Governor's Final Actions on 2021 Legislation

On May 28, Governor Larry Hogan took his final actions on bills passed by the General Assembly in the 2021 session. This included vetoing 19 more bills, including one that UULM-MD's Climate Change Task Force had supported as a priority. Among the other vetoes were measures to extend collective bargaining and prevailing wages requirements, focus job creation tax credits, regulate emergency procurements, and provide relief to working families. Most of the remaining priority bills were allowed to go into effect without the Governor’s signature.

Veto of Priority Climate Bill

Passed as SB 199 and HB 114, the Transit Safety and Investment Act would have required the Governor to include in the State budget from the Transportation Trust Fund increased levels of funding for the next five years to the Maryland Transit Administration for its operating and capital needs. Claiming that “[n]o governor in the history of the state has ever invested more in transit,” Hogan objected to the funding mandates that he said would have hampered the flexibility of the Department of Transportation and make the bills unaffordable. UULM-MD may be seeking an override of the veto on this priority bill early next year.

Remaining Priority Bills Allowed to go into Effect without the Governor’s Signature

Climate Change

• HB 768 - Montgomery County - Community Choice Energy - Pilot Program MC 17-21

• HB 991 - Tree Solutions Now Act of 2021

• HB 298 / SB 83 - Utility Regulation - Consideration of Climate and Labor

• SB 137 - Maryland Transit Administration - Conversion to Zero-Emission Buses (Zero-Emission Bus Transition Act)

• SB 65 - Electricity - Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Tier 2 Renewable Sources, Qualifying Biomass, and Compliance Fees

Criminal Justice

• HB 445 / SB 671 - Criminal Procedure - Charging Procedures – Citations

• HB 89 - Correctional Services - Diminution Credits – Education

• HB 108 / SB 286 - Behavioral Health Crisis Response Services – Modifications

Healthcare

• HB 463 / SB 172 - Maryland Health Equity Resource Act

• HB 565 / SB 514 - Health Facilities - Hospitals - Medical Debt Protection

• HB 780 / SB 729 - Maryland Health Benefit Exchange - State-Based Young Adult Health Insurance Subsidies Pilot Program

• HB 78 / SB 52 - Public Health - Maryland Commission on Health Equity (The Shirley Nathan-Pulliam Health Equity Act of 2021)

Immigration

• HB 15 / SB 85 - Creating Governor's Office of Immigrant Affairs

LGBTQ+

• HB 130 - Commission on LGBTQ Affairs - Established

• HB 231 - Crimes - Mitigation and Defense - Race, Color, National Origin, Sex, Gender Identity, or Sexual Orientation

• HB 128 / SB 220 - Criminal Law - Hate Crimes - Protected Groups and Penalties