Del. Nino Mangione

Maddy summaryHB 1487 requires the Maryland Department of Legislative Services to include a family impact statement in every bill's fiscal note, explaining whether the legislation affects families and detailing specific impacts on family stability, formation, or welfare. Committees cannot vote on a bill without this statement attached to the fiscal note. The bill defines "family" broadly to include spouses, children, guardians, and other related relationships, and specifies that the analysis must identify the basis and methodology for assessing impacts. This policy change ensures legislative proposals undergo systematic family impact review before committee consideration.

Maddy summaryHB 1297 requires counties, municipalities, and school boards to adopt ethics rules that meet or exceed Maryland’s state-level conflict of interest standards. Specifically, local rules must include provisions allowing governing bodies to remove officials for ethics violations and mandate that ethics commissions publicly share recommendations about such removals. The bill also sets minimum requirements for financial disclosure and lobbying regulations at the local level. These changes apply directly to local government officials and school board members across Maryland. The law aims to standardize ethics enforcement without altering existing state ethics frameworks.

Maddy summaryHB 732 increases the required classroom teaching time for Maryland public school teachers on career ladder levels one, two, or three from 60% to 80% of their working time. This change directly affects teachers who are certified but not yet at the highest career levels (such as those pursuing a master’s degree or National Board Certification). The bill specifies that the remaining 20% of their time must be spent on activities like improving instruction, tutoring students, or participating in professional development. The policy takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 213 authorizes the construction, permitting, and operation of natural gas energy generation systems in Maryland until the state meets its goal of 100% renewable energy (including nuclear) for all energy needs. It requires new natural gas plants to obtain approvals from the Department of the Environment, which must review environmental impact and necessity, and submit a transition plan for decommissioning or shifting to renewable energy. The bill mandates that all natural gas plants must be decommissioned or transition to renewable energy within 10 years after the 100% renewable goal is achieved. The Department of the Environment and energy commissions must submit annual progress reports to the legislature on renewable energy goals and natural gas' role in the energy mix.

Maddy summaryHB 156, the "Fairness in Girls’ Sports Act," requires Maryland public and nonpublic high schools competing against public schools to designate interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity sports teams based solely on biological sex. It prohibits schools from allowing students assigned male at birth to participate on teams designated for students assigned female at birth. The bill also prevents government agencies or athletic organizations from penalizing schools for maintaining separate teams for females, and allows students or schools harmed by violations to file civil lawsuits seeking damages, attorney fees, or injunctions. This law directly affects high school athletic programs and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 622 (Juvenile Justice Restoration Act of 2025) requires law enforcement officers to consult with an attorney before questioning a child in custody. Specifically, officers must ensure the child has spoken with an attorney (either retained by parents or provided by the Public Defender) and make reasonable efforts to notify the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian before interrogation. Exceptions exist only for immediate public safety threats (with limited questions) or if the parent/guardian consents to skip the attorney consultation. Violating these rules creates a rebuttable presumption that any statement made by the child is inadmissible in court, though the state can overcome this with clear evidence the statement was voluntary. The bill directly affects children under 18 during police questioning and all Maryland law enforcement agencies.

Maddy summaryHB 652 prohibits Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services from hiring or retaining employees convicted of specific serious crimes, directly affecting individuals seeking or holding jobs in juvenile services. The bill bans hiring for 14 offenses including abduction, kidnapping, murder, rape, child abuse, sexual offenses against minors, and certain violent assaults. An exception allows hiring if the conviction was reversed or vacated. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1358 prevents the Division of Correction from counting time spent in a home detention program toward a sentence for individuals convicted of violating the program's conditions. It requires courts to consider the nature and circumstances of any pending cases when setting conditions for pretrial release. The bill also clarifies that time spent in home detention as a pretrial condition does not count toward a sentence if a defendant is returned to custody for violating those conditions. These changes directly affect individuals in home detention programs and courts handling pretrial release decisions.

Maddy summaryHB 1356 prohibits District Court commissioners from releasing defendants on personal recognizance or unsecured bail if the defendant was previously charged with a crime after being released on unsecured bail within the past 5 years, or failed to appear in court while on unsecured bail. The bill requires judges to authorize pretrial release for such defendants only on secured bail with conditions designed to prevent flight or community danger. It directly affects individuals with specific prior court-related violations involving unsecured bail. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and amends Maryland's Criminal Procedure code (Section 5-202(h)).

Maddy summaryHB 1349 prohibits using drones to intentionally enter another person’s property within 50 feet of a dwelling with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or secretly photograph/video the property or people there. It directly affects drone operators who target residential areas for these purposes, while exempting those with property owner consent or operating under federal law. Violations are classified as misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail, a $5,000 fine, or both. The law aims to protect residents from unauthorized drone surveillance and harassment by defining clear criminal boundaries for drone use near homes. It takes effect October 1, 2025.