Rep. Wayne Hartman

Maddy summaryHB 1151 requires the Maryland Department of Health to study whether reimbursing hospice houses for room and board services under the state's Medicaid program (Maryland Medical Assistance Program) would save costs and improve patient outcomes. The study must quantify Medicaid savings per death from hospice care and analyze how reimbursement might reduce hospital deaths, emergency room visits, hospice readmissions, and increase hospice care duration. It specifically examines the impact of covering room and board expenses for hospice providers, as defined by existing regulations. The Department must submit findings to state legislative committees by September 30, 2026. This is a procedural study with no immediate policy change.

Maddy summaryHB 914 increases Worcester County's Board of License Commissioners from three to five members. The bill requires the Governor to appoint qualified residents (county voters with business experience) for four-year terms, with staggered start dates beginning July 1, 2026. It updates appointment procedures, vacancy rules, and removal processes for the board that oversees alcoholic beverage licensing in Worcester County. The changes take effect June 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 842 repeals a requirement that a surviving spouse of a service member who died in the line of duty must acquire a dwelling house within two years of the service member's death to qualify for a property tax exemption. The bill directly affects surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty, allowing them to qualify for the exemption regardless of when they purchase or acquire the home. Key provisions remove the 2-year acquisition deadline from existing law (Maryland Code, Tax-Property § 7-208(b)), making the exemption available as long as the surviving spouse meets other eligibility criteria. This change takes effect June 1, 2026, applying to all taxable years beginning after June 30, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1611 repeals a fixed $100,000 federal adjusted gross income limit for disabled veterans seeking a property tax credit on their primary residence. Instead, it allows counties and municipalities to set their own income eligibility criteria for the credit, based on a veteran's federal adjusted gross income. The bill directly affects disabled veterans (with service-connected disabilities of 50%+) and their surviving spouses who own their homes. Key provisions shift authority from the state to local governments to determine income thresholds, while maintaining existing credit rates (25% or 50% of property tax) based on disability rating. The change takes effect June 1, 2026, for tax years beginning after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 591, the Wicomico County Highway Pedestrian Safety Act, prohibits people from standing in roadways, shoulders, median dividers, or intersections in Wicomico County that the county or a local municipality has officially designated as "inherently dangerous" (meaning posing serious injury risk that can't be avoided with ordinary care). The law requires clear, state-compliant traffic signs to be posted before police can issue citations for violations, and it specifically applies only to Wicomico County, not statewide. The bill takes effect June 1, 2026, and does not create new penalties but sets conditions for enforcing existing standing restrictions. It directly affects pedestrians, drivers, and local law enforcement in Wicomico County by clarifying when standing in certain locations is prohibited.

Maddy summaryHB 525 requires Maryland county school boards to create and implement policies limiting student use of phones and other electronic communication devices (like tablets or smartwatches) during the academic school day, effective by the 2027-2028 school year. The policy must prohibit personal device use except for specific, documented needs (such as IEP accommodations, health monitoring, emergencies, or educational purposes when school devices aren't available), and require students to store devices securely. School boards must engage parents and staff in developing the policy, publish it in multiple languages, and report annually on its implementation, including enforcement data and impacts on student focus and well-being. The bill directly affects all public school students and county school boards across Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 500 removes two requirements that previously limited the sales tax exemption for precious metal bullion and coins. Specifically, it eliminates the $1,000 minimum sale price and the requirement that sales must occur at the Baltimore Convention Center. The bill expands the exemption to cover all qualifying precious metal bullion (refined metal where value depends on metal content) and historically used coins, while still excluding jewelry and art. This change directly affects buyers and sellers of these items by making the exemption available for more transactions without location or price restrictions. The exemption will apply to all qualifying sales starting July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 623 creates Maryland's Purple Star Colleges Program to recognize colleges providing strong support for military-connected students, while updating the existing Purple Star Schools Program. The bill directly affects military-connected students (including service members, veterans, and their spouses/dependents) and colleges, including both public/private higher education institutions and private career schools. Key provisions require colleges to appoint a military liaison to assist new military-connected students with transitions, and maintain an easily accessible website with resources on relocation, enrollment, academic planning, and support services. The Maryland Higher Education Commission will administer the program and establish minimum criteria for colleges to earn Purple Star designation.

Maddy summaryHB 1599 establishes Maryland's Chesapeake Bay Enhancement Program within the Department of Natural Resources. The program provides $2 million annually (starting fiscal year 2028) from the Transportation Trust Fund to fund oyster propagation and replenishment projects. These projects specifically mitigate harm to the state's oyster population caused by transportation projects at the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore, including dredging, pier/bridge construction, and channel maintenance. The law requires the Governor to include this funding in the annual budget bill, directly affecting oyster restoration groups and transportation project developers needing to offset environmental impacts.

Maddy summaryHB 635 requires all individuals seeking positions involving direct contact with children in Maryland child care facilities - including staff and volunteers - to undergo a criminal history background check. It creates a centralized unit within the State Department of Education to process these checks, with strict timelines (10 days for initial status, 45 days for final eligibility) and strict confidentiality rules prohibiting unauthorized sharing of results. The bill directly affects child care facilities, their employees, and volunteers by mandating these checks and establishing a standardized process for handling them. It also updates existing licensing rules to align with this new requirement, effective October 1, 2026.