Sen. Brian Feldman

Maddy summarySB 551 prohibits Maryland insurers from raising premiums, adding surcharges, or removing discounts for private passenger auto insurance policies after collisions with free-roaming wild animals when the driver was not at fault. It directly affects car insurance policyholders in Maryland who experience such non-fault accidents. The key provision amends insurance law to block insurers from treating these incidents differently than other non-fault claims. This ensures drivers cannot be penalized financially for unavoidable encounters with wildlife like deer or coyotes. The law takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 91 establishes Maryland's Income Tax Benefit Transfer Program, allowing eligible technology companies with unused tax credits or deductions to transfer those benefits to other businesses. To qualify, a technology company must have 1-10 full-time employees (depending on company age), operate in an eligible tech sector, and maintain good tax standing. The Department of Commerce, working with the Comptroller, will administer the program, enabling companies to fund state operations through transferred tax benefits. This program specifically targets technology firms engaged in research, development, or commercialization of innovative technology within Maryland.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland law requires public school and college coaches to receive training on identifying signs of mental health issues in student-athletes. The State Department of Education and the Maryland Department of Health will create specific guidelines covering depression, trauma, violence, youth suicide, and substance abuse. All public schools and higher education institutions with athletic programs must provide this training to their coaches starting July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland law establishes the Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances to study these substances and propose changes to state regulations. The group includes elected officials, state agency leaders, and experts in health, law enforcement, and psychedelic therapy, with a specific focus on including a patient representative and a Native American tribal representative. The Task Force will examine current laws, scientific data on benefits and risks, and barriers to care before submitting a report by July 2025. Its recommendations may include creating a regulated access program, shifting from criminal penalties to civil fines for nonviolent offenses, and expunging related criminal records. The legislation specifically defines natural psychedelic substances as psilocybin, psilocin, dimethyltryptamine, and mescaline, while explicitly excluding peyote.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland law establishes a grant program to help reproductive health care clinics improve their physical security and safety operations. Administered by the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services, the program provides funding for specific upgrades such as better lighting, fencing, access control systems, and alarm networks. To qualify, clinics must offer legally protected reproductive health services, and the program includes strict rules to keep applicant information confidential to protect the safety of the recipients. The legislation authorizes an initial budget of $500,000 for fiscal year 2026, with up to 5% of those funds reserved for administrative costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Maryland Insurance Administration to conduct a study on professional employer organizations, which are companies that manage payroll and benefits for small businesses. The study will examine how these organizations are regulated compared to federal rules and other states, review their history and health plan designs, and analyze membership requirements for businesses. It will also look at how these arrangements allow small business employees to join large group health plans and assess the potential impact of any future legal changes on the state's small group insurance market. The administration must submit its findings to the House Health and Government Operations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee by December 31, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill requires that naloxone, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, be placed in the same location as automated external defibrillators within all public buildings. The State Emergency Medical Services Board, working with the Department of Health, will manage this initiative using existing funds from the Opioid Restitution Fund. To encourage participation, the law grants legal protection from lawsuits to building owners and individuals who provide or administer this naloxone in good faith. These changes aim to increase the availability of life-saving equipment and medication in public spaces to address both cardiac arrest and drug overdoses.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Maryland Department of Health to hire an independent consultant to study four state health agencies: the Health Services Cost Review Commission, the Maryland Health Care Commission, the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission, and the Maryland Insurance Administration. The consultant will examine overlaps in these agencies' duties, suggest ways to streamline operations, and assess how their functions align with state health equity and cost models. The study must include input from the agencies themselves and conclude with a report to the Governor and legislative committees by January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the membership of Maryland's Commission on Climate Change by adding two new representatives to the group. Specifically, it requires the Secretary of Emergency Management and the Chair of the Public Service Commission to serve as members, or send a designated representative in their place. These additions expand the commission's composition to include perspectives from emergency preparedness and public utility regulation. The changes take effect on October 1, 2024, and involve modifying existing state laws to reflect these new roles.