Del. Teresa Reilly

Maddy summaryHB 463 prohibits incarcerated individuals serving sentences for specific first-degree murder convictions from earning time-off credits (diminution credits) that reduce their prison terms. It directly affects people convicted of murder under Maryland law, including those convicted of murder involving a child under 16 (under older statutes), repeat child murder offenders, or any first-degree murder (§2-201 of the Criminal Law Article). The bill amends Maryland’s Correctional Services law to block these credits for the specified offenses, effective October 1, 2026. This change applies only to sentences for offenses committed on or after that date, not past cases.

Maddy summaryHB 475, the Juvenile Offender Protection Act, prohibits Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services from hiring or retaining employees convicted of specific serious crimes, including abduction, kidnapping, murder, rape, sexual offenses against minors, and certain assaults. It directly affects individuals seeking or holding jobs with the Department of Juvenile Services who have prior convictions for the listed offenses. The law adds these restrictions to Maryland's Code, with an exception allowing hiring if the conviction was reversed or vacated. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 521 repeals a surcharge on electric and gas utility bills that previously funded energy efficiency programs supporting Maryland's greenhouse gas reduction goals. The bill removes the requirement for utilities to recover costs related to these programs through customer bills, eliminating a mandatory surcharge that had been in place since at least 2008. This directly affects residential and commercial utility customers who previously paid this fee, as it no longer requires utilities to include these costs in billing. The repeal also removes disclosure requirements about the surcharge's purpose and duration.

Maddy summaryHB 460 limits solar energy generating station construction in Maryland's priority preservation areas (protected lands established before 2025) to 2% of the total acreage, down from a previous 5% cap. It requires counties to report when this 2% limit is reached and prohibits local zoning laws from blocking solar projects meeting specific criteria. The bill also mandates the Maryland Department of the Environment to study the environmental impact of disposing of solar panels at end-of-life and report findings by September 2027. This directly affects counties, developers, and landowners in priority preservation areas by restricting solar development space and creating new reporting requirements. The policy change aims to balance renewable energy growth with conservation of sensitive lands.

Maddy summaryHB 482, the "Fair Districts for Maryland Act," proposes constitutional changes to overhaul Maryland's redistricting process. It establishes an independent Legislative and Congressional Redistricting and Apportionment Commission to draw both state legislative and congressional districts, replacing the current Governor-led process. The bill mandates new boundary rules requiring districts to respect natural geography, community interests, and geographic compactness, while explicitly prohibiting consideration of voter registration, past voting patterns, or political party affiliation. If the General Assembly fails to adopt a redistricting plan within 45 days of the census, the Commission would submit a plan to the Supreme Court for approval. This directly affects all Maryland residents by changing how voting districts are drawn, aiming to reduce partisan influence in the redistricting process.

Maddy summaryHB 738 requires Maryland's Department of Information Technology to establish an oversight process for major information technology development projects. It directly affects state agencies planning significant IT investments, mandating that they undergo formal review before proceeding with major spending decisions. The key provision creates a structured framework for evaluating project scope, budget, and risks prior to approval. This law, enacted on May 25, 2025, ensures greater accountability for large-scale state IT initiatives.

Maddy summaryHB 1292 requires health insurance carriers in Maryland to maintain an updated online "provider directory" (replacing the previous "network directory" term to align with federal law). The bill mandates that carriers make this directory available online with a clear search function and include specific details for each provider, such as specialty, office locations, contact information, and whether they accept new patients. Carriers must verify and update the directory regularly, ensuring it accurately reflects participating providers and facilities. This directly affects health insurance companies and their members (enrollees) by improving access to current provider information.

Maddy summaryHB 1474 allows out-of-state licensed professional counselors to provide temporary telehealth counseling services to specific students enrolled at Maryland colleges. It directly affects out-of-state counselors and students who are out-of-state residents living near a Maryland institution of higher education (not established Maryland residents). Key provisions require an existing therapeutic relationship between counselor and student, limit services to 5 days per month or 15 days annually, and exclude students with in-state health insurance plans restricting coverage to local providers. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, and will be superseded if the Interstate Counseling Compact begins issuing cross-state licenses.

Maddy summaryHB 819 creates a pilot program giving a price preference to bids from businesses using Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) for contracts with specific Maryland entities: the Maryland Stadium Authority, University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, St. Mary’s College, and Baltimore City Community College. It requires contractors to disclose if they use an ESOP in their bid and applies to procurements valued under $80 million. This means state entities must consider ESOP-based bids more favorably during contract awards, while still following standard procurement rules. The bill amends Maryland’s procurement code to establish this preference program as a new section (Subtitle 8) under state finance law.

Maddy summaryHB 1244 establishes the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration Waiver Advisory Council to advise the Developmental Disabilities Administration on Medicaid waiver programs. The council provides recommendations on system design, service delivery, and quality improvements, prioritizing input from individuals with lived experience in these programs. It requires 18 voting members with direct experience in waiver programs (including self-directed and traditional models), plus representatives from providers, advocacy groups, and state agencies like Health, Disabilities, and Human Services. The council must operate using person-centered, equitable, and data-driven approaches to enhance services for Medicaid waiver participants.