Last Updated on February 10, 2022

Legislation Tracked in 2021

The Legislative/Political Committee of the Residents’ Council is non-partisan and does not take a position on any bill being heard before the Maryland General Assembly. Bills will be added for tracking, as selected by the Legislative/Political Committee.

The following bills were selected by the committee because of their interest to Charlestown residents.

The Legislative-Political Committee has decided to track bills coming before the Maryland legislature in the following subject areas:

  1. Election Law / Voting
  2. Environment / Conservation
  3. Health Care / Congregate Care / Medical Service Delivery
  4. Senior Consumer Issues
  5. Equity

Election law/Voting – Phyl Lansing, Eleanor Lewis, Don Sillars

Enacted

  • HB206: Election Law – Early Voting Centers – Hours of Operation – passed both Chambers, to the Governor for signature, enacted without Governor signature
  • HB222: Value My Vote Act- passed both Chambers, to the Governor for signature, enacted without Governor signature
  • SB224:  Election Law – Correctional Facilities – Voter Registration and Voting – passed both Chambers, to the Governor for signature, enacted without Governor signature
  • HB156/SB283: Student and Military Voter Empowerment Act – passed both Chambers, to the Governor for signature, enacted without Governor signature
  • HB424: Public Financing Act – Matching Fund Revisions (Md. Fair Elections Act)(Feldmark) – – passed both Chambers, to the Governor for signature
  • HB745: Election Law – Early Voting Centers – – Enacted into law
  • HB1048 – Election Law – Establishes a Permanent Absentee Ballot List – Enacted into law

Bills Tracked

  • SB29: Election Law – Voting – Elections by Mail, Polling Places and Early Voting Centers – referral to committee
  • SB36: Election Integrity Act – referral to committee
  • HB53: Election Law – Voting Rights – Voting Rights –  Imprisoned Felons – referral to committee
  • HB57: Voting Rights Protection Act of 2020 – referral to committee
  • HB206: Election Law – Early Voting Centers – Hours of Operation – passed both Chambers; to the Governor for signature
  • HB211: Election Law – Early Voting Centers – Days of Operation
  • HB222: Value My Vote Act- passed both Chambers; to the Governor for signature
  • SB224:  Election Law – Correctional Facilities – Voter Registration and Voting – passed both Chambers; to the Governor for signature
  • HB75: Election Law – Circuit Court Judges – Nonpartisan Elections
  • HB156/SB283: Student and Military Voter Empowerment Act – passed both Chambers; to the Governor for signature
  • HB245: Election Judges – Training and Signs – Accommodations for Voters in Need of   Assistance (Hill)
  • HB247: Election Law – Voting Order Priority – Individuals Who Need Extra Assistance
  • HB493: Election Law – Voting Locations – Accessibility by Public Transportation and Voters with Disabilities
  • SB271/HB423: Election Law – Voting Systems – Accessibility for Voters with Disabilities – (Feldmark)
  • SB296: Election Law – Campaign Finance – Protection of Contributor Information
  • SB340: Election Law – Offenses Related to Voting – Penalties
  • HB136: Election Law – Campaign Contributions – Alterations and Prohibition on Sports & Event Wagering Business Entities
  • HB153: Elections by Mail
  • HB265/SB6: General Assembly – Special Election to Fill a Vacancy in Office  (Lam)
  • HB274: Election Law – Elections by Mail
  • HB355/SB37: Election Law – Registered Voter List Security and Electronic Signature Requirements for Petitions
  • HB424: Public Financing Act – Matching Fund Revisions (Md. Fair Elections Act)(Feldmark)
  • SB6/HB265: General Assembly – Special Election to fill a Vacancy in Office – Lam
  • SB233: Election Law – Absentee Ballots – Envelope Prohibitions, Ballot Status Information and Signature Verification

