Sen. Brian Feldman

Maddy summarySB 603 authorizes an annual $350,000 appropriation starting in fiscal year 2027 for the University of Maryland, College Park’s TerpsEXCEED Program. This program provides educational and employment support specifically to students with intellectual disabilities. The funding covers direct services like academic advising, career development courses, internship coordination, and connections to disability support agencies. It aims to create sustainable support for the program’s operations and future expansion. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 130 requires all Maryland county school boards to create and enforce a policy banning student use of cellular devices (including smartphones and tablets) during instructional time, defined as the school day except lunch. The policy must mandate secure storage of devices and include disciplinary measures for violations, while allowing exceptions for students with documented health needs, IEP/504 accommodations, or educator-directed educational use. It affects all public school students, parents, and school staff in Maryland’s 24 county school districts. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies to all county boards of education.

Maddy summarySB 1040 (FEDERAL Jobs Act of 2025) creates an Expedited Hiring Program within Maryland's Department of Budget and Management to recruit former federal employees for state government positions. It directly affects eligible applicants who previously worked for the federal government for at least one year and left after January 15, 2025, as well as state appointing authorities responsible for filling vacancies. Key provisions require appointing authorities to fill eligible vacancies within 40 days, modify job descriptions to appeal to former federal workers, and implement marketing, applicant rating, and referral processes. The program aims to leverage federal expertise for state roles while operating under the State Personnel Management System.

Maddy summarySB 683 (Protect Our Federal Workers Act) renames the "Federal Government Shutdown Employee Assistance Loan Fund" to the "Federal Government Employee Assistance Loan Fund" and expands its eligibility. The bill allows Maryland to use funds from the Catastrophic Event Account to assist federal workers affected by closures, relocations, or mass layoffs of federal offices (beyond just government shutdowns). It specifically adds these new circumstances to the Fund’s purpose, enabling loans to Maryland-resident federal employees who lost pay during shutdowns *or* were terminated due to federal facility changes beyond their control. The bill modifies existing Maryland law (Sections 7-324 and 7-327) to formalize these changes, ensuring the Fund remains continuously available for these purposes.

Maddy summarySB 342, the "Voting Rights Act of 2025," prohibits counties and municipalities from using election methods that dilute or abridge voting rights for protected classes (defined as racial, color, or language minority groups under federal law). It directly affects voters in these local jurisdictions by requiring election systems to allow members of protected classes to elect candidates of their choice. The key mechanism establishes that a violation occurs if elections show "polarized voting" (where voting patterns differ between protected classes and the broader electorate) and the election method dilutes their voting strength. Courts must evaluate this using federal methodologies for enforcing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, applying only to local county and municipal elections - not statewide contests.

Maddy summarySB 132 regulates short-term rental properties (like Airbnb listings) and home amenities (e.g., private rooms in homes) in Maryland. It requires hosts to comply with health and safety rules similar to hotels, bans secret filming in rental units without consent, and mandates annual reports to the Comptroller tracking rental nights. The bill redefines "short-term rental" as a "hotel" for tax purposes, subjecting platforms like Airbnb to existing hotel rental taxes. Local governments (e.g., Baltimore City or counties) can adopt rules to limit high-intensity rentals in areas with scarce affordable housing, based on criteria like booking frequency and neighborhood infrastructure.

Maddy summarySB 8 establishes the Maryland Civic Excellence Program, a voluntary initiative for public school systems in Maryland to recognize student civic engagement. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, participating schools must award a "Seal of Civic Excellence" to students who pass a government assessment, earn A or B grades in U.S. history, modern world history, and American government, and complete 75 hours of community service (including at least 30 hours on a civic project). Schools may also earn a "Center of Civic Excellence" designation if 50% or more of their graduating students receive the seal. Participating school systems must submit annual reports on the program starting in 2027.

Maddy summarySB 760 exempts health benefit plans issued through professional employer organizations (PEOs), coemployers, or similar employee leasing entities from certain requirements that normally apply to small business health plans in Maryland. This directly affects small businesses (defined as employers with ≤50 average employees) that use PEO services to provide health coverage to their workers. The bill revises Maryland’s insurance code (specifically sections 15-1201(r-1), 15-1204.1, and 31-101(aa)) to clarify that PEO-issued plans are not subject to the standard small business health plan rules, such as mandatory participation in the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange. The key mechanism removes compliance burdens for these specific plans while maintaining other health coverage standards for non-PEO arrangements.

Maddy summarySB 723 requires Maryland's Governor and Governor-elect to place certain financial interests into a certified blind trust or divest of them within a specified timeframe, and to enter a nonparticipation agreement with the State Ethics Commission for interests not covered by the trust. It also mandates that business entities seeking state grants, contracts, or competitive awards must report any financial interests held by the Governor or a "restricted individual" in the business to the Ethics Commission. The bill amends Maryland law to clarify definitions of "interest" (excluding certain assets like retirement accounts) and strengthens transparency rules for state contracting. These changes aim to prevent conflicts of interest by separating the Governor's personal finances from state decision-making.

Maddy summarySB 490 eliminates citizenship requirements for members of certain Maryland state boards, committees, commissions, task forces, and workgroups. It replaces these requirements with a new mandate that members must "reflect the full diversity of the State to the extent practicable," affecting bodies across health, environment, labor, and public safety sectors. The bill achieves this by repealing and revising specific sections in Maryland’s code (including Business Occupations, Health, Environmental, and Public Safety laws) that previously required citizenship. Key provisions remove barriers for non-citizens to serve on these groups while requiring diversity considerations in appointments. This change applies to over 30 existing state entities as detailed in the bill’s code revisions.