Read Full Article Here: March 10th Digest
Status of Priority Bills
As of this past week, all of UULM-MD's priority measures have been heard in committee (2 cross-filed bills left), and several important bills were voted out of committee to the House and Senate floors.
Below is the status of the measures under each Issue Area that have advanced so far:
Climate Change
• Data Center Impact Analysis and Report – HB 270 – Amended and Passed the House (125-8) – awaiting Senate consideration along with its companion bill SB 116.
Nine (9) more measures are awaiting committee votes, including our original top 3 priorities.
Criminal Justice
• Geriatric and Medical Parole – SB 181 – Reported out of Judicial Proceedings – Favorable - with Amendments
• Medical Parole - Life Imprisonment – SB 648 – Reported out of Judicial Proceedings – Favorable with Amendments
Eight (8) more measures are awaiting committee votes, including 4 of our top 6 priorities.
Gun Violence Prevention
• Trafficking Regulated Firearms - Felony Classification – SB 443 – Amended and Passed the Senate (45-0) - awaiting House consideration (no cross-filed bill)
• Gun Buyback Programs - Destruction of Firearms – SB 444 – Amended and Passed the Senate (32-12) – awaiting House consideration (no cross-filed bill)
• Exception to Armed Trespass Prohibition - Retired Law Enforcement Officials – SB 585 – Reported out of Judicial Proceedings – Favorable with Amendments
Three (3) more measures are awaiting committee votes.
Healthcare
• State-Based Young Adult Health Insurance Subsidies Pilot Program - Sunset Repeal – SB 5 passed the Senate (45-0) without amendment; HB 297 passed the House (98-37) with amendments – the differences between these bills must be reconciled, and at least one of these bills must pass the other chamber with the same language for the measure to become law.
• Prescription Drug Affordability Board - Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for All Marylanders – HB 424 – Amended and passed the House (94-38); SB 357 – Reported out of Senate Finance with amendments
• Public Health Abortion Grant Program – SB 930 – Reported out of House Health and Government Operations – Favorable with Amendments
One (1) more (recently designated priority) measure is awaiting committee votes.
Immigration
• Higher Education - Undocumented Students - Out-of-State Tuition Exemption Eligibility – HB 207 Passed the House (98-39) without amendment
Three (3) more measures that we support and two (2) that we oppose are awaiting committee votes.
Medical Aid in Dying – HB 1328 heard in the House committee, but SB 926 had its hearing cancelled as the sponsor did not have the votes to pass it through the Senate – there will be no further action this year on either bill.
Other Bills (we testified in opposition)
• School Sport Teams - Designation Based on Sex (at birth) – HB 156 – Reported out of House Ways and Means Committee – Unfavorable (voted down)
• Public Schools - Sexually Explicit Materials - Prohibited in Libraries and Media Centers – HB 282 - Reported out of House Ways and Means Committee – Unfavorable (voted down).
Our Issue Leads somehow found the bandwidth to take action on more bills of interest than planned at the start of the session, so now we have 39 priority measures comprised of 66 bills (including eight of which we testified in opposition).
Overall Status of Priority Bills
As of this Friday, March 7, positive action has been taken on twelve (12) of our priority measures (31%):
All measures have been heard in committee (only two cross-filed bills left to hear this coming week).
Six (6) of our priority measures have fully passed one chamber, with one having passed companion bills through both chambers (one was amended).
Four (4) more were reported out favorably by committees this week and are headed for votes in the House or Senate as early as Tuesday, March 11.
Four (4) more have appeared on voting lists in committees, so they are likely to be brought to a vote this week
Two (2) measures we opposed were voted down in committee.
Time to Bring Remaining Priority Bills to a Committee Vote
Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 11, is the Committee Reporting Courtesy Date, the date by which each chamber’s committees are supposed to report their own bills to the floor.
The following Monday, March 17, is the Opposite Chamber Crossover Date, meaning that each Chamber must send to the other Chamber those bills it intends to pass favorably. Bills that miss this deadline are subject to being referred to the other chamber’s Rules Committee, rather than going directly to a standing committee for consideration.
These dates on the legislative calendar are significant for those priority bills that have not yet come out of committee in the chamber of origin. Now is the time to contact your lawmakers on the relevant committees seeking a (favorable) vote. Some of these bills have appeared on committee work session or voting lists (without a vote), indicating that some action is expected. However, we need to press lawmakers to vote them to the floor of the House or Senate.
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