Del. Caylin Young

Maddy summaryHB 392 allows fair housing testers working for approved programs (federal, state, local governments, or qualified nonprofits) to legally record oral communications during housing tests to gather evidence of discrimination. It specifically permits recording only when the tester is a party to the conversation and the purpose is to document potential fair housing violations under federal, state, or local law. Evidence obtained this way can only be used to enforce fair housing laws - not in other legal proceedings. The bill amends Maryland’s electronic surveillance laws to create this limited exception, effective October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 414 establishes a new Mental Health Care Fund for Children and Youth in Maryland, funded by a tax on the annual revenues of digital social media services operating in the state. The tax applies to digital social media companies generating significant revenue in Maryland, with revenue collected by the Comptroller and distributed directly to the fund. The fund is designed as a permanent, non-expiring account to improve access to mental health care services specifically for children and youth, separate from existing state funding. The bill amends state law to create the tax structure and define the fund’s administration, ensuring revenue is used solely for this purpose.

Maddy summaryHB 240 requires Maryland's Administrative Office of the Courts to submit an annual report to the General Assembly starting December 1, 2025, on the state's judicial text messaging system. The report must include specific data about system usage, such as the number of people who signed up or declined notifications, notification delivery rates, timing of alerts, and comparison of court appearance rates between system users and non-users. This bill does not change how the text messaging system operates but mandates transparency about its current implementation. The report will cover the prior fiscal year's data and include future development plans for the system. It directly affects court administration, not end-users of the text service.

Maddy summaryHB 283 establishes a three-year pilot program (2025-2028) requiring Maryland's Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy to provide free doorbell cameras or security systems with cameras to residents in designated high-crime areas. The program includes installing devices, training residents on usage and evidence submission, creating a process for sharing footage with law enforcement, and implementing privacy protections (e.g., prohibiting forced sharing of footage and ensuring data security). The Office must identify high-crime areas, manage applications, and report annually on crime rates, solved cases using camera evidence, resident security perceptions, participation numbers, and cost-benefit analysis. Funding is set at $5 million annually starting in fiscal year 2027, with the program ending automatically on September 30, 2028.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the expiration dates of two specific alcohol beverage licenses in Baltimore City until July 1, 2025, allowing them to be transferred or renewed under new conditions. The extension applies to a location on Harford Road if the owner agrees to a community agreement with the Hamilton Community Association, and to a location on East Fayette Street if they do the same with the C.A.R.E. Community Association. These agreements require a process for community input, limit sales to beer and wine for the first year after transfer, and mandate specific public safety measures such as improved lighting, noise control, and trash management. The law automatically expires on July 31, 2025, without needing further legislative action.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland law updates rules on how contraceptives are sold and allows registered nurses to provide certain nonprescription medications without a doctor's order. The bill removes criminal penalties for selling contraceptives through vending machines in schools and clarifies that only natural membrane condoms, not all nonlatex condoms, are banned from such machines. It also authorizes a committee to create a list of over-the-counter drugs and devices that registered nurses can dispense at local health departments. Additionally, the legislation defines key terms like "dispense" and "authorized prescriber" to guide how nurses handle these medications. These changes aim to improve access to reproductive health products and expand the role of nurses in public health settings.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes Gwynns Falls State Park as a partnership between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Baltimore City, creating a shared unit of the state park system focused on outdoor recreation and education. The park will include specific existing properties such as Leakin Park and the Gwynns Falls Trail, with a formal agreement defining the financial and operational roles of both the state and the city. To guide development, the law requires the state and city to conduct community surveys, hold focus group meetings, and create an advisory committee comprised of neighborhood, environmental, and historic preservation representatives. Additionally, the bill mandates a summer conservation jobs program for high school students and requires a detailed report to be submitted to the General Assembly by December 1, 2025, outlining suitable properties and funding needs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires parties and nonparties filing documents in criminal or juvenile delinquency cases to remove the name and other identifying details of any victim who was a minor at the time of the offense. Under this law, courts cannot share these redacted filings with the public unless the identifying information has been properly removed, with limited exceptions for good cause. The legislation also allows the state's Supreme Court to create rules requiring that unredacted versions of these documents be filed separately under seal to preserve legal access while protecting privacy. Effective October 1, 2024, these measures aim to prevent the accidental exposure of minor victims' identities in public court records.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill updates the Renters' Property Tax Relief Program by clarifying which financial items count toward a renter's asset total. Specifically, it removes the cash value of qualified retirement savings plans and individual retirement accounts from the list of assets used to determine eligibility. The change ensures that renters with significant retirement savings are not disqualified from receiving tax credits solely because of those funds. The legislation also maintains existing limits, such as capping the credit at $1,000 and restricting benefits to renters with a net worth of $200,000 or less. These adjustments take effect for taxable years beginning after June 30, 2024.

Maddy summaryThe Growing Apprenticeships and the Public Safety Workforce (GAPS) Act expands Maryland's apprenticeship program to include a broader range of public safety agencies, such as correctional facilities, in addition to traditional law enforcement departments. This bill increases the maximum grant amount for agencies participating in the program from $2,000 to $5,000 per apprentice and adjusts eligibility requirements to ensure apprentices live in areas with at least 10% poverty. Furthermore, the legislation mandates that the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission develop mental health wellness policies for law enforcement and correctional facilities while establishing a workgroup to study ways to increase employment in these sectors.