Sen. Mary Beth Carozza

Maddy summaryThis bill ensures that blind and visually impaired students in Maryland receive textbooks and learning materials in accessible formats like braille, large print, or audio. It requires school districts to coordinate with the state's Instructional Resources Center to provide these specialized materials by a specific date each school year. Publishers must supply electronic files for new textbooks so they can be converted into accessible formats, while the state will cover costs for materials that cannot be produced otherwise. The law also mandates that students with some remaining vision still have the right to learn braille if it is deemed appropriate for their education. Additionally, the bill establishes new certification standards for teachers specializing in working with blind and visually impaired students.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes Somerset County officials to create or designate a specific entity responsible for managing fire, rescue, and emergency medical services. It requires the county to establish an Emergency Services Advisory Council to offer recommendations on how these services operate. The legislation ensures that any new administrative structure maintains the existing volunteer nature of these emergency services. Effective October 1, 2024, the county gains the legal framework to organize and regulate its emergency response systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Maryland Task Force to Study Crime Classification by renaming it the Task Force to Study Crime Reclassification and Penalties and shifting its focus from classifying offenses to reviewing their penalties and potential reclassification. The legislation updates the task force's membership to include representatives from the Attorney General's office, state's attorneys, public defenders, domestic violence advocates, and the sentencing commission, while also adding two members appointed by the Maryland State Bar Association. Its primary duties involve examining penalties across various criminal and civil laws to determine if offenses should be reclassified based on severity, whether penalties are too lenient or severe, and if statutory changes are needed for crimes lacking a specific intent requirement. The task force is required to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by December 31, 2025, and the act will remain in effect until June 30, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands a Maryland property tax credit for disabled veterans to include those with a 100% nonpermanent service-connected disability, in addition to existing eligibility for those with at least 50% permanent disabilities. To qualify, veterans must own a dwelling house occupied by no more than two families, have an income under $100,000, and provide specific documentation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The credit amount varies based on the disability rating, offering 50% of the property tax for ratings of 75% or higher and 25% for ratings between 50% and 74%. Local governments retain the authority to set their own application rules and may choose to limit the credit to only the most severely disabled veterans if they wish.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes Maryland Veterans Suicide Awareness Prevention Day, which the Governor must annually proclaim to occur between July 11 and September 30. The legislation directs the state to use this observance to honor veterans and service members while promoting mental health support and reducing stigma within the community. By adding this requirement to state law, the bill ensures that efforts to encourage veterans to seek help are formally recognized each year.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Maryland circuit court clerks to maintain and index discharge papers for anyone who has served in the U.S. armed forces, allowing them to be recorded in either a physical book or an electronic system. The legislation explicitly prohibits clerks from charging fees to record or index these military records and confirms that the records or certified copies are admissible as evidence in state and federal courts. While access to the records is restricted to parties in legal proceedings, attorneys, and the individuals themselves, relatives may request inspection or certified copies if at least 70 years have passed since the discharge was recorded and the social security number has been redacted. These changes take effect on October 1, 2024, updating how military service documentation is managed and accessed within Maryland's court system.

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 Maryland law modernizes the practice of physician assistants by replacing the requirement for a delegation agreement with a collaboration agreement, which allows them to work more closely with a patient care team. The bill also updates the education and licensure standards for physician assistants and expands the list of advanced duties they are authorized to perform. Additionally, it clarifies that federal government physician assistants can carry out their duties during declared disasters and directs the State Board of Physicians to regularly review and update the scope of practice. These changes directly affect physician assistants, their supervising physicians, and healthcare facilities in Maryland.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland law extends the time limit for prosecuting sexual extortion and stalking cases, allowing authorities to file charges within five and ten years respectively. It also establishes that these crimes can be prosecuted at any time without a deadline, while permitting a special review process for their sentencing. Additionally, the bill clarifies that individuals convicted of these offenses are eligible for a specific type of appellate review and ensures that intimate images used as evidence remain confidential.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Somerset County Commissioners to provide specific annual funding amounts to seven organized volunteer fire companies in the county. It establishes a fixed budget for each company from fiscal year 2024 through 2030, with the amounts set to increase slightly each year. The legislation also ensures that the funding level for fiscal year 2030 will automatically continue for future years unless the county decides to change it later.