Sen. Karen Young

Maddy summarySB 506 allows pharmacists in Maryland to prescribe, administer, and dispense certain medications for minor conditions and HIV prevention/treatment, directly affecting patients seeking these services. Pharmacists can now treat specific minor conditions (like cold sores, strep throat, lice, and urinary infections) under statewide protocols established by the Maryland Department of Health, without requiring a new diagnosis. The bill also enables pharmacists to prescribe HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medications after performing or interpreting HIV tests, replacing the previous nPEP Standing Order Program. All activities must follow protocols that align with federal guidelines and U.S. FDA-approved drug labeling.

Maddy summarySB 488 requires retirement community providers to include governing documents (like bylaws) in applications and disclosure statements provided to prospective residents. It changes how resident representatives ("subscriber members") are selected by allowing resident associations - rather than the governing body - to choose regular and alternate members. The bill repeals previous requirements that subscriber members be selected based on specific standards. These changes aim to increase transparency and resident input in retirement community governance, directly affecting providers and residents in Maryland's continuing care facilities.

Maddy summarySB 380 creates a temporary license for internationally trained physicians to practice medicine in Maryland under specific conditions. It allows physicians licensed outside the U.S., Canada, or Puerto Rico to obtain a license if they meet strict requirements, including a WHO-recognized medical degree, 2+ years of equivalent residency training, 5 years of practice in their home country, passing U.S. medical exams (USMLE), and English language proficiency. The license is valid for up to 3 years, cannot be renewed, and expires October 1, 2028. This pathway does not grant full licensure, and physicians must meet all 12 criteria listed in Section (B) to qualify.

Maddy summarySB 240 establishes the Office of Health Care Quality Stakeholder Advisory Council to provide feedback to Maryland's Office of Health Care Quality about oversight of health care facilities and to notify the Secretary of Health if the Office is negligent in its oversight duties. The council, composed of 18 members including legislators, agency representatives, frontline health workers, nursing home residents, advocacy groups, and industry stakeholders, must hold biannual public meetings with live streaming and public comment opportunities starting in 2027. It will review data on facility inspections, complaints, and response times from the Office, compile feedback into summary reports, and develop recommendations to improve care quality. The council must annually report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and Maryland General Assembly beginning in 2027.

Maddy summarySB 304 prevents Maryland auto insurers from raising premiums, adding fees, or removing discounts for private vehicle insurance when a driver has an accident with a free-roaming wild animal (like a deer) and wasn't at fault. It directly affects car insurance policyholders who experience such unavoidable collisions. The law specifically prohibits insurers from using these accident types as a reason to penalize customers through price increases or loss of discounts. The rule takes effect October 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 239 allows correctional officers who previously withdrew retirement funds to regain service credit by redepositing those funds plus interest. It specifically applies to members who left the Correctional Officers’ Retirement System and took money from either the Employees’ Pension System or Teachers’ Pension System. The bill expands eligibility by adding these two systems to the list of options for redepositing withdrawn contributions to count toward future retirement service. This change modifies Maryland’s retirement law to make it easier for affected officers to accumulate credited service time.

Maddy summarySB 224 allows counties and Baltimore City to create a special property tax rate for commercial and industrial properties, in addition to the general tax rate, to fund transportation projects or school budgets. The special rate cannot exceed 12.5 cents per $100 of assessed value and must automatically exempt the residential portion of mixed-use buildings from this tax. It also permits counties to grant tax credits to small businesses (under 20 employees) owning qualifying commercial property. This bill directly affects commercial/industrial property owners and mixed-use building residents, while ensuring residential portions remain tax-exempt under the special rate.

Maddy summarySB 854 revises Maryland's laws governing licensed direct-entry midwives, making their practice independent without requiring oversight by other healthcare providers. It removes the requirement for midwives to report certain information to the Direct-Entry Midwifery Advisory Committee and updates disciplinary procedures for license holders. The bill also clarifies that midwives can provide care directly to patients and newborns during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum periods, including emergency procedures like administering medications or performing episiotomies. These changes directly affect licensed midwives and the patients they serve in Maryland, streamlining their scope of practice under existing licensure. The bill extends the Maryland Licensure of Direct-Entry Midwives Act through a specified sunset date.

Maddy summarySB 156 creates a statewide program requiring the Maryland Department of Health to provide voluntary nurse home visits to all families with newborns (including foster/adoptive families) within the first 12 weeks of life. The program, delivered by licensed nurses in homes or virtually, must be evidence-based, cover domains like infant health and maternal care, and include at least four visits per family. Insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations must cover these services under existing policies. The bill directly affects all Maryland families with newborns and requires the Department to collaborate with community agencies to implement the program uniformly across all communities.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 116 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment, Maryland Energy Administration, and the University of Maryland School of Business (with coordination from the Department of Legislative Services) to study the environmental, energy, and economic impacts of data center development in the state. The analysis must evaluate effects on air/water quality, Chesapeake Bay goals, energy demand and costs, greenhouse gas emissions, tax revenues, and job creation. The agencies must complete a final report by September 1, 2026, for review by the Governor and legislature. The bill does not regulate data centers directly but provides a data-driven foundation for future policy decisions. It expires automatically on June 30, 2027.