Bills are now being voted on by the House of Delegates and the Senate. For a bill to be passed it must be voted on by one of the two legislative bodies by March 17th in order to be voted on by the other body in a timely manner. But the big discussion in Annapolis continues to be the impact of the budget crisis and the impact of cutbacks by the Federal Government. The Moore Administration has proposed over $2 billion in cutbacks and state officials are fearing that Federal cutbacks in Medicaid reimbursements will increase the deficit. At the end of this newsletter is a short summary of how you can advocate for legislation.
Bills Moving Through the Legislature
Here are a few of the bills that made progress in the last two weeks. They were voted favorably by one of the two legislative bodies. The bills now have to have hearings in the other chamber and then passed by the other body in exactly the same manner. If the bills in the House and Senate are different, the two chambers have to meet and resolve the differences. If you’re interested in advocating for any of the bills, I have listed the Committee to which the bill has been referred.
Education
HB207 Undocumented Students – Out of State Tuition Exemption Eligibility - This bill reduces the number of years (from three to two) for which an individual or an individual’s parent or guardian must file a Maryland income tax return prior to the academic year in order to qualify for an exemption from paying the out-of-state tuition rate under the Maryland Dream Act.. Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment
Elections
SB 2 - Special Election to Fill a Vacancy in Office – It would mandate a constitutional amendment to vote on whether a vacancy for Delegate or Senator in the first year of the term would trigger a special election to fill the vacancy on the dates of the Presidential primary and general election. Referred to Ways and Means committee.
HB 270 – Data Center Impact Analysis –requires the Maryland Department of Legislative Services to conduct an impact analysis of the economic, environmental, and social impacts of data centers. Under existing practices, all electricity customers pay for the expansion of the grid! Data centers are straining our grid and increasing costs for everyone. Referred to Senate Education, Energy and Environment
Health
HB0424 Prescription Drug Affordability Board - Authority for Upper Payment Limits (Lowering Prescription Drugs for All Marylanders Act) – Mandates the Prescription Drug Affordability Board to determine whether it is in the best interest of the State to set Upper Price Limits for all purchases and payor reimbursements of prescription drug products in the State Senate Finance Committee
Labor
HB 233 (Maryland Worker Freedom Act) The bill states that workers cannot face repercussions for refusing to attend a meeting called by management on “the decision to join or support a political party or potential civic, community, fraternal, or labor organization”. These are called captive audience meetings and are a tool used by employers to defeat union organizing drives. The bill was prompted by the prospect of the Trump Administration rolling back similar regulations by the National Labor Relations Board. Senate Finance Committee
HB 582 Limiting Exemptions from Overtime Pay – The bill raises the threshold of salaried employees who eligible for overtime to $58,000 from $35,000. This was a proposal put forward by the Federal Department of Labor but blocked by the courts. It would impact only workers in Maryland. Senate Finance Committee
Renters
HB 273 Limit on Late Fess for Renters This bill prohibits a landlord (for residential leases) from charging a penalty for the late payment of rent that exceeds 5% of the amount of unpaid rent due for the rental period for which the payment was delinquent. Referred to Senate Judicial Proceedings
HB 872 Tenants' Right of First Refusal - Tenants have the right of first refusal to purchase a residential rental property if the property owner (1) intends to accept a third-party purchase offer for an amount that is at least 10% lower than the lowest price offered to the tenant during an exclusive negotiation period, or (2) receives a third-party offer without public notice. If a third party delivers an offer to purchase to the owner, the owner must notify the third party of a tenant’s right of first refusal. Referred to Senate Judicial Proceedings
Some Bills That Have Been Introduced and Have not Been Voted On
Here are some other important bills that have not been voted on yet by either legislative body (and I have not previously mentioned).
Criminal Justice
HB 545 SB 398 Expungement of Cannabis Possession Cases. The bill addresses the cumbersome and often inaccessible process of manual expungement requests for cannabis possession cases that have concluded over 3 years ago! The bill mandates that the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and the Judiciary complete these expungements by July 1, 2027, and continue to expunge newly eligible cases on a monthly basis thereafter. Referred to the Judiciary and Judicial Proceedings Committees.
Environment
SB0882 HB1088 Coal Dust Cleanup and Asthma Remediation Act helps to mitigate the environmental and health impact of coal transportation in Maryland by imposing a coal transportation fee of $13 per short ton transported in the state. The revenue generated from this fee will be used to establish the Fossil Fuel Mitigation Fund, which will support activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Referred to the Environment and Transportation, the Economic Matters, and the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committees.
HB0 960 Ratepayer Freedom Act prohibits investor-owned gas and electric companies from recovering costs associated with lobbying and political activities through rates. It also mandates that these companies report these costs to the Public Service Commission to ensure transparency and accountability Referred to the Economic Matters Committee.
Gun Control
HB1158 Civil Actions Against Firearm Industry Members - Private Right of Action allows individuals harmed by the unlawful or unreasonable conduct of firearm industry members to seek civil action, providing them with a means to recover financially and emotionally Referred to the Judiciary Committee.
Health
HB1328 SB 926 End-of-Life Option Act authorizes terminally ill individuals to request aid in dying, establishing requirements and prohibitions for the process. This bill provides a compassionate option for those suffering, allowing them control over their end-of-life decisions and ensuring the process is safe and regulated. Referred to the Judiciary, Judicial Proceedings, and the Health and Government Operations Committees.
Immigration
HB1222 Public Safety - Immigration Enforcement (Maryland Values Act) prohibits the involvement of Maryland state and local law enforcement in federal immigration enforcement activities, which erodes trust and safety within immigrant communities. HB1222 ensures state resources are used for public safety priorities and prohibits local governments from entering immigration enforcement agreements, promoting a more inclusive and just Maryland Referred to the Judiciary Committee.
HB 1476 Prohibition on Disclosure of Employee's Immigration Status –Authorizes the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to investigate and fine employers who use employees' immigration status as a tool to evade accountability for labor, benefit, or tax law violations. The bill prevents employers from using employees' immigration status as a threat in an effort to hide their own illegal activities. Referred to the Economic Matters Committee.
HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR BILLS
When there is a Committee Hearing on A Bill Scheduled, it is important to contact members of the Committee. The General Assembly website lists all the committees, the members of each committee and their contact information. Go to the main page (https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/
Call or send an email to your legislators using the contact information found. Here is where you can find out who are your Delegates and Senator: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/
If you would like to include a short description of the bills, you can include the descriptions shown above. You are also encouraged to include any details of why you think this bill is important.
Dear (legislator),
My name is _________ and my address is ______________. I am writing to let you know that the following bill(s) is(are) important to me and to all Marylanders. I would like to request that you be a champion for these bills and help them get passed quickly.
Each of these bills is important for Maryland and I support them and would like your help in getting them passed. If you are not on the relevant committee, I would appreciate your voting for them during the session. If you are on the relevant committee, I hope you will fight for them and support the sponsors as much as possible.
Thank you for your consideration,
(name)
