Rep. Sheree Sample-Hughes

Maddy summaryHB 437 amends Maryland's criminal code to clarify and expand protections against surreptitious visual surveillance with a sexual motive (prurient intent). It specifically defines "private place" to include residences, tanning rooms, dressing rooms, bedrooms, and restrooms, and defines "private area" as genitals, buttocks, or female breast below the areola. The bill makes it a misdemeanor (up to 1 year in jail or $2,500 fine) to conduct such surveillance without consent in these areas, and allows victims to sue for damages and attorney fees. It directly affects individuals who might engage in non-consensual surveillance in locations where people reasonably expect privacy.

Maddy summaryHB 438 (Buddy's Law) increases the maximum compensatory damages for pet owners when someone negligently causes injury or death to their domesticated pet. It raises the cap from $10,000 to $25,000, covering costs like veterinary care and the pet’s fair market value before death. The law specifically applies to domesticated pets (excluding livestock) and affects owners in Maryland whose pets are harmed by negligence. The bill amends Maryland’s tort law and takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 293 allows courts in Maryland to order child victims of abuse to testify via closed-circuit TV outside the courtroom when their presence with the defendant would cause serious emotional distress that prevents them from communicating. This applies to cases under Maryland’s Family Law or Criminal Law regarding child abuse, but only if the defendant has legal representation. The bill specifies that defendants cannot be in the same room as the child during testimony, and limits who may be present (attorneys, therapists, or others supporting the child). It also prohibits two-way video that would let the child see or hear the defendant during testimony. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 616 modifies Maryland law to better protect cemeteries by extending the time limit for prosecuting crimes involving cemetery damage and adding specific prohibitions. It changes the statute of limitations to allow prosecution within 3 years after local authorities knew or should have known about violations (previously tied to when the offense occurred). The bill prohibits willfully destroying, damaging, defacing, or removing funerary objects, cemetery structures (like walls or fences), or landscaping without permission, while allowing normal maintenance and repairs with consent from cemetery owners or heirs. Violations of these provisions carry misdemeanor penalties, with fines up to $10,000 for structural damage and $500 for plant-related damage. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 320 prohibits individuals from standing in roadways, median dividers, or intersections in Wicomico County to ask drivers for money or donations. It amends Maryland’s transportation code (Section 21-507(c)) to explicitly include Wicomico County among counties where such solicitation is banned, extending an existing restriction that previously applied to other counties. The law directly affects people attempting to solicit funds from vehicle occupants in these specific public spaces within Wicomico County. The bill takes effect on October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 5 updates Maryland's criminal law to explicitly include artificial intelligence-generated images in the definition of "computer-generated image" under child pornography statutes. This means AI-created images that appear indistinguishable from real child abuse material - such as those adapted to look like actual minors - will now be covered under existing laws prohibiting possession or viewing of such content. The bill directly affects individuals who create, possess, or access these AI-generated images, applying the same penalties (up to 5 years in jail or $2,500 fine for misdemeanors) as real child pornography. It maintains exceptions for artistic works like drawings or cartoons and parental photos of children in non-exploitative contexts. The law aims to close a legal gap as AI technology advances, ensuring existing protections apply to digitally generated content.

Maddy summaryHB 1198, the Monica Cooper Prerelease Act, requires Maryland to establish a dedicated prerelease facility for female incarcerated individuals in Baltimore City (on at least 3 acres) by 2027. The facility must serve women with low violence/escape risk and satisfactory behavior, offering evidence-based programs like education, vocational training, trauma-informed healthcare, and family reunification support. It mandates the Department of Public Safety to provide comprehensive rehabilitative services - including help with public health benefits applications - and report progress to lawmakers by 2026. This bill directly affects female inmates eligible for prerelease status, aiming to reduce recidivism through gender-responsive reentry planning.

Maddy summaryHB 164 makes it a misdemeanor to fraudulently claim or possess residential property you don’t legally own or possess, targeting individuals who intend to defraud property owners. It establishes penalties of up to 90 days in jail or $500 for a first offense, increasing to 1 year or $2,500 for repeat violations within 2 years. Property owners can submit a sworn affidavit to a sheriff, who must then remove occupants found to be fraudulently occupying the property unless the occupant proves lawful possession. The bill explicitly states it does not affect existing civil wrongful detainer lawsuits under Maryland law. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 210, the "Porch Piracy Act of 2025," prohibits the theft of mail or packages delivered by the U.S. Postal Service or commercial carriers. It defines "mail or package" as tangible items left for delivery and makes knowingly taking such items without the recipient's permission a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison. The bill also allows courts to offer diversion programs for third or subsequent violations instead of jail time. This law directly affects individuals who steal mail or packages, aiming to criminalize what is commonly called "porch piracy." The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.

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.