Del. Frank Conaway

Maddy summaryHB 994 requires Baltimore City public middle schools (grades 6-8) to teach a course about the real-world impacts of a felony murder conviction. The bill mandates the Baltimore City School Board to develop an age-appropriate course explaining how such a conviction leads to loss of freedom (prison), rights (voting, gun ownership), and access to programs (housing, education). The course must be implemented starting in the 2026-2027 school year, with all students in those grades receiving it at least once. This applies solely to Baltimore City public schools and defines "consequences" as legal penalties under Maryland law for murder convictions during other crimes like robbery.

Maddy summaryHB 1067 prohibits retailers from charging fees for plastic or paper carryout bags when customers pay using SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) or WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) benefits. It applies to local laws in Maryland counties or municipalities that authorize bag fees, ensuring these fees cannot be charged during transactions funded by SNAP or WIC. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, directly affecting retailers in localities with such bag fee policies and SNAP/WIC recipients who use these benefits for purchases. This policy change prevents additional financial burdens on low-income shoppers using federal nutrition assistance programs.

Maddy summaryHB 1232 requires retailers in Maryland counties or municipalities that charge fees for plastic or paper carryout bags to provide customers with a receipt showing both the fee amount and the number of bags issued. It applies to local laws already authorizing such fees, ensuring transparency for consumers. Retailers who fail to provide these receipts face civil penalties: up to $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second, and $1,000 for third or subsequent violations. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and directly affects retailers operating under local bag fee ordinances.

Maddy summaryHB 1056 requires counties that impose a minimum fee for plastic or paper carryout bags to tax any amount retailers charge above that minimum. For example, if a county sets a $0.05 minimum fee and a retailer charges $0.10, the county would tax the extra $0.05. The tax revenue splits equally: one-third stays with the county, one-third goes to the state general fund, and one-third remains with the retailer to cover administrative costs. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and directly affects counties with bag fee laws, local retailers, and state/county budgets.

Maddy summaryHB 608 requires Maryland county school boards to grant temporary school admission to students when parents or guardians cannot immediately provide proof of required immunizations. This temporary enrollment lasts up to 60 days, during which parents must schedule an appointment with a health provider or local health department to obtain immunizations, reconstruct lost records, or get evidence of age-appropriate immunity. Parents must then submit proof of the immunization on the next school day following the appointment. The bill directly affects public school students and their families in Maryland, balancing school safety with practical barriers to documentation.

Maddy summaryHB 495 requires Maryland schools with existing antidiscrimination policies to update those policies to include specific information, such as reporting options for sexual violence, school contact details, investigation processes, victim resources, and medical facility locations. It mandates that policies be written in plain, age-appropriate language, printed for readability, available in common languages spoken by students/staff (5%+ of population), and accessible via oral interpretation for less common languages. Schools must distribute policies annually through handbooks, email, campus postings, and websites, and provide mandatory training to students at the start of each school year and to employees within four weeks of hire. This applies to all public/private K-12 schools, preK programs receiving state funding, and colleges in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 804 requires condominium and cooperative housing communities (common ownership communities) with four or more dwelling units to create a smoking policy for all common areas like hallways, elevators, and entrances. The policy must be at least as strict as existing state or local smoking laws and must clearly state where smoking is allowed or banned, how to report violations, and any penalties. Crucially, the bill protects residents' rights to smoke inside their own units, regardless of the policy. It does not override stricter local smoking rules that communities might already have in place. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 606 requires real estate professionals - such as developers, builders, brokers, and agents - to report the final sale price of new homes sold in Maryland into a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) or similar public database within 30 days of the sale. This applies specifically to new home sales and directly affects those selling new properties. The key provision mandates that final sale prices, not initial listings, be entered into existing MLS systems used by real estate professionals. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, aiming to increase transparency in new home pricing data without creating new reporting systems.

Maddy summaryHB 635 requires police officers to document the specific reason for every traffic stop (e.g., speeding, broken taillight) on the citation or police report. It limits enforcement of certain vehicle law violations (like expired registration) to "secondary" actions only - officers must first stop a driver for a primary violation (e.g., speeding) before citing a secondary issue. If an officer fails to document the reason or violates the secondary enforcement rule, evidence from the stop may be excluded in court, and the officer could face administrative discipline. This bill directly affects police procedures during traffic stops and the admissibility of evidence in legal cases.

Maddy summaryHB 154 makes it a misdemeanor to fraudulently possess or claim ownership of residential property without lawful right, with penalties including fines up to $2,500 or jail time up to one year for repeat offenses. It allows property owners to file a sworn affidavit with a sheriff to remove someone they claim is fraudulently occupying the property, but officers must halt removal if the occupant shows evidence of lawful possession. The law explicitly does not block owners from pursuing standard civil lawsuits for unlawful occupation (wrongful detainer). It includes exemptions for occupants with court-ordered possession or existing legal remedies under Maryland's real property laws.