Last Updated on April 10, 2024
Legislation of Interest to Charlestown Residents
2024 Maryland General Assembly
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 tracked bills coming before the Maryland legislature in the following subject areas:
- CCRCs/MaCCRA – Art Johnson and Janet Allan
- Drug Benefits for State Employees – Jean Williamson
- Election Law &Voting – Judy Plymyer and Jane Finneseth
- Emergency Room Crisis Task Force Bill Miller
- Environment and Climate Change – Paulette Hammond and Mark Buehlman
- Health Care – Nancy Fayer (includes End of Life)
- State Budget and Tax Policy – TBA
CCRCs Bill Tracked
.
| BILL NUMBER | SPONSOR | TITLE | COMMITTEE | CURRENT STATUS | TESTIMONY |
| HB 68 | Dana Stein | Continuing Care Retirement Communities – Governing Bodies, Grievances, and Entrance Fees | Health and Government Operations | Passed – Sent to Governor | Tuesday, January 30 |
| SB76 | Clarence Lam and Shelly Hettleman | Continuing Care Retirement Communities – Governing Bodies, Grievances, and Entrance Fees | Finance | Passed – Sent to Governor | Wednesday, February 7 |
Other MaCCRA Bills Tracked
| BILL NUMBER | SPONSOR | TITLE | COMMITTEE and STATUS |
| HB340 (SB388) | Cullison, Holland | Prescription Drug Affordability Board: Allows the Prescription Drug Affordability Board to cap costs of certain medications. | Health and Government Operations, in the House – Hearing 2/08 at 1:00 pm |
| HB349/SB 631 | Cullison | Long Term Care Insurance – Study: Requires the Dept. of Aging to identifyoptions for helping individuals prepare for long-term care services and support needs. | Health and Government Operations. Bill withdrawn. |
| HB426/SB92 | Brooks | Places of Public Accommodation – Motion Picture Houses: Captioning. This bill requires all motion picture houses to offer at least two movies a week with closed captioning. | Judicial Proceedings. HB 426 hearing 2/6. SB 92 hearing 2/8 |
| SB58 | Brooks | Income Tax – Senior Credit – Alterations. Provides for an increase in the state income tax credit for Maryland residents 65 years old and older. | Budget and Taxation |
| HB195/SB817 | Ellis, Waldstreicher | Public Safety – Missing Persons with Cognitive Impairment – The Purple Alert. This bill establishes a Purple Alert Program to assist in locating a missing person who suffers a cognitive impairment, intellectual or developmental disability, or brain injury who is not eligible for the Silver Alert Program. |
Passed, Sent to Governor |
Election Law and Voting Bills Tracked
| BILL NUMBER | SPONSOR | DESCRIPTION | COMMITTEE |
| Senate Bills | |||
| SB 16 | Kagan | Election Law – Campaign Finance | Ed, En & Env, passed |
| SB 23 | West | Orphans’ Court Judges – Elections | Jud’l Proc., passed |
| SB 29 | Kagan | Special Elections – Procedures & General Assembly Vacancies and Ties | Ed, En & Env, passed |
| SB 99 (HB257) | Kagan | Election Law – Affiliating w/ a Party & Voting – Unaffiliated Voters | Ed, En & Env, 1/30 |
| SB 115 | Kagan | Election Law – Recounts – Procedures | Ed, En & Env, passed w amendments |
| SB 116 | West | Orphans’ Court Judges – Restrictions on Practicing Law | Jud’ll Proc., passed |
| SB 129 | Kagan | Election Law – Election Costs .& Administration | Ed, En & Env, hearing 3/4 |
| SB 140 | Lam | Genl Assembly Vacancy – Political Party – Central Committees – Procedures | Ed, En & Env, 1st reading |
| SB 271 (HB14) | Chair | Election Law – Revisions | Ed, En & Env, passed |
| SB 364 | Ready | Election Law – Casting Gen’l Election Ballot in Multiple States – Prohibition | Ed, En & Env, hearing 2/21 |
| SB 372 | Feldman | Election Law – Deadline for Selection of Lt Gov w/ amendments | Ed, En & Env, passed |
| SB 417 (HB459) | Hayes | Election Administration – State Administration, Local Bds, Election Directors | Ed, En & Env, passed with amendments |
| SB 480 (HB585) | President | Protecting Election Officers, Act of 2024 | Ed, En & Env, passed |
| SB 494 (HB471) | Kagan | Election Law – Post Election Procedures | Ed, En & Env, passed |
