Del. Michele Guyton

Maddy summaryHB 768 requires counties to verify incorporation petitions and establish clear procedures for new municipalities. It mandates that a petition must be signed by at least 25% of registered voters in the proposed area (or 20% plus 25% of property value) and be verified by county officials within 60 days. The organizing committee must then study the fiscal impact on residents and services, report findings online, and the county must approve the referendum request if the petition meets requirements. This bill directly affects unincorporated communities seeking to form new municipalities and county commissioners or councils handling these requests.

Maddy summaryHB 627 clarifies that existing Maryland laws prohibiting disruptive or threatening behavior on school property do not apply to students committing offenses at their own school or at another school during sponsored events like sports. The bill amends Section 26-101 of the Education Code to explicitly exempt these two student groups from the prohibitions and penalties. It also requires county boards to report school disruption data by category (e.g., fighting, weapons) and disaggregate it by student demographics, disciplinary actions, and referrals. This focuses on clarifying legal application and improving data collection for school safety reporting.

Maddy summaryHB 612 establishes Maryland's Lifesaver Schools Program, which recognizes public schools that provide specific health and safety training to students and staff. To qualify, schools must offer evidence-based first aid training, mental health support programs, schoolwide mental health assemblies, and professional development opportunities for staff during school hours. Schools must also maintain online resources for mental health support and host community outreach events, with recognition requiring reapplication every four years. The program, administered by the Maryland Department of Education, takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 631 prohibits the State or its political subdivisions from using eminent domain to take privately owned property subject to a permanent agricultural or conservation easement. This directly affects landowners who hold such easements, protecting their property from forced acquisition for public projects. The bill amends Maryland’s real property law (specifically Section 12-101(b)(2) of the Annotated Code) to add this explicit prohibition. It does not apply to existing legal processes for state roads or Baltimore City. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 524 adds a new member to Maryland's State Board of Education, requiring one of the 14 regular board positions to be filled by an early childhood development professional with extensive experience in child care operations and curriculum. This member must be appointed by the Governor (with Senate consent) from a list of three qualified candidates provided by the Office of Child Care Advisory Council. The bill directly affects the State Board of Education, which sets K-12 education policy, and early childhood professionals who meet the specified qualifications. It does not change voting rights but ensures the board includes expertise in early childhood development.

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 740 requires campaigns in Maryland to disclose when campaign materials (like images, audio, or videos) use AI-generated or altered content that misrepresents reality. It applies to candidates, campaign groups, and registered political entities distributing such materials within the state. The bill mandates clear, visible disclosures: for images, a text statement must appear in readable size; for audio, a spoken warning at the start and end; and for videos, on-screen text visible throughout. These disclosures must state that the media was altered to create a false impression of an event, speech, or appearance. The law amends Maryland’s election code to add this transparency requirement for synthetic media in campaign communications.

Maddy summaryHB 642, the "Ballot Petition Modernization Act," updates Maryland's election laws to allow electronic signatures on ballot petitions and strengthen voter data security. It requires the State Board of Elections to create rules for securely storing voter lists and verifying electronic signatures, replacing outdated paper-based requirements. The bill directly affects petition signers (who can now use digital signatures), circulators (who must verify signatures), and election officials (who must implement new security protocols). Key changes include adding electronic signature procedures, clarifying signature validation rules, and prohibiting commercial use of voter lists.

Maddy summaryHB 703 allows evidence of autism spectrum disorder, developmental disability, or intellectual disability diagnoses to be used in criminal cases when relevant to the defendant's mental state at the time of the alleged offense. It requires judges to consider such diagnoses during pretrial release decisions for defendants with these conditions. The bill updates Maryland's evidence rules (under Article 10-926) and pretrial procedures (under Article 5-216) to incorporate these specific diagnoses. It references existing definitions of "developmental disability" and "intellectual disability" from health law, without altering those definitions. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 660 simplifies probate for estates when an original will is lost or destroyed by allowing interested people to file a petition directly with the Register of Wills (instead of the orphans' court). It authorizes the Register to accept a certified copy of the will for administrative probate if heirs and legatees sign a consent form, eliminating the need for a court order. This bill directly affects executors, heirs, and the Register of Wills office in Maryland, streamlining the process for estates where the original will is unavailable. The law applies only to estates of people who died on or after October 1, 2025, and amends Maryland Code sections 5-802 and 5-804.