Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk

Joseline Peña-Melnyk has dedicated her career to advancing equity, justice, and accessible healthcare for all Marylanders. She has served as a Member of the House of Delegates since 2006 and in December of 2025, her colleagues unanimously elected her as the 109th Speaker of the House. She is the first Afro–Latina in the nation to serve as a presiding legislative officer.

Speaker Peña–Melnyk’s journey began in the Dominican Republic. As a child, she immigrated to the United States with her single mother and sister, settling in New York City. Her mother worked long hours in the garment industry, and at times, the family relied on social service agencies due to financial struggles. Despite these hardships, Joseline thrived in school, learning English and later becoming the first in her family to attend college through the Equal Opportunity Program.

Her commitment to public service began early. During law school, she dedicated her summers to representing death row inmates in Alabama and advocating for migrant farm workers in Ohio. After earning her law degree, she worked at the public defender’s office in Philadelphia. Afterwards, she took on court-appointed cases, representing abused children and low-income defendants. Her dedication then led her to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, where she collaborated with police officers, witnesses, and victims to prosecute violent crimes.

She was first elected to office as a member of the College Park City Council before she successfully ran a grassroots campaign for the Maryland House of Delegates. Speaker Peña–Melnyk passionately represents Legislative District 21, which encompasses parts of both Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties. She was Chair of the Health and Government Operations Committee before her elevation to Speaker.

Over the twenty years that she served on the Health Committee, Speaker Peña–Melnyk sponsored and passed more than 100 bills into law, including major legislative efforts that gained national recognition. She was instrumental in the creation of the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, a first-in-the-nation initiative designed to rein in excessive prescription drug costs. She led the passage of the Maryland Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Program, a groundbreaking law that allows uninsured residents to sign up for health coverage through tax filings –– making Maryland the first state in the country to implement such a system. She also played a key role in ensuring the continuation of Maryland’s state-operated reinsurance program, a critical initiative that helps stabilize the insurance market and keeps Maryland premiums some of the lowest in the country.

Her legislative accomplishments extend beyond healthcare policy. She was the driving force behind the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the first statewide initiative in the United States dedicated to investigating historical racial terror lynchings. She also championed establishment of the Maryland Commission on Health Equity to address systemic health disparities.

A tireless champion for healthcare access, public safety, and economic fairness, Speaker Peña-Melnyk continues to shape bold, transformative policies that uplift Maryland’s most vulnerable communities and build a stronger, more just state for all.