Del. Kathy Szeliga

Maddy summaryHB 448, the Modernization of Military Laws Act, updates Maryland laws to better support veterans, active service members, and military families. It standardizes key definitions like "veteran" and "uniformed services" across all state laws, requires the Secretary of Veterans and Military Families to create transition support policies, and eases voting access by allowing military members to file candidacy certificates remotely with an affidavit. The bill also updates housing and employment discrimination protections for veterans and clarifies election rules for service members. These changes directly affect military personnel, veterans, and their families across Maryland’s state government and election systems.

Maddy summaryHB 1069 prohibits Maryland insurers from including clauses that grant them sole discretion to interpret policy terms in health insurance, life insurance, and annuity contracts. It applies to all insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) selling policies in Maryland. The law amends state insurance regulations to ban such clauses, requiring interpretations to align with Maryland law rather than insurer preferences. The prohibition applies to policies issued, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 32 establishes a Forensic Review Board within the Maryland Department of Health to review eligibility for release for people found not criminally responsible (NCR) at state facilities. The bill requires each facility to create a board of licensed healthcare providers that must annually assess NCR individuals and recommend to courts whether they should be discharged or released conditionally. It also creates a Community Forensic Aftercare Program to monitor people on conditional release. These changes replace current procedures under Maryland’s Criminal Procedure and Health laws, adding specific annual review requirements and written record-keeping for release decisions. The bill directly affects NCR patients in state facilities and their release pathways.

Maddy summaryHB 698 requires certain Maryland counties to report annually on development impact fees, surcharges, and excise taxes collected from new construction. Specifically, charter counties with such fees, code counties with local laws imposing them, and commission counties that have both authorization and enacted them must submit reports by July 1 each year to the Governor and General Assembly. The reports must detail total amounts collected, how funds are distributed to specific districts (like legislative or commissioner districts), and how much is used for capital projects such as transportation improvements, school construction, or other related infrastructure. Counties must make these reports publicly available on their websites or through other accessible means.

Maddy summaryHB 1200 expands Maryland's existing property tax credit program to include judicial officers, who were previously excluded. The bill modifies the tax code to allow counties or municipalities to grant a property tax credit on a dwelling owned by a judicial officer who is disabled, a surviving spouse of a judicial officer who died in the line of duty, or a qualifying cohabitant. It defines "judicial officer" and "public safety officer" to explicitly include judicial roles, requires local governments to define these terms in their laws, and applies the credit retroactively to past years. This change directly affects judicial officers, their families, and cohabitants who meet the eligibility criteria for the tax credit.

Maddy summaryHB 775 requires Maryland's Commissioner of Correction to notify specific officials when an incarcerated person dies in a state correctional facility. The notification must include the cause of death but cannot share protected health information, and must be sent to state legislators representing the facility's district, the local county council or Baltimore City Council, and the county executive or Baltimore mayor. The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services must adopt regulations compliant with federal privacy laws (HIPAA) to implement this requirement. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, applying to all state correctional facilities.

Maddy summaryHB 514 revises Maryland’s chiropractic licensing rules to update the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners’ structure and oversight. It changes board membership (requiring 5 licensed chiropractors and 2 consumer members), adds authority for unannounced office inspections when complaints allege violations of CDC infection control guidelines, and mandates health provider exams for licensees or applicants under specific circumstances. The bill directly affects chiropractors seeking licensure or renewal, chiropractic offices, and the Board itself. Key changes include streamlined board appointments, enhanced compliance inspections, and new requirements for health assessments to ensure public safety.

Maddy summaryHB 573 updates Maryland's requirements for expanded function dental assistants (EFDA). It requires the State Board of Dental Examiners to approve specific types of training programs (like accredited college courses or programs from the Dental Assisting National Board) for EFDA certification, and mandates that initial certification courses offer online options when appropriate. The bill also sets clear rules for reinstating expired EFDA certifications, requiring completion of continuing education (which must include online options), timely renewal applications, and payment of fees. These changes directly affect dental assistants seeking or renewing their EFDA certification in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 1027 creates a workgroup to study implementing a statewide 3-1-1 nonemergency telephone system in Maryland. The workgroup, composed of 12 members including state agency representatives, county officials, and industry stakeholders, will review existing 3-1-1 services, best practices from other states, and potential solutions for a statewide system. It will develop recommendations on oversight, feasibility, and a virtual portal, reporting findings to the Governor and legislature by November 1, 2025. This bill does not establish the 3-1-1 system itself but directs a study to inform future policy. The workgroup expires June 30, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 429 allows counties in Maryland to request the Department of Health to delegate authority for inspecting nursing homes (including site visits and full surveys) to county staff. If a county makes such a request, the Department and the county must equally share the costs of these inspections. This bill directly affects nursing homes (which may be inspected by county staff instead of state staff) and counties that choose to assume this responsibility. It does not change existing inspection frequency requirements but adds a new option for conducting inspections.