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The Maryland General Assembly Legislative Session officially begins every January on the second Wednesday, and ends on the second Monday in April. You can stay in the loop every legislative session in the following ways:

2024 Legislative Wrap-Up

Dear Friend,

The 2024 Session of the Maryland General Assembly officially ended at midnight April 8th, the final day (known as “Sine Die”) of the 2024 legislative session. The 90 days of this session were nonstop for members of the Maryland General Assembly as we heard 2714 bills (1526 in the House and 1188 in the Senate) and ultimately sent 1,053 to the Governor’s desk. These bills covered all areas of life in our state. 

It was especially busy for me personally as it was my first full session serving as the vice chair of the Health and Government Operations (HGO) committee. In addition to working on my own primary sponsor bills, I was able to support my colleagues to strategize on their important legislation. I am truly honored to be working under the leadership of Chair Joseline Pena-Melnyk, and with the entire HGO team. We were the most prolific committee in passing legislation this year. 

MY BILLS

It was personally a successful session for me. I am most proud that HB 728 (SB 705) the Access to Care Act passed this year, allowing all Marylanders, regardless of immigration status, to purchase insurance through the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange. I did not do this alone; I had the support of the Latino Caucus, Black Caucus, Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus, the newly formed Jewish Caucus, every health care agency leader in the state and the Health Care for All Coalition which represents over 400 organizations. It was incredibly compelling to see all of us together at the witness table. Ultimately, providing access to health care benefits not only those individuals, but all Marylanders. This is a big step forward in meeting that goal.

Another major bill that will affect many Marylanders better defines and regulates the ability of insurance carriers to pre- and re–authorize prescription drugs. This bill should help to ensure continuing access to those drugs each patient needs (HB 932/SB 791). Other bills I sponsored that passed include HB 353/SB 445 codifying the Board and oversight of the 2-1-1 Maryland program, HB 354/SB 718 which will address the nursing shortage, HB 368/SB 666 which will raise awareness of about the need for accommodations in public buildings, and HB 822/SB 790 which will create the programs needed to allow employed individuals with disabilities to continue getting medical assistance. 

After I have had some time to reflect and do some research, I will make decisions about bringing back some legislation that I introduced but did not pass this year. 

RESPONDING TO A STATE EMERGENCY

On March 26, around 1:30 a.m. a cargo ship hit the Key Bridge and the entire structure collapsed, killing six men who were working on the surface of the bridge. This was devastating for their families and for the businesses which rely on the Port of Baltimore, which is essential to the economic security of the state. It is expected that the federal government will pay 100% for the reconstruction of the bridge itself, but there are other financial impacts. To mitigate some of the damage, HB 1526 (Clippinger) Maryland Protecting Opportunities and Regional Trade (PORT) Act passed quickly through both chambers. The bill

  • Provides financial assistance for affected workers and companies
  • Provides scholarships for the children and spouses of those who perished on the bridge
  • Authorizes the Governor to use up to $275 million to offset wage losses by employees of the Port, independent contractors, and Port dependent businesses
  • Ensures that the Transportation Authority has the resources it needs to get the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuilt.

More information about the Francis Scott Key Bridge Response can be found here. 

RESPONSIBLE BUDGET–REFLECTING OUR VALUES

The Maryland Constitution requires that we pass a balanced budget every year. We take this process very seriously and work to identify how state funds can best benefit our residents. Here are some key points in the FY2025 budget:

  • Funds Year 3 of Implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future

  State support for public schools totals $9.1 billion. 

 Aid to local school systems increased an estimated $457.1 million (5.3%). 

  • Stabilizes State Transportation Funding

 $330 million in revenue to support our transportation system, including local roads, bridges, transit systems

Commission on Transportation Revenue and Infrastructure Needs (TRAIN) created

  • Increases Funding for Trauma Services to Meet the Needs of 25,000 Marylanders Each Year

 $105 million in additional funding to support the State’s trauma centers and services. 

  • Supports Child Care

Provides almost $488 million of new funding to the Child Care Scholarship Program to address rapid growth in the program and prohibits any increase in co–payments on families participating in the Child Care Scholarship Program above those in place on January 1, 2024. 

  • Continues to Provide Vital Health Care Services

 Funding Medicaid at $14.4 billion, allowing the State to provide coverage to over 1.6 million of our residents and 3% salary increases for direct service providers serving the developmentally disabled, behavioral health providers, nursing homes, and most Medicaid community–based providers. 

