The 2022 General Assembly session came to a close Monday evening, April 11 at midnight with final action being taken on a number of bills and a few others left outstanding. In all, a total of 2,520 bills, and joint resolutions were introduced, of which 835 passed. A total of 594 legislative bond initiatives were introduced.
While we seemed to be turning the corner with the Covid-19 pandemic, a surge in cases forced the General Assembly to begin the session with virtual hearings and voting sessions. The Senate held in person floor sessions, but the House largely held proforma sessions for the first month. Starting February 14, the Senate began holding in person hearings and open voting sessions, but the House maintained virtual hearings throughout session and only towards the very end did some committees begin voting in person.
With the early presentment of bills, three bill signings were held prior to the end of session. HB 1486/SB 1010 was signed into law on March 18th and went into effect immediately. This emergency bill temporarily eliminates motor fuel taxes for 30-days and allocates $100 million of the supplemental budget to cover the cost of the tax cut. A series of tax relief bills were signed into law on April 1st. The bills signed included income tax cuts for retirees, a work opportunity tax credit, and sales tax exemptions for childcare products and critical health products. The governor also signed HB 1469 which establishes the Maggie McIntosh School Arts Fund to boost funding for arts curriculum in Baltimore City Public Schools by $250,000 a year. The final bill signing before Sine Die took place on April 4th, where the Governor signed the new Congressional redistricting maps. SB 1012 was signed into law after the original maps were struck down by a judge for partisan gerrymandering.
Several bills presented early were vetoed by the Governor but were enacted through a veto override by the Maryland General Assembly. These included:
- The Abortion Care Access Act, HB 937, establishes the Abortion Care Clinical Training Program in the Maryland Department of Health and a related special fund that required the Governor to allot $3.5 million in annual funding for the training for medical professionals to perform abortions. The bill also allows certain trained health care professionals besides physicians to start performing abortions in Maryland and ensures the procedure will be covered without cost by most insurance plans in the state.
- The Time to Care Act of 2022, SB 275, allows Maryland workers to take a partially paid leave to deal with specified personal and family circumstances including the birth of a child, to care for a sick family member, or dealing with a military deployment.
- The Child Interrogation Protection Act, SB 53, alters requirements for the custodial interrogation of a juvenile and prohibits a law enforcement officer from conducting the interrogation of a minor until the child has consulted with an attorney. The bill also requires the law enforcement officer to make a reasonably calculated effort to contact the parent, guardian, or custodian of the child and inform them that the child will be interrogated.
A previous newsletter article summarizes the bills vetoed by the Governor and those that took effect without his signature. Another newsletter item summarizes the bills overridden by the General Assembly. The General Assembly overrode the Governor’s veto of 10 bills.
The traditional bill signing was held the day after session on April 12, 2022 where 79 bills were signed into law. Follow upcoming bill signings here. Three additional bill signings will be held on April 21, May 12, and May 16.
Other major issues that were addressed and passed during the General Assembly session include:
- Cannabis Legalization and Reform – HB 1 is a proposed constitutional amendment that, if approved by voters in the next general election in November 2022, would legalize the possession of cannabis for adults at least age 21 in the State beginning July 1, 2023. HB 837, contingent on the enactment of the constitutional amendment outlined in HB 1, includes provisions for studies, data collection, and reports for both the medical and adult-use cannabis industry, and requires certain agencies to develop specified standards regarding the use of cannabis. The bill also establishes an income tax subtraction modification for specified cannabis businesses and alters the punishment for cannabis possession.
- Climate Change – After the General Assembly failed to pass the Climate Solutions Act of 2021 in the final hours of the 2021 regular legislative session, they made it a priority to pass the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, SB 528 this year. This comprehensive bill focuses on mitigating the State’s impact on climate change and requires the State to alter their approach for reducing statewide greenhouse gas emissions. The bill establishes a goal to achieve net-zero statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. It also establishes requirements for the vehicles purchased in the State’s fleet to be zero-emission vehicles and alters energy conservation requirements for buildings.
- Untraceable Firearms or ‘Ghost Guns’ – HB 425/SB 387 alters the definition of firearm to include an “unfinished frame or receiver” and prohibits an individual from owning an un-serialized firearm. Current owners of these firearms have until March 1, 2023 to serialize them or no longer have them in their possession in order to avoid being in violation of this law.
- Cybersecurity – The Local Cybersecurity Support Act of 2022, HB 1202/SB 754, makes numerous changes to the State’s cybersecurity infrastructure, practices, and procedures. It extends the executive order that established the Maryland Cyber Defense Initiative and establishes the Cyber Preparedness Unit in the Maryland Department of Emergency Management. The bill also requires certain government employees to take cybersecurity preparedness training to help them identify the signs of a possible future cybersecurity threat. The Modernize Maryland Act of 2022, HB 1205/SB 811, is an emergency bill that expands cybersecurity requirements for public and private water or sewer systems and State agencies to assess their vulnerability to cyber attacks. It also makes alterations to cybersecurity infrastructure funding and procurement by State and local governments and establishes the Local Cybersecurity Support Fund. HB 1346/SB 812 significantly expands and enhances the State’s regulatory framework for State and local government cybersecurity in order to prevent future cyber attacks. It requires IT departments to follow certain cybersecurity protocols and outlines reporting requirements for cybersecurity incidents. The bill establishes the Office of Security Management within the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) that will be responsible for an agency’s cybersecurity.
- Criminal Justice Transparency and Accountability – The Maryland Criminal Justice Data Transparency Act, SB 763, requires the Division of Parole and Probation to report to the General Assembly annually with information on the offenders that are under their supervision. It also requires the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy and the Office of the State’s Attorney to collect and report information on each case prosecuted in the circuit courts. Lastly, it makes clarifications to police accountability legislation that passed last session to provide for uniformity in the police disciplinary process.
Articles of Interest –
