Del. Caylin Young

Maddy summaryHB 721 updates Maryland's family law to clarify when courts must grant grandparent visitation rights. It requires courts to grant visitation if a child lived with the grandparent for at least 12 months *or* if the child’s parent (the grandparent’s child) has died. The bill also mandates courts to consider the grandparent’s prior contact with the child and requires clear evidence - beyond just allegations - to deny visitation on grounds of interfering with parent-child relationships. This directly affects grandparents seeking visitation, parents, and children in custody disputes, making the process more structured and evidence-based.

Maddy summaryHB 818 allows courts to award reasonable attorney fees and expenses to winning plaintiffs who sue to correct violations of rights protected by Maryland's Constitution or Declaration of Rights (e.g., cases against state agencies or local governments). It also permits fees to winning defendants only if the plaintiff's case was filed in bad faith or without legal basis. Courts must use factors from Maryland Rule 2-703(F)(3) to determine fees, and the law explicitly overrides standard fee limits under Maryland's Tort Claims Act for these cases. The bill applies only to cases filed after its October 1, 2025, effective date.

Maddy summaryHB 1463, the "Transit Safety and Investment Act of 2025," mandates minimum annual funding levels for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) from the Transportation Trust Fund. It requires the Governor to include specific operating appropriations (increasing by at least 4.4% annually for 2020-2022) and capital appropriations for MTA's "state of good repair needs," starting at $29.1 million for 2020-2022, rising to $502 million for 2024, and setting a baseline of $450 million annually for 2025-2028 and $550 million annually for 2030-2039. The bill directly affects the MTA’s budget, ensuring predictable funding for transit operations and infrastructure maintenance, while explicitly stating these funds are in addition to existing capital projects like the Purple Line. It does not alter MTA’s authority to fund local transit agencies.

Maddy summaryHB 923 adds two new positions to Maryland's State Board of Education: an Educational Support Member and an Administrator Member. The Educational Support Member must be a non-certified, non-supervisory school employee in a bargaining unit, elected by their peers; the Administrator Member must be a principal or similar school administrator, elected by administrators. Both members would serve alongside the existing 13 regular members and can attend executive sessions but cannot vote on appeals to the State Board under §6-202. This bill amends Maryland’s education code to formalize these election processes and qualifications for the new roles.

Maddy summaryHB 985 allows Maryland counties to establish a second administrative charging committee for reviewing police misconduct complaints, if the county governing body determines one committee is insufficient to serve all countywide and local law enforcement agencies. This bill amends existing law by adding a new provision (Section 3-104(a)(1)(II)) that permits counties to authorize a second committee under specific circumstances. The key mechanism requires county officials to formally decide that a single committee cannot adequately handle the volume of cases, without changing the committee composition or disciplinary standards. The bill directly affects county governments and law enforcement agencies by providing administrative flexibility in handling misconduct investigations.

Maddy summaryHB 139 establishes a 9-month deadline for law enforcement agencies to complete investigations of public complaints about police misconduct and forward the files to an administrative charging committee. The committee must then review the case and issue a written determination within 30 days of receiving the files. This requires the entire process - from complaint filing to final disposition - to be completed within one year and one day. The bill applies to all county and statewide law enforcement agencies in Maryland, directly affecting how they handle misconduct complaints.

Maddy summaryHB 1435 prohibits Maryland police officers from affiliating with, supporting, or advocating for white supremacist groups, ideologies, or causes, or participating in FBI-designated extremist groups that promote illegal violence. It defines such groups as those promoting white superiority, racial hatred, or violence against Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). The Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission must enforce this ban, which takes effect October 1, 2025. The law directly affects all current and future Maryland police officers.

Maddy summaryHB 687, the Community-Oriented Policing Act, prohibits Maryland law enforcement agencies from setting or using arrest, citation, or warrant quotas for officer evaluations, promotions, or discipline. The bill specifically bans agencies from requiring officers to meet specific activity targets (like a set number of arrests) or using those numbers as the primary factor in personnel decisions. It also clarifies that agencies may still use quantitative data for management purposes, as long as it doesn’t dictate officer evaluations. The law amends Maryland’s Public Safety Code and takes effect October 1, 2025. It directly affects all local and state law enforcement agencies and their officers in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 682 prohibits most state and local law enforcement agencies in Maryland from using persistent aerial surveillance - defined as recording video or images over time to track a person’s movements - to gather evidence in criminal investigations. The bill directly affects police departments, sheriffs’ offices, and other public safety units by restricting this surveillance method unless specific exceptions apply. These exceptions include obtaining a valid search warrant, executing an arrest warrant, conducting active search/rescue operations, or responding to imminent threats like terrorist attacks with DHS authorization. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and amends Maryland’s Public Safety and Transportation codes to implement these restrictions.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts Maryland state and local governments from using drones (unmanned aircraft) for surveillance, evidence collection, or gathering information without specific exceptions. It prohibits deploying drones except for activities like executing arrest warrants, active search-and-rescue operations, preventing imminent harm, or under a valid court warrant. Evidence obtained through unauthorized drone use becomes inadmissible in criminal, civil, or administrative court cases. The law directly affects state agencies and local governments (like police departments) by limiting their drone operations and requiring strict adherence to the listed exceptions.