  •  Enhances Funding for Public Safety and Maintains Support for Victim Services

 Funds police aid at $121.4 million, $46 million, provides new funding of $8 million for gun violence prevention and intervention programs, invests 10.3 million in community-based services for juveniles and services to families residing in communities with high crime rates.

  •  Invests in the State’s Climate Pollution Reduction Plan

Provides $90 million for climate pollution reduction efforts, such as electric school buses, vehicle charging infrastructure, grants for electrifying community buildings

  • Investments in Rebuilding State Government – Boosts State Employee Salaries and Funds Other Initiatives to Facilitate Recruitment and Retention in Highly Competitive Labor Market

Provides 3% cost of living salary adjustments for state employees, including a 3% cost–of–living adjustment targeted salary increases for hard-to-fill positions, and bonuses for certain public safety workers.

CLOSE TO HOME– MONTGOMERY COUNTY 

The Montgomery County Delegation was able to attain funding for a variety of programs and passed 

  • $1.3 Billion in state aid for Montgomery County
  • $36.1 Million for capital projects
  • $5 Million for county hospitals
  • $2.75 Million for playgrounds at county parks and schools
  • $3 Million for the Institute for Health Computing (including Blair High School, Casey House, Interfaith Works Women’s Center at Crabb’s Branch Shelter, Leisure World, and Johnson’s Local Park)
  • $1 Million for Montgomery College-Rockville Library Renovation
  • 8 Local Bills passed the General Assembly, ranging from how fines from school bus violations can be used to create safer stops, to simplifying the administration of the Housing Opportunities Commission, enabling employees in the State’s Attorney’s office to bargain for more funds for emergency water pipe repairs.

For a complete list of proposed bills, go to Montgomery County Delegation at www.montgomery county delegation.com.

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

While the available revenues are healthy through FY2026, there are several areas which we know need additional funding in the future in order to sustain the programs.. These include The Transportation Trust Fund, the Shock-Trauma Fund and public education. Several fees will be increased in 2024 to help us meet those needs:

  • Rideshare surcharge ($.75 per ride)
  • Increased fines in road work zones (will be $60—120 depending on speed)
  • Increase in vehicle registration fees ($43 for two-year registration)
  • Additional standards for registration based on vehicle weight ($43—105 for two-year registration)
  • Plug in electric vehicles (increased by $125 for two-year registration)
  • Hybrids (increased by $100 for two-year registration)
  • Increase taxes on cigarettes and other smoking devices ($1.25 per pack)

A CIVIL SOCIETY–DECENCY AGENDA

We are currently experiencing a moment of division and contention among the diverse communities in our state–and in our country. The Maryland General Assembly demonstrated its commitment to inclusivity and respect for all in passage of bills that focus on those values.

  • HB785 (D. Jones) Freedom to Read Act 

Establishes a set of State Standards for Libraries and protects Maryland’s library collections and the librarians who curate them to ensure that we are exposing students to diverse viewpoints in a thoughtful and respectful way. 

  • HB1386 (Atterbeary) Education – School Employee Anti Bias Training – Requirements

Seeks to create more inclusive and tolerant schools and school cultures by requiring anti-bias teacher training programs focused on combating biases, prejudices and discrimination faced by historically marginalized racial, ethnic, and religious minorities.

  • HB1287 (Speaker) School Leadership Training Program – Alterations

Requires all State & County Superintendents and other school leaders to complete a standardized school leadership training program. Our school systems have become the battlegrounds for our societal culture wars, and those who lead our schools need support and vision. Good leadership takes practice, and this bill will provide our superintendents with another tool in their leadership toolbox.

  • HB333 (Rosenberg) Election Law – Election Disinformation and Improper Influence Related to Voting 

Protects our elections from disinformation by requiring the State Board of Elections (SBE) to set up a portal on its website to receive tips from the public about election disinformation and voter suppression efforts. This will allow the SBE to provide corrective information or refer cases which are in violation of the law to the state prosecutor.

HEALTH CARE

Health Care is essential to quality of life, strengthens our communities, benefits everyone in our State, and a basic human right. Below are some key pieces of legislation aimed to improve access to health care:

  • HB1051 (Holland White) Maternal Health – Assessments, Referrals, and Reporting (Maryland Maternal Health Act of 2024)

Ensures that hospitals across Maryland provide new parents with the resources and information they need upon discharge and that they reach out after discharge from the hospital; birthing centers are required to report outcomes 

  • HB1143 (Bhandari) Emergency Medical Services – Maryland Emergency Department Wait Time Reduction Commission – Establishment

Establishes a Commission to review emergency room wait times, develop strategies to improve them, determine best practices and develop and monitor implementation of standardized protocols and operational efficiencies in hospital emergency departments.