Environment & Conservation – Anna Ciarrocchi, Marty Tewksbery, Bonnie Kawecki

  • HB583/SB414: Climate Solutions Now Act of 2021 – Passed both Chambers; House amendments not approved by the Senate.
  • HB164/SB116: Department of the Environment – Office of Recycling – Recycling Market Development – Passed both Chambers and Approved by the Governor – Chapter 289
  • HB280/SB304: Maryland Recycling Act – Recyclable Materials and Resource Recovery Facilities – Alterations – Passed both Chambers and sent to the Governor for signature. Enacted without Governor signature
  • SB76/HB33: Climate Crisis and Education Act – Referral to Committee in both the House and the Senate
  • SB199 – MTA – Transit Safety and Investment Act – Passed both Chambers and sent to the Governor for signature, Vetoed by the Governor
  • SB223/HB314 – Plastic Bag Reduction Act – Referral to Committee in the Senate; Passed to House and 1st Reading in the Senate.

Health Care and Service Delivery – Janet Allen, Ann MacKay, Wendel Thompson

Enacted

  • HB123/SB3: Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2021 – Approved by the Governor – Chapter 70
  • SB204/HB416: Health Care Facilities – Assisted Living Programs – Memory Care and Alzheimer’s Disease Unit Regulations
  • HB203: Estates and Trusts – Wills and Advance Medical Directives – Notaries Public
  • SB313/HB119: Md. Dept. of Health – Public Health Outreach Programs – Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Other Types of Dementia
All Health Care Bills Tracked

  • SB68: Dept. of Emergency Management – Establishment (Sen. Lam)
  • HB25/SB311: Catastrophic Health Emergencies – Health Care Providers – Definition and Immunity (Maryland Health Care Heroes Protection Act)
  • HB255 – Department of Aging – Grants for Aging-in-Place Programs – Funding
  • HB207: Nursing Homes – Resident Change in Condition – Notification
  • HB303 – Long-Term Care Insurance – Prohibition on Premium Increases (Long Term Stability for Seniors Act)
  • SB411 – Long-Term Care Insurance – Premium Rate Increases – Restriction (Equity in Long-Term Care Insurance Premiums Act)
  • SB47/HB806: Health Facilities – Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Programs – Essential Caregivers
  • HB0296/SB075 – Driver’s Licenses – Older Licensees – In-Person Renewal
  • SB210/HB508 – COVID-19 Claim – Civil Immunity
  • HB276: Congregate Care Facilities – Visitation

Senior Consumer Issues – Ann MacKay

Bills Tracked – none passed and sent to Governor

  • HB303: Long-Term Care Insurance – Prohibition on Premium Increase (Long Term Stability for Seniors Act) – Referral to Committeee; 2nd Reading in the House
  • SB75/HB296: Driver’s Licenses – Older Licensees – In-Person Renewal – 3rd Reading in the House; 1st Reading in the Senate
  • SB210/HB508: COVID-19 Claim – Civil Immunity – Referral to Committee in the Senate; Referral to Committee in the House
  • HB255: of Aging – Grants for Aging-in-Place Programs – Funding – Referral to Committee in the Senate
  • SB411/Long-Term Care Insurance – Premium Rate Increase – Restriction (Equity in Long Term Care Insurance Premiums Act)

Equity – Pat Payne and Wendel Thompson

Enacted

  • SB 172/HB463: Maryland Health Equity Resource Act – Enacted without Governor signature
  • SB52/HB78: Public Health – Md. Commission on Health Equity (The Shirley Nathan-Pulliam Health Equity Act of 2021) – Enacted without Governor signature

Vetoed, but Veto was Overriden by General Assembly’s Special Session Dec. 2021 

  •  MTA Transit Safety and Investment Act: On Tuesday, December 7, 2021, the Maryland General Assembly voted to override Governor Larry Hogan’s veto of legislation to provide a minimum capital funding level for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) each year for five years and protect MTA’s operating funds from reductions during the same time period.