| SB 495 (HB1343) | Kagan | Election Law – Petitions & Plain Language Requirement | Ed, En & Env, passed |
| SB 515 | Washington, A. | Elections, Voter Reg. Age -Alteration | Ed, En,Env, hearing 2/21 |
| SB 523 (HB40) | Washington, M | Election Law – Post election Tabulation Audits – Risk-Limiting Audits | Ed, En & Env, hearing 2/21 |
| SB 557 | Augustine | Election Law – Polling Place Procedures – Indiv. Assisting A Voter | Ed, En & Env, 2nd reader, passed with amendments |
| SB 605 | Washington, M. | Election Law – Automatic Voter Registration Alternations | Ed, En & Env, hearing 2/21 |
| SB 660 (HB800) | Sydnor | Md Voting Rights Act of 2024 -Counties & Municipalities | Ed, En & Env, hearing 2/21 |
| SB 709 | Kagan | Election Law – Absentee Ballots – Internet – Delivered Absentee Ballot Study | Ed, En & Env, hearing 2/21 |
| SB 772 | Ready | Elections – Proof of Identity | Ed, En & Env, hearing 2/16 |
| SB 802 (HB775) | Brooks | Election Law – Voters with Disabilities – Election Ballot Returns | Ed, En & Env, hearing 2/21 |
| SB 812 (HB80) | Ellis | Election Law – Party & Elected Public Offices – Prohibition | Ed, En & Env, hearing 2/21 |
| SB 824 | Kramer | Election Law – Absentee Ballot Application – Sending to Eligible Voters before Primary Election | Ed, En & Env, hearing 2/21 |
| SB 913 | McKay | Election Law- Approval Voting – Authorization for County Elections | Ed, En & Env, hearing 3/13 |
| SB 978 | Hester | Election – Synthetic Media – Disclosure & Regulation | Ed, En & Env, hearing 2/21 |
| SB 1029 (HB 1109) | Carter | Election Law – Registered Voter List & Petitions (Ballot Petition Modernization Act) | Ed, En & Env, hearing 3/8 |
| SB 1052(HB 1222) | Mautz | Local Boards of Elections – Maintenance & Public Disclosure of Election Records | Ed, En & Env, hearing 3/1 |
| SB 1073(HB 1202) | Ready | Amendments Convention Called Under Article V of the US Constitution – Delegation To the Convention | Ed, En & Env, hearing 3/1 |
| BILL NUMBER | SPONSOR | DESCRIPTION | COMMITTEE |
| House Bills | |||
| HB 14 (SB271) | Chair | Election Law – Revisions | Ways & Means, passed |
| HB 40 | Kaiser | Election Law – Postelection Tabulation, Audits – Risk-Limiting Audits | Ways & Means, 3rd reader, passed |
| HB 48 | Cardin | Courts – Justices & Judges – election & Retention | Judiciary, reassigned to Ways & Means |
| HB 80 | Boyce | Election Law – Party & Elected Public Offices Prohibition | Ways & Means, 3rd reader, passed |
| HB 142 | Long, R | Election Law – Polling Places – Establishing Voter Identity (Voter Privacy Act of 2024) | Ways & Means, hearing 2/13 |
| HB 164 | Long, R | Election Law – Voter Registration List – Absentee Voters (Absentee Ballot Transparency Act of 2024) | Ways & Means, hearing 2/13 |
| HB 182 | Bouchat | Districting – Single Member Districts & Legislation & Redistricting & Apportionment Conventions | Rules & Executive Nominations, 1st reading |
| HB 192 | Long, R | Elections – In-Person Voting – Proof of Identity | Ways & Means, hearing 1/25 1 p.m. |
| HB 202 | Long, R | Election Law – Absentee Ballots – Signature Requirements & Verification | Ways & Means, hearing 1/25 1 p.m. |
| HB 257 (SB99) | Qi | Election Law – Affiliation w/ a Party & Voting – Unaffiliated Voters | Ways & Means, 1st reading |
| HB 331 | Guyton | Election Law – Candidate ExpendItures – Campaign-Related Child Care Expenses | Ways & Means, hearing 2/6 |
| HB 333 | Rosenberg | Election Law – Election Disinformation on Large Social Media Platforms & Influence Related to Voting | PASSED |
| HB 347 (SB140) | Palakovich, Carr | Gen’l Assembly Vacancy – Political Party Central Committee | Ways & Means, hearing 2/6 |
| HB 371 | Grossman | Election Law – Recounts – Procedures | PASSED |
| HB 373 | Vogel | Election Law – Voting Age – Bd of Ed Elections | Ways & Means, hearing 2/6 |
| HB 528 (SB116) | Buckel | Orphans’ Court Judges – Restriction on Practice of Law | PASSED |
| HB 585 | The Speaker and many others | Protecting Election Officials Act of 2024 | PASSED |
