Sen. Nancy King

Maddy summarySB 8 establishes the Maryland Civic Excellence Program, a voluntary initiative for public school systems in Maryland to recognize student civic engagement. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, participating schools must award a "Seal of Civic Excellence" to students who pass a government assessment, earn A or B grades in U.S. history, modern world history, and American government, and complete 75 hours of community service (including at least 30 hours on a civic project). Schools may also earn a "Center of Civic Excellence" designation if 50% or more of their graduating students receive the seal. Participating school systems must submit annual reports on the program starting in 2027.

Maddy summarySB 330 expands Maryland's property tax credit for dwellings owned by disabled or fallen law enforcement officers/rescue workers. It directly affects disabled officers who die (regardless of cause), their surviving spouses, and cohabitants by broadening the definition of "fallen officer" to include disabled officers who pass away. Key changes include removing the previous 10-year deadline for purchasing a home after disability or death, allowing the tax credit amount for new homes to align proportionally with credits for prior dwellings, and giving counties flexibility to set their own acquisition timelines or eligibility limits. The bill amends Maryland's Property Tax Code (Section 9-210) to implement these policy adjustments.

Maddy summarySB 517 sets a $60,000 minimum annual salary for all public school employees in Maryland, effective July 1, 2026. It also establishes two mandatory salary increases: $10,000 for employees earning National Board Certification or an approved alternative high-quality credential, and $7,000 for employees assigned to low-performing schools as defined by county boards. These increases apply to "qualified educators" (public school employees providing direct instruction or services, excluding certified teachers as defined in the law) and are permanent even if a school's performance rating changes. The bill directly affects teachers, nurses, social workers, JROTC instructors, and other support staff across Maryland's public school systems.

Maddy summarySB 610 increases annual funding for Maryland's Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Program. It requires the Governor to appropriate $450,000 for fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2026, and $900,000 for 2027 and 2028 in the state budget. The bill modifies existing law to adjust these funding levels, allowing the use of federal funds to cover the required appropriations. This directly affects the Department of Education and local child care programs administering the initiative, which supports family child care providers through grants. The changes take effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes Maryland law to require condominium unit owners to pay up to $20,000 of insurance deductibles when damage originates from their unit (e.g., a fire caused by a unit owner's negligence). Previously, the limit was $10,000. If the deductible exceeds $20,000, the condominium association covers the remaining amount as a common expense. The bill also mandates that associations annually notify unit owners in writing about their deductible responsibility and the specific amount. This directly affects unit owners whose actions cause damage and condominium associations managing insurance costs.

Maddy summarySB 297 requires sign language interpreters providing services in Maryland to hold a state license beginning July 1, 2026. It directly affects all interpreters working in the state who currently provide interpretation services or claim to be licensed. The bill amends existing law to set this new effective date (replacing a previous January 2025 deadline) and allows current members of the State Board of Sign Language Interpreters to use existing national certifications to meet the requirement before July 1, 2026. The legislation establishes a clear licensing timeline for interpreters without creating new certification standards.

Maddy summarySB 408 establishes a Soccer Opportunities Program within Maryland's State Department of Education to increase soccer participation for minority students in their communities. The program provides grants to youth soccer nonprofits that serve at least 50% minority players or students qualifying for free lunch under the National School Lunch Program, with grants covering up to 50% of a program's annual cost (requiring matching funds from other sources). The State Superintendent will administer the program, and the bill mandates a minimum $100,000 annual appropriation for fiscal years 2027-2029. This directly affects minority students and qualifying youth soccer nonprofits receiving grants, with no requirement for school district involvement.

Maddy summarySB 452 establishes the Child Care Affordability Commission to study child care affordability in Maryland. The commission, composed of 11 appointed members including state officials, child care providers, family representatives, and employer groups, will examine barriers to affordable, high-quality child care - such as funding gaps, supply shortages, and support for the Child Care Scholarship Program. It must submit an interim report by January 2026 and a final report by December 2026 to the legislature. The bill does not create new funding or laws but directs the commission to analyze policy options for improving access and affordability. The commission will expire on June 30, 2027.

Maddy summarySB 733 would update gendered language in Maryland's Constitution to be gender-neutral for constitutional officers. It specifically changes terms like "his" and "him" to neutral references (e.g., "the Governor's" instead of "his") across Articles II (Executive), V (Attorney General), VI (Treasury), and IX (Militia). The bill only alters wording in the constitution - no powers or duties of these offices would change. This affects how Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State’s Attorneys, and Treasury officers are formally referenced in state law.

Maddy summarySB 515 adjusts Maryland's funding formula for public libraries by increasing per-resident allocations for both regional resource centers and the State Library Resource Center. For regional centers, it raises the annual per-resident amount from $9.39 (2024) to $9.99 for fiscal years 2027 onward. For the State Library Resource Center, it increases the per-resident amount from $1.97 (2024) to $2.52 for fiscal years 2031 and beyond. These changes, effective July 1, 2025, directly affect all public libraries receiving state funding through these established formulas. The bill modifies existing sections of Maryland law (Education Article, Sections 23-201, 23-205(c)-(d)) without altering eligibility or program scope.