Sen. Alonzo Washington

Maddy summarySB 868 requires the State Highway Administration to expand the existing Maryland Route 410 (East-West Highway) Pedestrian Safety Action Plan to include the segment east of Queens Chapel Road (MD 500) to U.S. Route 1 (Baltimore Avenue) in Prince George’s County. This expansion directly affects pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers using this corridor, which currently lacks continuous safety infrastructure despite high traffic volumes and documented severe crash incidents. The bill mandates including this previously excluded segment to ensure consistent safety features like sidewalks, crossings, and lighting along the entire corridor, aligning with Vision Zero safety principles. The change applies to a specific 2.5-mile stretch of East-West Highway, extending the project’s scope to address safety gaps identified in the preamble.

Maddy summarySB 671 updates payment rules for construction and procurement contracts involving local governments in Maryland. It requires local owners (like counties, cities, school boards, or public authorities) to pay contractors within 30 days of occupancy or possession, or 7 days for contracts with specific payment dates, and mandates written notice with detailed reasons if payments are withheld. The bill also sets 2% monthly interest on unpaid amounts (non-waivable) and limits withheld payments to twice the disputed amount. This directly affects contractors and subcontractors working on projects for these local entities, ensuring clearer payment timelines and dispute resolution.

Maddy summarySB 674 creates three new regional transportation authorities for the Baltimore, Capital, and Southern Maryland regions. It imposes new sales, hotel, and transfer tax surcharges to fund these authorities, directing 70% of the revenue from these surcharges to dedicated regional transportation funds. These funds are designated as nonlapsing (permanent) and require interest earnings to be added back to the funds. The bill also establishes specific allocation rules, such as sending 30% of Baltimore region surcharge revenue to local counties and municipalities based on their sales activity. The legislation amends Maryland tax and transportation codes to implement these changes.

Maddy summarySB 526 designates November 14 each year as "Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day" to commemorate Ruby Bridges' 1960 integration of an all-white New Orleans school, and the second Wednesday in October as "Maryland School Pedestrian Awareness Day" to promote safe walking routes to schools. The bill requires the Maryland State Department of Education to provide public resources to local schools, including age-appropriate lesson plans, discussion guides, and safety materials. For Ruby Bridges Day, resources must cover civil rights and social justice education; for Pedestrian Awareness Day, they must include safety best practices and audit templates. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and affects all Maryland public schools through mandated resource access.

Maddy summarySB 863 requires Prince George's County Public Schools to fund one-to-one student aides with full-time salaries and benefits starting in the 2027-2028 school year, directly affecting students with individualized education programs (IEPs) who need these aides. The bill mandates quarterly reports on special education metrics - including student counts, unfulfilled aide positions, and compensatory services - submitted to the county board and state education department for at least 24 months. It also requires the county superintendent to provide annual professional development training for special education staff and directs the state to hire an auditor to review special education services from 2021-2025. These provisions aim to improve transparency and accountability in delivering special education services within Prince George's County.

Maddy summarySB 349 increases penalties for drivers who elude police officers and cause a death, reclassifying this as a felony. First-time offenders face up to 5 years in prison or a $5,000 fine, while repeat offenders face up to 10 years. The bill maintains existing misdemeanor penalties for eluding that causes bodily injury or no injury. It applies to drivers who fail to stop after a police officer signals to stop, whether the officer is in uniform or in a marked police vehicle.

Maddy summarySB 342 establishes Maryland's Beverage Container Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction Program, requiring beverage producers to register with the state, pay fees, and include refund values in product prices. It mandates that containers display refund information, retailers show refund amounts on receipts, and creates a producer-led stewardship group to manage recycling. The program funds water refill stations through a new grant initiative and sets recycling targets to reduce litter and pollution from beverage containers. This directly affects beverage manufacturers, retailers, and communities by changing how containers are sold, priced, and recycled.

Maddy summarySB 740, the "SFC Matthew Fast Act for Warrior Healthcare," requires all health care facilities in Maryland to screen every patient for military connection and document whether they are a "warrior community member" (defined as a service member, veteran, spouse, child, or stepchild of military personnel) in their medical record. Facilities must identify these patients as a vulnerable population and follow The Joint Commission’s national standards for health care equity. Starting in 2026, the state health department must annually report to the Governor and legislature on meeting the needs of military-connected patients. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, aiming to improve health care equity through standardized screening and reporting.

Maddy summarySB 981 requires Maryland hospitals to provide free medically necessary care to patients with family income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and reduced-cost care to those between 200-500% FPL who face financial hardship (defined as medical debt exceeding 25% of family income over 12 months). It mandates a 75% reduction in patient costs for individuals earning 201-250% of the poverty level and prohibits hospitals from filing lawsuits to collect debts under a specified low threshold. The bill also extends the time before interest accrues on medical debt and adds requirements for hospitals to clearly explain financial assistance policies to patients. These changes directly affect low- and middle-income patients with hospital bills and hospitals operating in Maryland.

Maddy summarySB 376 allows counties to conduct nursing home inspections upon request, shifting this responsibility from the state health department. The bill requires the Maryland Department of Health and the requesting county to share the costs of these inspections equally. It does not change existing requirements for annual inspections, unannounced visits, or complaint investigations (which remain under state oversight), but instead modifies how inspections are administered by adding county delegation as an option. This directly affects nursing homes (through potential county inspections) and counties (which gain new inspection authority).