| HB 677 (SB23) | Cardin | Orphans’ Court Judges – Elections | Judiciary, hearing 2/13 |
| HB 792 (SB16) | Jones, D | Election Law – Campaign Finance – Draft Committees & Exploratory Committees | Ways & Means, hearing 2/20 |
| HB 800 (SB660) | Smith | Md Voting Rights Act of 2024 – Counties & Municipalities | Ways & Means,hearing 2/20 |
| HB 872 | Kaiser | Election Law – Campaign Materials – Disclosure of Use Synthetic Media | Ways & Means,hearing 2/23 |
| HB 951 | Fair | County Board of Ed – Voter Registration Link – Posting Requirement | Ways & Means, hearing 2/27 |
| HB 1022 | Wilkins | Election Law – Incarcerated Individuals – Voting Eligibility & Access | Ways & Means, 1st reading |
| HB 1088 (SB605) | Feldmark | Election Law – Automatic Voter Registration – Alternatives | Ways & Means, hearing 2/27 |
| HB 1109 (SB1029) | Ruth | Election Law – Registered Voter List and Petitions (Ballot Petition Modernization Act) | Ways & Means, hearing 3/5 |
| HB 1222 (SB1052) | Adams | Local Boards of Election – Maintenance & Public Disclosure of Election Records | Ways & Means, hearing 3/5 |
| HB 1288 | McComas | Election Law – Initiative Process | Ways & Means, hearing 3/5 |
| HB 1303 | Grossman | Election Law – Local Boards of Local Boards of Elections – Compensation | Ways & Means, hearing 2/27 |
| HB 1353 | Howard Co. | Howard Co – Bd of Ed Elections Ranked-Choice-Voting, HoCo 6-24 | Ways & Means, hearing 3/5 |
| HB1503 | Roberts | Election Law – Campaign Finance Activities – State Treasurer | Passed |
| HJ 9 | Soloman | USA – DC – Statehood | Rules, & Exec. Nominations, 1st reading |
Emergency Room Crisis Task Force
.
| BILL NUMBER | SPONSOR | DESCRIPTION | COMMITTEE |
Environment and Climate Change Bills Tracked
| BILL NUMBER | SPONSOR | DESCRIPTION | COMMITTEE |
| SB 969 | Elfreth/Guzzone | Stream and Watershed Restoration | Education Energy,, and the Environment. Passed, Sent to Governor |
| HB 1165 | Love/Ivey/Stein | Stream and Watershed Restoration | Environment and Transportation – Passed, Sent to Governor |
| SB 653 | Augustine | Clean Water Justice Act of 2024 | Education Energy and the Environment – Passed, Sent to Governor |
| HB 1101 | Love, Charkoudian, Foley, Fraser–Hidalgo, J. Long, Ruth, and Stewart | Clean Water Justice Act of 2024 | Environment and Transportation – Passed, Sent to Governor |
| HB729 | Hill, McComas, Taylor, Terrasa, and Williams | Vernal Pool Wetlands Protection Act of 2024 | Environment and Transportation – Still in committee; no cross filed bill in Senate (admin bill, placeholder for a Senate bill) |
Health Care Bills Tracked
| BILL NUMBER | SPONSOR | DESCRIPTION | COMMITTEE |
| HB403 | Hill & others | The End-of-Life Option Act (The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings and the Honorable Shame E. Pendergrass Act): Allows residents in Maryland to access medical aid in dying. | Health and Government Operations Committee and Judiciary Committee, Hearing held 2/16 – See Baltimore Sun article 2/24 |
| SB443 | Lam & others | The End-of-Life Option Act (The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings and the Honorable Shame E. Pendergrass Act): Allows residents in Maryland to access medical aid in dying. | Judicial Proceedings Committee, hearing 2/8 |
| HB728 | Cullison et al. | Health Insurance – Qualified Resident Enrollment Program (Access to Care Act) | Health and Government Operations – Passed, Sent to Governor |
| SB705 | Lam and Hayes | Health Insurance – Qualified Resident Enrollment Program (Access to Care Act) | Finance – Third Reading Passed (34-13) |
State Budget and Tax Policy
| BILL NUMBER | SPONSOR | DESCRIPTION | COMMITTEE |
| SB0360 | President | Budget Bill (Fiscal Year 2025) | Passed both chambers, Sent to Governor |
Drug Benefits for State Employees.
| BILL NUMBER | SPONSOR | DESCRIPTION | COMMITTEE | STATUS |
| SB 349 | McKay | State Prescription Drug Benefits – Retirees | Budget and Taxation Committee | Hearing 2/28 at 1 PM |