Stephen Buckingham
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