licensed naturopathic doctors practicing in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 1003 establishes a 5-year pilot program in Anne Arundel County Public Schools to prepare students for careers as election officials. The bill requires the Anne Arundel County Board of Education and the State Board of Elections (with input from the State Department of Education) to develop this career and technical education program. It directly affects high school students in Anne Arundel County by offering training pathways into election administration roles. The program will run from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2031, after which it automatically ends without further legislative action.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes a restriction that currently prevents Maryland District Courts from ordering individuals to appear for examinations or answer written questions when enforcing small claims money judgments. The change applies specifically to cases arising under Maryland's small claims court system and allows judges to use these tools to help collect owed money. By repealing the existing prohibition, the legislation expands the methods available to courts for enforcing financial judgments without changing the underlying rules for small claims cases. The law will take effect on October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1064 establishes a unified Maryland Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to replace the separate Education and Health Inspector General offices, creating a single oversight body for all state agencies. The bill sets rules for appointing the Inspector General (requiring a non-partisan affidavit and a 5-year term), mandates full cooperation from state agencies during audits and investigations, and protects OIG records from public disclosure under Maryland's Public Information Act. It also extends whistleblower protections to state employees who report concerns to the OIG and allows the Governor to transfer staff and funding to the new office. The bill directly affects state agencies (which must cooperate with the OIG) and state employees (who gain enhanced protections when reporting wrongdoing).