Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland Shared voices for liberal religious values in Maryland

Sine Die Report

This report provides the status of all UULM-MD priority bills at the close of the session. It includes which bills have been signed into law by the Governor as of May 13, 2019.

Climate Change 

SB 516 - Clean Energy Jobs – Passed --> Governor

SB 249/HB 277 - Regional Initiative to Limit or Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Transportation Sector - Authorization (Regional Transportation and Climate Protection Act of 2019) – Passed --> Governor 

All others failed (no action in either committee) 

Death with Dignity 

HB 399/SB 311 - End-of-Life Option Act (Richard E. Israel and Roger 'Pip' Moyer Act) – Failed by tie vote on Senate floor 

Economic Justice 

HB 166/SB 280 - Labor and Employment – Payment of Wages – Minimum Wage (Fight for Fifteen) – Passed over Governor’s veto 

HB 341/SB 500 - Labor and Employment – Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program – Establishment (Time to Care Act of 2019) – Failed (no action in either committee) 

Gun Violence 

SJ2/HJ 9 - Freedom of the Press Day – [Designating June 28 as Freedom of the Press Day in Maryland to memorialize the lives lost on June 28, 2018, at the Capital Gazette offices] – Passed and Signed by Speaker and President (Governor's signature not needed)

SB 622 - Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention – Crime Firearms – Study –– Passed and Signed by Governor 

SB 346 – Public Safety – Regulated Firearms – Prohibition of Loans – Passed and Signed by Governor 

SB 536/HB 367 - Public Safety - Education - Firearm Funding – awaiting action in EHEA 

HB 740/SB 882 - Criminal Law – Firearms – Computer–Aided Fabrication and Serial Number (3–D Printed Firearms) – HB awaiting action in JPR 

HB 468/SB 441 - Public Safety - Access to Firearms - Storage Requirements - Failed (no action in either committee) 

Healthcare 

HB 697/SB 868 - Health Insurance - Consumer Protections and Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission – Passed and Signed by Governor 

HB 814/SB 802 - Maryland Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Program – Passed and Signed by Governor 

HB 768 - Health - Prescription Drug Affordability Board – Passed --> Governor 

Immigration 

SB 537/HB 262 - Higher Education - Tuition Rates – Exemptions [Dream Act improvement] – Passed --> Governor 

HB 214/SB 144 - Victims and Witnesses - U Nonimmigrant Status - Certification of Victim Helpfulness – Passed and Signed by Governor 

HB 1273/SB 599 - Immigration Enforcement – Public Schools, Hospitals, and Courthouses – Policies – Passed House but Failed, no action in JPR 

HB 1165/SB 718 - State Government – Government Agents – Requests for and Use of Immigration Status Information – Passed House but Failed, no action in JPR  

HB 913/SB 817 Correctional Facilities and Police Officers – Procedures – Immigration Status – Failed (no action in either committee) 

Restorative/Criminal Justice 

SB 621/HB 294 - Correctional Services - Diminution Credits – Education – Passed Senate but Failed, no action in JUD

HB 1001/SB 774- Correctional Services - Restrictive Housing - Reporting by Correctional Units and Requirements Relating to Minors – Passed and Signed by Governor   

SB 809 - Correctional Facilities - Restrictive Housing - Pregnant Inmates – Passed and signed by Governor  

HB 1002 - Restrictive housing - Direct Release – Passed House but failed to get final vote in Senate. 

HB 1029 - Correctional Services - Restrictive Housing - Limitations (Restrictive Housing Reform Act of 2019) – Failed (no action in JUD committee) 

HB 443/SB 121 - Inmates - Life Imprisonment - Parole Reform - Failed (no action in either committee) 

Ask the Governor to Sign Important Bills

The following bills passed by the General Assembly but have not yet been signed by the Governor. Please urge the Governor to sign them at his last signing session on May 23:

Climate Change

SB 516 - Clean Energy Jobs 

SB 249/HB 277 - Regional Initiative to Limit or Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Transportation Sector - Authorization (Regional Transportation and Climate Protection Act of 2019) 

Healthcare

HB 768 - Health - Prescription Drug Affordability Board 

Immigration

HB 262/SB 537 - Higher Education - Tuition Rates - Exemptions 

Making History: Speaker Adrienne Jones

At a special session held on May 1, 2019, the Maryland House of Delegates elected Adrienne Jones (D-Dist. 10) as Speaker to fill the vacancy created by the April 7 death of Michael Busch. She was then sworn in as the 107th Speaker in Maryland history and is the first woman and first African-American to hold the post. 

Delegate Jones was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1998, but was first appointed in October 1997 to fill a vacancy.  Since 2003, she served as Speaker Pro Tem which coincided with the entire 16 years that that Mr. Busch was Speaker. Throughout her tenure in the General Assembly, she has been a strong and effective advocate, especially on education issues. In 2019 alone, five of the six bills that she introduced as primary sponsor were passed by the General Assembly.

Speaker Jones is a native of Cowdensville, Maryland, a graduate of UMBC, and received an Honorary Doctor of Law Degree from Goucher College. She has earned numerous awards, including the Maryland Women for Responsive Government Award of Excellence, Baltimore City NAACP Trailblazer's Award, and the Governing Magazine Women in Government Leadership Class of 2016.

The UU Legislative Ministry of Maryland is thrilled by her election and wishes her the best in her new position.