Crossover in the Maryland General Assembly

Greeting from Annapolis.

As of the deadline for this article, we are just before crossover in the Maryland General Assembly. This is when all of the bills in the House transfer to the Senate and Sen-ate bills move over to the House. This is a very busy time, with double floor sessions and late nights as everyone makes their final push to get their legislation passed. At this point, it is still too early to indicate the final outcome of any particular piece of legislation; let me highlight a few that may be of interest.

One of the priorities for the majority party this year has been police reform and changes to our school resource officers. I was very vocal and fought hard to protect those that protect us, as well as the children in our schools. The bill, if passed, would take away the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights, which set a superhuman standard for members of law enforcement, as well as placed ridiculous limitations on serving warrants. The legislation stipulates that warrants would be served from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and would require a 30-second delay for entry after officers announce themselves. A lot can happen in 30 seconds; this puts members of law enforcement at great risk.
 
As I am sure many would imagine, COVID was another of the big issues this year. HB 1177 would allow an early withdrawal from a retirement account for a COVID-related hardship that would be exempt from state income tax. This would mirror a federal bill that exempts the federal penal-ties for an early withdrawal due to COVID-related circumstances. Other bills address liability protection for businesses, financial relief for those impacted, and unemployment insurance costs for our businesses as they move forward.

Other legislation that is possibly of interest includes sports betting, which, if passed, would most likely be at the Maryland casinos, stadiums and a few other venues. In addition, a mobile version would be available, meaning bet-ting could be as easy as sitting at home and using your mobile phone to place a wager. On another note, HB 313 focuses on homeowners’ associations and condominium associations. This would require an escrow reserve study to be done every five years to assess the amount needed in escrow reserves, to maintain common elements owned by the association. I thought that this is worth mentioning, considering the number of associations in our community.

This year, I have sponsored more legislation than in my prior two sessions. Some are moving through with better momentum than others. HB 391, which prohibits the intentional release of a helium balloon, seems to be “taking off.” Representing the Maryland coast, this bill is important as balloons travel and potentially land in the ocean or bay; sea life confuses those for food and ingests them. In addition, sea life can get entangled in the strings or ribbons of balloons, often with a fatal outcome. Another priority bill is HB 1176, which would give a tax credit for Marylanders to travel within our state. This would give a much-needed boost to the hard-hit hospitality industry. Lastly, HB 286 would add law enforcement officers and first responders to the protected class under the current hate crime legislation. Unfortunately, this seems to be stalled and hasn't had a vote from the House Judiciary Committee.

This is a sampling of legislation that I sponsored and a few of the highlights from the hundreds of bills we are considering. As always, I encourage you to reach out to my office if you have any questions or need assistance contacting a state agency.

Thank you for the honor of representing you in the Maryland House of Delegates.

Email: [email protected]