Sen. Alonzo Washington

Maddy summarySB 547 establishes a 18-member Commission to study whether pooling public employee health insurance purchasing across Maryland's State, counties, municipalities, and school boards would save costs while maintaining benefits. The Commission includes representatives from state agencies (like Budget and Management, Insurance Commissioner), local governments (counties, cities, school boards), labor unions (AFSCME, SEIU), and healthcare experts. It will analyze existing health insurance data to assess fiscal impacts and barriers to implementing a shared purchasing system. This bill creates a study group but does not change current insurance policies or require immediate action.

Maddy summarySB 121 extends the pilot program for noise abatement monitoring systems in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties through 2028, requiring counties to report detailed data on system usage, costs, revenue, and effectiveness. The bill modifies inspection rules to ensure recorded images from these systems (which detect excessive vehicle noise) are treated similarly to other traffic monitoring systems for public access. Counties must submit annual reports by December 1, 2027, covering warnings/citations issued, system deployment locations, performance metrics, and noise reduction outcomes. The program expires automatically on June 30, 2028, without further legislative action. This affects local governments operating the pilot systems and residents in areas where noise monitoring is deployed.

Maddy summarySB 372, the Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2025, permanently extends current rules allowing audio-only telephone calls to count as "telehealth" for reimbursement purposes under Maryland's Medicaid program and private insurers. The bill repeals the June 30, 2025, expiration date for this provision in Maryland law, making it permanent. It directly affects the Maryland Medical Assistance Program, private health insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that cover telehealth services. The key change is ensuring these entities must continue reimbursing for audio-only telehealth visits at the same rate as in-person care, without requiring video technology, for covered health services.

Maddy summaryThis bill renames Maryland's Chesapeake Conservation Corps Program to honor former Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. It updates the program's official name throughout state law to "Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps Program" without changing the program's structure, funding, or operations. The renaming applies to all references in Maryland's Natural Resources and State Government codes, including funding provisions and program administration details. The program - administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and focused on environmental conservation projects - remains unchanged in its purpose and implementation.

Maddy summarySB 378 establishes a Family Literacy Pilot Program through the Maryland State Library Agency, allowing incarcerated individuals to record themselves reading children's books to their children. The program directly affects incarcerated parents, their children, and correctional facilities participating in the pilot. Key provisions include selecting four facilities (representing Maryland's regions and including both male and female facilities), providing free children's books in multiple languages, securing parental permission, and enabling incarcerated individuals to prepare and share recordings. The State Library Agency must report on the program's results to the General Assembly by December 1, 2028, and the program expires automatically on December 31, 2028.

Maddy summarySB 68 requires Maryland's State Department of Education to develop a comprehensive plan by July 1, 2026, for establishing "Restorative Practices Schools" in public schools. The bill defines restorative practices as relationship-focused discipline models that prioritize repairing harm over punishment, prohibits corporal punishment, and mandates county school boards to adopt the plan if they choose to implement such schools. It also requires annual public reporting on discipline data, disaggregated by race, gender, disability status, and socioeconomic factors, to track implementation and outcomes. The law directly affects all Maryland public schools, county boards of education, and students through new discipline policies and reporting requirements.

Maddy summarySB 46 makes it a crime to illegally occupy residential property with the intent to defraud the owner, prohibiting possession or claiming rights to property you don’t legally own. Property owners can submit a sworn affidavit to their sheriff, triggering removal of the occupant unless they present evidence of lawful possession. Violations carry fines up to $2,500 or jail time (up to 1 year for repeat offenses within 2 years). The law explicitly states it does not replace existing wrongful detainer lawsuits, which remain an option for property owners.

Maddy summarySB 997 requires the Maryland Governor to include at least $200 million in the state budget for site redevelopment and transportation infrastructure improvements if the U.S. General Services Administration relocates the FBI headquarters to Prince George’s County. The bill specifically triggers this mandated funding only upon the FBI headquarters relocation condition being met. It does not create new funding but ensures state resources are allocated for infrastructure supporting the relocation project. The bill applies directly to Maryland’s budget process and the specific FBI headquarters relocation site in Prince George’s County.

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.