Rep. Sandy Rosenberg

Maddy summaryHB 931 requires nursing homes in Maryland to designate physicians as medical directors who either hold a specific certification (CMD from PALTMED) or are actively working toward it. The bill directly affects nursing homes (which must comply with the certification requirement) and physicians serving in medical director roles (who must meet the certification standard). Key provisions include mandating the Maryland Department of Health to create a public online directory listing all nursing home medical directors with their credentials and certification status, and setting a deadline of September 30, 2028, for current medical directors to obtain certification. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1112 requires Maryland's Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission to study and recommend actions to stabilize individual and group health insurance markets. The Commission must examine specific areas including comparing Medicaid and commercial rates for potential premium savings, exploring regulatory changes for managed care organizations, merging insurance markets, and evaluating interstate purchasing pools. It also directs the Commission to assess prescription drug cost controls, support for health centers, reinsurance funds, and the potential reinstatement of the Maryland Health Insurance Plan. This bill does not create new laws or directly affect residents - it mandates a study to inform future policy decisions. The findings will be reported to the General Assembly by December 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 410 requires food manufacturers, processors, and retailers in Maryland to use standardized date labels on packaged food starting July 1, 2027. It mandates replacing "Sell By" with "Best If Used By" for quality dates and "Use By" for safety dates, while prohibiting the sale of items labeled with "Sell By" after that date. The bill also requires the Maryland Department of Health to create and post educational materials about these labels online by July 2027. This affects all food businesses selling packaged products to consumers, excluding infant formula, beer, and malt beverages.

Maddy summaryHB 1263 establishes a workgroup to study the regulation of postoperative cosmetic care provided by non-physician practitioners (such as estheticians or massage therapists), focusing on patient safety, consumer protection, and access to qualified providers. The workgroup, composed of health officials, patient advocates, and care providers, will examine current rules, identify gaps in care access, review risks from unregulated services, and evaluate best practices from other states. It must submit interim and final reports by December 2026 and 2027, respectively, and cannot recommend new licensing without legislative approval. The workgroup expires on June 30, 2028, unless extended.

Maddy summaryHB 1068 requires health insurance carriers in Maryland to provide a 60-day special enrollment period for individuals who become newly hired by small businesses that do not offer employer-sponsored health plans. This applies to people purchasing coverage through the state’s health insurance marketplace (Individual Exchange) or outside it. The special enrollment period begins on the first day of employment and allows new hires to enroll in health insurance without waiting for the standard open enrollment period. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, directly benefiting newly employed workers at small businesses without health benefits.

Maddy summaryHB 520 updates Maryland's regulations for naturopathic doctors. It modifies their scope of practice by clarifying which prescription drugs they can dispense as "starter doses" (limited to 72 hours or initial therapy), renames the Naturopathic Doctors Formulary Council to focus specifically on "Controlled Dangerous Substances," and adds new requirements for license renewals. The bill also mandates that naturopathic doctors provide patients with specific insurance information and report professional liability insurance details to the State Board of Physicians upon request. These changes directly affect licensed naturopathic doctors practicing in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 1323 requires hospitals in Maryland to establish a "surrogate committee" to make treatment decisions for patients who cannot make their own health care choices and have no available legal surrogate or advance directive. The committee must include a physician (not treating the patient), a nurse, a social worker or clergy member, a patient advisory committee member, an independent patient advocate, and community members with lived experience. Committees must complete mandatory training on bioethics, confidentiality, and implicit bias, and hospitals must report annual usage data to state health officials. This law directly affects unrepresented hospitalized patients who lack decision-making capacity and clear treatment preferences.

Maddy summaryHB 1368 (Shifra’s Act) requires Maryland public schools to provide written notice to parents when a special education service or support specified in a child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) is missed, incomplete, or interrupted. Parents must receive this notice within 3 school days, including the reason for the missed service, steps the school will take to address it, and information about requesting an IEP meeting. The law applies specifically to services required daily (after 5 missed instances in 10 days), scheduled services (after missed instances exceeding twice the specified period), or patterns substantially limiting service delivery. This notice requirement aims to ensure transparency and prompt resolution of service gaps for students with disabilities.

Maddy summaryThis House Joint Resolution (HJ 3) is a policy statement, not a binding law, acknowledging Maryland's commitment to inclusive education. It resolves that elementary and secondary school curricula should include the history of communities that have experienced discrimination (based on disability, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, indigenous affiliation, or sexual orientation) to ensure all students feel represented. The resolution directs education officials to adopt this inclusive approach but does not mandate specific curriculum changes or allocate funding. It primarily affects state education leaders, school boards, and curriculum developers by setting a policy direction for curriculum content.

Maddy summaryThis is a symbolic resolution, not a bill with enforceable policy changes. Maryland's General Assembly formally joins other states (like California and Oregon) and local jurisdictions in endorsing the "Back from the Brink" initiative. It urges Maryland's congressional delegation to cosponsor a federal resolution supporting the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and asks the U.S. President and Senate to endorse that treaty. The resolution expresses concern about nuclear risks but does not create new laws or directly affect any individuals or entities.