Sen. Mary Beth Carozza

Maddy summarySB 485 requires the Maryland Department of Health to create a system for collecting annual data on the costs of specific women's health services, including prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, abortion, and menopausal care. Hospitals, healthcare providers, and other entities offering these services must report aggregated cost data (without identifying individual patients) to comply with privacy laws. The collected data will be used to assess financial impacts on patients and providers, inform health policy decisions, and evaluate how effectively public and private funds are spent. The bill specifically mandates that abortion cost data be reported in aggregated form only, excluding procedure-level details.

Maddy summarySB 382, the "Retire in Maryland Tax Relief Act," provides a state income tax credit for Maryland residents aged 77 or older with federal adjusted gross income under $175,000 (for individuals or certain filing statuses). The credit amount increases with age: 25% of state tax for 77-year-olds, rising to 100% for those 80 or older. Married couples filing jointly must both be 77+ to qualify for the tiered credit, and unused credit amounts cannot be carried forward to future years. The bill applies to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025, and takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryMaryland's SB 50, the "Fairness in Girls' Sports Act," requires public and certain nonpublic high schools to explicitly designate interscholastic and intramural sports teams as "boys'/male," "girls'/female," or co-ed. It prohibits male students from participating on teams designated for "girls, females, or women" and bars government entities or athletic associations from penalizing schools for maintaining separate teams for female students. The law allows students denied athletic opportunities due to the law's provisions to file civil lawsuits against their school, and protects students reporting violations from retaliation. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 367, the Wicomico County Highway Pedestrian Safety Act, prohibits people from standing in roadways, shoulders, median dividers, or intersections in Wicomico County that the county or a local municipality has officially designated as "inherently dangerous" (meaning posing a serious injury risk that cannot be avoided with ordinary care). The law directly affects pedestrians and drivers in Wicomico County by restricting standing in these high-risk areas. Key enforcement requires police to have proper traffic signs meeting state specifications installed before issuing citations, ensuring public notice of prohibited zones. The bill takes effect June 1, 2026, and applies only to Wicomico County.

Maddy summarySB 302 prohibits knowingly causing another person to ingest an abortion-inducing drug when the person knows or believes the other is pregnant and does so without consent, through fraud/coercion, or force/threat of force. The bill directly affects individuals who would cause others to take such drugs under these specific conditions. Key provisions define "abortion-inducing drug" and establish that violations constitute a felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, and applies to conduct occurring after that date.

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 174 sets a 90-day maximum timeline for appeals of county board decisions to remove a county superintendent or county board member, directly affecting county education officials and the State Board of Education. It modifies existing procedures by requiring the State Board’s appeals process to conclude within 90 days, unless extended for due process needs or immediate public health/safety concerns. The bill does not create new powers but establishes a clear deadline for resolving disputes over removal actions. This change applies to all such appeals under Maryland’s Education Article, with decisions becoming final after the time limit. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 104, the "Fair Districts for Maryland Act," reforms how Maryland draws legislative and congressional district lines. It requires all legislative districts to be divided into three single-member delegate districts and establishes an independent Redistricting Commission to create these maps, replacing the previous process involving the Governor and General Assembly. The bill bans consideration of political party affiliation, past voting patterns, or individual residences when drawing districts, and gives the Maryland Supreme Court original authority to review plans if the Commission fails to act. This directly affects all Maryland voters by changing how district boundaries are determined, aiming to create more equitable maps based on population and community boundaries rather than political strategy.

Maddy summarySB 369, the "Raymono A. Russell Act," requires public libraries in Maryland (excluding school libraries) to place an automated external defibrillator (AED) in a visible, accessible location, maintain its functionality, and ensure a staff member trained in AED use is present during all open hours starting January 1, 2026. The bill specifically includes state libraries, regional systems (like Enoch Pratt in Baltimore), and specialized libraries (e.g., for the blind or deaf), but explicitly excludes school library media programs. It also grants legal immunity to libraries and trained individuals for using AEDs under the law’s requirements. This is a direct safety mandate targeting public library operators, not a procedural or commemorative measure.

Maddy summarySB 299 modifies Maryland law to streamline registration for cannabis agents working as security guards. It removes the requirement for these agents to obtain separate state/national criminal history checks if they are already authorized to provide security services under existing security guard licensing laws (per § 36-501(c)(2)). The bill affects cannabis agents employed by cannabis businesses or security agencies, requiring only standard security guard authorization instead of dual checks. It also mandates annual responsible vendor training for these agents and validates pre-July 2023 registrations. The changes take effect October 1, 2025.