Sen. Malcolm Augustine

Maddy summarySB 684 requires the Maryland Department of Health, working with the Commission on Health Equity, to create a public data dashboard showing health disparities. The dashboard must display age-adjusted health data broken down by race, ethnicity, and gender across key areas like insurance access, cardiovascular disease, mental health, cancer, and HIV/AIDS. It mandates the dashboard be updated at least every 30 days and prominently posted on the Department's website. This law directly affects how Maryland tracks and shares health equity data, aiming to make disparities visible to the public and policymakers.

Maddy summarySB 790 requires Maryland's Department of Health to form a workgroup focused on implementing child health screenings and behavioral health services. The workgroup must include behavioral health professionals, parents, children with behavioral health needs, and advocates to develop a plan based on federal guidelines for early screenings, diagnostic tools for young children, and community-based care. The plan must address preventive care, early symptom management, and crisis services for children. The Department must submit this plan to the legislature by December 1, 2025, with the bill expiring after one year on June 30, 2026. This is a procedural bill creating a planning process, not an immediate policy change.

Maddy summarySB 599 requires Maryland's Governor to include specific annual funding amounts in the state budget for the Behavioral Health Crisis Response Grant Program. The bill mandates $3 million for fiscal year 2020, $4 million for 2021, and $5 million annually from 2022 through 2029. This funding directly supports local jurisdictions in establishing and expanding community-based behavioral health crisis response systems. At least one-third of the annual funds must be used for competitive grants to create or enhance mobile crisis teams, which provide immediate, on-site support for individuals experiencing mental health emergencies. The program aims to strengthen community crisis response infrastructure through mandatory state funding.

Maddy summarySB 587 establishes the Maryland Reparations Commission to study historical inequities and recommend potential benefits for affected residents. The commission, composed of 13 members including state officials, historians, community leaders, and representatives from organizations like the NAACP and Black Chamber of Commerce, will examine Maryland's history of slavery and discriminatory policies (such as redlining and housing segregation) from 1877-1965. It must submit a preliminary report by January 2027 and a final report by November 2027, analyzing types of reparations used elsewhere (e.g., monetary payments, tax rebates, or education support) and identifying eligible individuals whose ancestors were enslaved or impacted by discriminatory policies. The bill does not implement reparations but mandates a formal study to inform future policy decisions.

Maddy summarySB 37 requires investor-owned electric companies in Maryland to submit annual reports to the Public Service Commission detailing all recorded votes cast by the company or its affiliates at regional transmission organization meetings. The bill mandates that companies report every recorded vote (including those not otherwise disclosed) regardless of whether the vote reflects a final position or the voter's authority. Reports must be submitted by February 1 each year covering the prior calendar year's voting activity. This transparency measure applies to all electric companies participating in regional transmission organizations, excluding municipal utilities, and takes effect October 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a producer responsibility program requiring companies that make packaging and paper products to submit approved plans to the Maryland Department of the Environment by 2034. Under the new rules, producers must either create their own recycling and collection plans or join a producer responsibility organization that manages these responsibilities on their behalf. The bill also creates a new advisory council to oversee the program, requires independent assessments of statewide recycling needs every ten years, and allows local governments to request reimbursement from producers for certain program costs. Companies cannot sell or distribute covered packaging materials in Maryland unless they have an approved plan on file with the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill renames Maryland's Chesapeake Conservation Corps Program to honor former Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. It updates the program's official name throughout state law to "Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps Program" without changing the program's structure, funding, or operations. The renaming applies to all references in Maryland's Natural Resources and State Government codes, including funding provisions and program administration details. The program - administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and focused on environmental conservation projects - remains unchanged in its purpose and implementation.

Maddy summarySB 293 requires every member of a Maryland county board of education to complete antibias training at least once during their term. The training must address reducing implicit bias, cultural awareness, and discrimination against historically marginalized groups including racial minorities, religious minorities, and others based on identity factors like sexual orientation or disability. It must be evidence-based, incorporate real incidents of bullying or harassment reported under existing law, and be separate from training required for school employees. The bill amends Maryland law to establish this requirement, effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 451 requires Maryland's Department of Labor to allow adult learners to take all components of the General Educational Development (GED) exam in their preferred language, rather than only in English. This directly affects adults seeking high school diplomas through examination, particularly non-native English speakers and English language learners under 21 with interrupted education. The bill also mandates the Department to study offering the exam in additional languages and report findings to legislative committees by December 2026. These changes aim to make the diploma-by-examination process more accessible for diverse language learners.

Maddy summarySB 722 defines "ecological restoration" in Maryland law as activities aimed at recovering, re-establishing, or enhancing degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems. The bill specifies this includes improving physical/chemical/biological processes, restoring natural functions, or protecting ecosystem resilience. It requires the Department of the Environment to update relevant regulations to either incorporate this definition or align with it. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, directly affecting the Department and entities regulated under its environmental rules.