Sen. Shaneka Henson

Maddy summarySB 868 establishes a 5-year pilot program (2026-2030) within Maryland's State Department of Education to create regional pools of substitute child care providers. The program directly helps child care facilities facing temporary staffing shortages and supports providers seeking to meet licensing requirements. A nonprofit organization will receive annual $350,000 grants to recruit qualified substitutes, assist them with background checks and training, organize regional pools (including rural, suburban, and urban areas), and develop a matching platform connecting providers with facilities. The program requires facilities to participate and aims to ensure continuous operation of child care services during short-term staffing gaps.

Maddy summarySB 857 modifies Maryland's Prekindergarten Expansion Grant Program to ensure funds are used for adding new slots for eligible 3- and 4-year-olds from economically disadvantaged backgrounds (income ≤300% of federal poverty guidelines), not replacing existing infant and toddler childcare. The bill requires grant applications to use clear, multilingual instructions with a February 15 deadline, mandates award notifications by March 1, and ensures 100% of funds are disbursed by July 1. It establishes a multiyear grant process for provider stability and directs the Department of Education to provide technical assistance to multilingual applicants, family child care providers, and small independent centers. Additionally, the bill mandates a workgroup to explore incentives for growing child care provider capacity.

Maddy summarySB 889 prohibits distributing students' personal information without consent, affecting those enrolled in Maryland secondary schools (grades 6-12) or postsecondary institutions. It bans sharing details like names, Social Security numbers, biometric data, or school addresses if the person intends harm or ignores the risk of harm. Violations are misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail or a $5,000 fine. The law explicitly protects free speech rights under constitutional provisions.

Maddy summaryMaryland's SB 514, the "Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act," prohibits landlords from requiring or using a prospective tenant's criminal history during initial rental screening. Landlords may only consider criminal history after making a conditional lease offer and must limit checks to convictions within the past three years. The bill also bans discrimination based on arrests without convictions, expunged records, pardons, or vacated convictions, and mandates that tenant screening reports include only legally permissible information. Landlords violating the law face enforcement under Maryland's Consumer Protection Act, and the Attorney General must collect annual data on housing applications involving criminal history checks.

Maddy summarySB 508, the "Healing Our Scars Act," requires Maryland’s Medicaid program (Maryland Medical Assistance Program) and certain health insurers to cover aesthetic services and restorative care for victims of domestic violence. It specifically mandates coverage for treatments addressing physical injuries caused by domestic violence, provided a licensed physician deems them medically necessary. The law applies to insurers, nonprofit health plans, HMOs, and managed care organizations in Maryland, effective January 1, 2026. This policy change expands existing health coverage to include services like scar revision or reconstructive care directly tied to abuse injuries, without altering domestic violence legal definitions.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Task Force to study how Maryland can improve support for people returning to society after incarceration. The group includes government officials, legal representatives, and individuals with personal experience in the criminal justice system, such as former inmates and family members of those currently in prison. The Task Force will evaluate current reentry services, identify missing resources, and create a plan to form a new Division of Returning Citizens within the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. This proposed division would coordinate existing programs and expand access to housing, employment, socialization, and health services for individuals after their release.

Maddy summaryHB 575 reformulates Maryland's Criminal Injuries Compensation Board by expanding it from five to seven members and mandating that the new composition reflect the state's racial, ethnic, geographic, and gender diversity. The bill specifically requires at least one board member to be a survivor of violence from a community facing high rates of violence and incarceration, while another must represent an organization assisting victims with compensation applications. It also updates the definition of "victim" to include individuals who suffer physical or psychological injury while trying to prevent a crime, apprehend an offender, or assist law enforcement or emergency services. Additionally, the legislation clarifies which crimes are eligible for compensation and outlines the qualifications for third-party professionals who can assist in claims. Finally, the act grants the Governor the authority to include funding for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund in the annual state budget.

Maddy summaryThis law, known as Gabriel's Law, requires Maryland law enforcement and emergency medical services to immediately respond to wellness check requests from healthcare providers or others with credible information about a life-threatening safety concern. When a life-threatening condition is reported, fire, rescue, or emergency medical teams must conduct the check at the same time as police officers. The bill applies to individuals within the agency's jurisdiction and mandates that requests be forwarded without delay to the appropriate agency if the person is located elsewhere. These provisions take effect on October 1, 2024, and aim to streamline the process for ensuring the well-being of individuals in crisis.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill updates the Renters' Property Tax Relief Program by clarifying which financial items count toward a renter's asset total. Specifically, it removes the cash value of qualified retirement savings plans and individual retirement accounts from the list of assets used to determine eligibility. The change ensures that renters with significant retirement savings are not disqualified from receiving tax credits solely because of those funds. The legislation also maintains existing limits, such as capping the credit at $1,000 and restricting benefits to renters with a net worth of $200,000 or less. These adjustments take effect for taxable years beginning after June 30, 2024.

Maddy summaryThe Growing Apprenticeships and the Public Safety Workforce (GAPS) Act expands Maryland's apprenticeship program to include a broader range of public safety agencies, such as correctional facilities, in addition to traditional law enforcement departments. This bill increases the maximum grant amount for agencies participating in the program from $2,000 to $5,000 per apprentice and adjusts eligibility requirements to ensure apprentices live in areas with at least 10% poverty. Furthermore, the legislation mandates that the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission develop mental health wellness policies for law enforcement and correctional facilities while establishing a workgroup to study ways to increase employment in these sectors.