Del. Susan McComas

Maddy summaryHB 600, the "Educational Equality for Service Members Act," updates Maryland's education laws to ensure eligibility for educator certification applies equally to all uniformed services (including National Guard, reserves, and other service branches), not just the traditional armed forces. It revises definitions throughout education statutes to replace "military" with "uniformed services" and clarifies that "veteran" includes those discharged within one year for certification purposes. The bill maintains the existing requirement for active service members, eligible veterans, and their spouses to hold a valid out-of-state license and meet basic qualifications to qualify for expedited certification. This change directly affects service members and veterans seeking teaching careers in Maryland by aligning certification pathways with current service definitions.

Maddy summaryHB 691, the Tax Relief and State Personnel Equality for Service Members Act, redefines "uniformed services" to include the Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), extending veteran benefits to their members who meet federal veteran criteria. The bill amends Maryland's tax, pension, and personnel laws to apply the same rules to all uniformed services - not just the armed forces - ensuring equal access to state benefits like tax relief and retirement programs. It specifically updates definitions in the Maryland Code to include these service members in state programs previously limited to military veterans. This directly affects service members in non-military uniformed services and state agencies administering veteran benefits.

Maddy summaryHB 455 requires Maryland's Department of Veterans and Military Families to place American braille tactile flags in one or more state veterans' cemeteries. These flags, designed by the Kansas Braille Transcription Institute, allow blind and visually impaired visitors to experience the American flag through touch. The bill directly affects blind veterans and visually impaired individuals who visit Maryland's five state veterans' cemeteries. It amends state law to mandate the department designate specific locations for these tactile flags as a memorial feature.

Maddy summaryHB 1204 (Ace's Law) requires public and nonpublic schools in Maryland to notify a student's parent or guardian within 24 hours if a student leaves school grounds without permission ("elopement"), except for students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Behavior Intervention Plan addressing wandering/elopement. Schools must also submit annual reports starting in 2026 detailing elopement incidents by student demographics (disability, race, gender, etc.) and steps taken to prevent them, including staff training on identifying and addressing such behavior. The State Department of Education will collect these reports from school districts and nonpublic schools, verifying data accuracy for zero-incidence reports. This law directly affects schools, parents/guardians, and state education officials through mandatory notifications and data reporting requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 421 amends Maryland's 9-1-1 Trust Fund rules to allow using fund money for costs related to the 9-8-8 suicide prevention hotline that overlap with 9-1-1 operations (like shared software interfaces and joint training). Previously, the fund could not cover *any* costs associated with the 9-8-8 hotline, but this bill removes that blanket prohibition. The change specifically permits funding for "costs related to the operation of the 9-8-8 hotline that may be shared with 9-1-1 activities," while still prohibiting funds from covering costs that *solely* support the hotline. This affects how the 9-1-1 Trust Fund is allocated and used by state and local agencies managing emergency communications systems.

Maddy summaryHB 1255 amends Maryland law to give local jurisdictions the option of allowing appeals from historic preservation commission decisions directly to their board of appeals, rather than only to the planning commission. This primarily affects property owners, developers, or community members who disagree with a historic preservation ruling and wish to challenge it. The bill adds a new provision (Section 8-308(B)) stating that local governments may authorize such appeals to the board of appeals, expanding existing appeal pathways. The change takes effect October 1, 2025, and does not alter the substantive requirements for preservation decisions.

Maddy summaryHB 1383 requires Maryland's State Board of Education to establish minimum technical standards for the state's online special education systems, specifically the Maryland Online Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Maryland Online Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). It directs the State Department of Education to study and report on security, real-time monitoring capabilities, document processing, and compliance with privacy laws by October 2025. The State Board must then report to the Governor and General Assembly by December 2025 on the study results and proposed regulations. This bill directly affects public schools, educators, and families using these online systems by mandating functional improvements to ensure reliable, accessible special education services. The policy change focuses on concrete technical requirements rather than program content.

Maddy summaryHB 1558 restricts fundraising activities for Maryland state elected officials during legislative sessions. It prohibits the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, Treasurer, and state legislators (or their staff acting on their behalf) from receiving contributions, hosting events, soliciting funds, or depositing money raised during the session - except for specific cases. Exceptions include activities solely for their own federal or local election campaigns, contributions made electronically before the session began, and gubernatorial campaign financing under the Public Financing Act. Violations result in civil penalties paid into the Fair Campaign Financing Fund.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 3-year pilot program creating regional financial counseling centers across Maryland. The centers will provide free, one-on-one assistance to residents on saving money, reducing debt, accessing banking services, and improving credit scores. All services must be offered in English and Spanish, with additional languages as required. Administered by the Comptroller’s office, the program runs from October 2025 through September 2028, with funding secured via state budget appropriations for fiscal years 2027-2028.

Maddy summaryHB 961 prevents state-funded public art contracts from requiring artists to waive copyright protections. It applies to artists commissioned for projects receiving state funding, regardless of whether the state directly paid for the art. The bill bans new contracts from including clauses that force artists to give up copyright rights, and makes existing waivers (signed before October 1, 2025) unenforceable in court. The law takes effect on October 1, 2025, ensuring artists retain legal rights to their work on state projects.