  • HB1259 (Alston) Health Insurance – Breast and Lung Cancer Screening – Coverage Requirements 

Extends coverage for follow-up diagnostic tests after initial screening for breast cancer and lung cancer 

  • HB1293 (Woods) Maryland Department of Health – Public Education Campaign on Prostate, Lung, and Breast Cancer Protection

Creates a public education campaign on the three leading cancers in underserved communities; including increased information on warning signs and available resources lead to earlier diagnoses and improved health outcomes.

  • HB576 (Speaker – Administration) Mental Health – Assisted Outpatient Treatment Programs

Establishes an in-place assisted outpatient behavioral health support program in order to prescribe a specified mental health treatment regimen for someone with severe/persistent mental health needs, even if they do not voluntarily agree to a treatment program. 

HOUSING

Access to affordable housing was another priority this session. It too is a basic human right,and ensures individuals and families are stable and secure. Some important housing legislation includes:

  • HB7 (Stewart) Housing Innovation Pilot Program and Housing Innovation Fund – Establishment (Housing Innovation Pilot Program Act of 2024)

Creates a fund to award grants for the Housing Innovation Pilot Program to three counties based on affordability requirements tied to a building for its useful life, leveraging public and private relationships to create more housing.

  • HB283 (Palakovich Carr) Housing and Community Development – Affordable Housing – Identifying Suitable Property

Helps better identify and review property that can be converted into affordable housing units, by making the criteria more flexible for the Department.

  • HB538 (Speaker – Administration) Land Use – Affordable Housing – Zoning Density and Permitting (Housing Expansion and Affordability Act of 2024)

Improves affordability by allowing new housing where we need it most by streamlining the review process, allowing more density for priority projects and adhering to specific affordability requirements. The three types of priority projects in the bill include transit-oriented development, formerly state/federally owned campuses and those owned or controlled by a charity.

  • HB693 (Speaker – Administration) Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024

Protects renters from certain evictions, gives renters the opportunity to purchase a rental property if the property owner decides to sell it, i.e., the “Right of First Refusal.” and establishes an Office of Tenant Rights to communicate with and advocate for renters and provide them information on how to best exercise their rights. 

EDUCATION

 While the Blueprint for Excellence addresses many of the needs of students with respect to curriculum and access to services, there are other needs addressed in the following policies:

  • HB4 (J. Lewis) Institutions of Higher Education – Admissions Standards – Prohibition on Consideration of Legacy Preference or Donor Preference

Bans the consideration of a student’s legacy status during the admissions process at Maryland’s public higher education institutions to ensure fair access to traditionally underserved students and that Maryland campuses are socially, economically, and racially diverse.  

  • HB416 (Solomon) Public Schools – Active Shooter Safety Drills or Trainings – Requirements

Establishes procedures to help reduce the potential mental health impacts these drills have on our students. The bill requires: 

  • Age-appropriate drills and conversations about them;
  • Notification before and after drills sent to families;
  • Drills designed with trauma-informed care; and 
  • That schools send home safe gun-storage information annually and provide additional support for students/staff with a disability or who have experienced trauma.
  • HB569 (Solomon) Higher Education – Credit Eligibility and Transfer of Credits – English as a Second Language Courses (Credit for All Language Learning (CALL) Act) 

Removes unnecessary educational barriers for multilingual students by requiring that English as a Second Language (ESL) and/or English language learner courses count towards a student’s associate degree and transfer to other institutions of higher education in the state. 

  • HB903 (Atterbeary) Education – Access to Attorneys, Advocates, and Consultants for Special Education Program and Fund – Established 

Establishes the Access to Attorneys, Advocates, and Consultants for Special Education Program to provide funding for resources and services to eligible students with disabilities and their families who need legal, advocacy, and consultant services. 

JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM

Over the last few years, we have heard concerns from the community regarding increases in crimes committed by those under the age of 18. To address these concerns, the House and Senate judicial committees worked to find a balanced policy that provided intervention and support to prevent further criminal acts and appropriate disciplinary actions. The result of this collaboration was HB 814 (Clippinger & Speaker) which includes the following:

  • Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform and Emerging and Best Practices

Expands membership to the Commission on Juvenile Reform and Emerging and Best Practices to include school leaders, service providers, the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) and law enforcement and requires the Commission to start its work in June 2024 to review every aspect of all juvenile services programs and data will be required on performance measures and coordination between Department of Juvenile Services and other entities

  • Court Jurisdiction

Requires 10- to 12-year-olds who allegedly (1) possess ghost guns, handguns, and other firearms, (2) torture animals, and (3) make sexual contact while using violence to come under juvenile court jurisdiction and that a mandatory Child in Need of Services (CINS) petition is filed for a 10- to 12-year-old alleged to have committed a motor vehicle theft.

  • Detainment for Serious Violations 

Juveniles who commit misdemeanors are still not subject to detention unless they commit various gun offenses, have been found delinquent two times in the last two years, or commit a further crime while they’re under DJS supervision that has more than a two-year penalty, unless the act would constitute 2nd degree assault. 

  • Rehabilitation

Provides increased time for court–ordered rehabilitation programming: 

  • Alternative Schooling for Juvenile Sex Offenders 

Requires alternative school options for juveniles on the juvenile sex offender registry (14 years or older)

  • Law Enforcement Reporting 

Requires police officers to write a report and send it to DJS when the officer arrests a child, and recommend appropriate disposition, go forward with DJS or referral to a diversion program.

  • Treatment Plans 

Requires DJS to create and execute a treatment plan within 25 days and to certify when the treatment plan is completed and underway, to the Commission for DJS performance measures. 

  • Juvenile Service Agencies 

Codifies the Governor’s Office for Children and the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP). It also adds reporting requirements on youth diversion programs, the number of children arrested, and the number of times the arrest resulted in a complaint with DJS.

OTHER NOTABLES

Some bills do not fit within the above categories, but are important policy changes for the state.

  • HB567 (Love) Maryland Online Data Privacy Act of 2024

Protects consumers’ online data by requiring companies to be completely transparent in what personal data they collect, how it is used, give options to opt-out and strongly limits the data that is collected from consumers to what is reasonably necessary and proportionate to the service provided

  • SB539 (Gile/Wilson) Commercial Law – Consumer Protection – Sale and Resale of Tickets

Requires ticketing platforms to implement all-in-ticketing (to allow consumers to see the total cost of a ticket up front) and ends the sale of speculative tickets; it also requires that the Attorney General’s Office conduct a study on ways to prevent ticket scalping. 

  • HB1101 (Love) Clean Water Justice Act of 2024 

Restores citizens’ ability to sue to protect specific waterways, in the wake of the 2023, Supreme Court decision Sackett v. EPA, which eliminated these streams and wetlands from being protected by the Clean Water Act, which is crucial to helping communities fight water pollution and state agencies enforce these laws. 

  • SB818 (Hester/J. Lewis) Artificial Intelligence Governance Act of 2024

Establishes policies and procedures to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) used by the state government is used correctly and ensures Maryland law is equipped with guardrails to protect against unlawful discrimination and bias.  

  • SJ1 (Kelly/Patterson) Affirming the Federal Equal Rights Amendment

Resolves that the Maryland General Assembly affirms the federal Equal Rights Amendment is the 28th Amendment to the Constitution. The resolution urges the Biden Administration to publish the federal Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Congress to pass a joint resolution affirmation.

LISTENING TO OTHERS

As I have worked to pass laws that make a difference in the lives of others, I believe the best approach is to listen to all perspectives and try to understand the differences between my experiences and theirs. This session the legislative caucuses were most successful informing all our colleagues what is most important to them. This speaks to the fact that as a governmental body we have representation of our wonderfully diverse communities and that we value every voice. I am grateful for the work–and the support of the various legislative caucuses, including the Women’s Caucus, the Latino Caucus, the Legislative Black Caucus, the Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus and the two new Caucuses–the LGBTQ+ Caucus and the Jewish Caucus.  

THE 90-DAY REPORT

This letter includes just a few of the legislative highlights. For a full overview of the 2024 Legislative Session, the Department of Legislative Services issues a 90 Day Report containing a discussion of the majority of bills that passed in each of the 12 major policy areas.

 

Previous Legislative Sessions

The Maryland General Assembly Legislative Session officially begins every January on the second Wednesday, and ends on the second Monday in April. You can stay in the loop every legislative session in the following ways:

Read recaps of accomplishments from previous Maryland General Assembly Legislative Sessions here.

Bonnie on the House Floor in the Statehouse, Downtown Annapolis

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