Crossover Day in the General Assembly Has Passed and Here are Some of the Bills that Lawmakers are Pushing

Monday was Crossover Day in the General Assembly, the day bills have to get through one chamber of the legislature to guarantee consideration in the other chamber. The House and Senate worked tirelessly to pass bills before the deadline, pushing legislation that addressed pandemic related issues and other important matters.

Maryland Matters reported President Ferguson addressing the General Assembly’s approach to COVID-19 legislation:

“We’re in a really dynamic, once-in-100-year moment, and so we’ve really tried to be thoughtful about prioritizing the policies that will set Marylanders up to be successful in the years following the pandemic,” said Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City). “We’re going to be dealing with this for years — for decades, probably. So it’s an important time to get off on the right foot.”

Here are some of the measures lawmakers passed:

Bills that would provide extra protections to local public health officers, who have been targeted by citizens who resisted masking and vaccine mandates during COVID-19 [SB 956, SB 548, HB 609];

Bills that would expand programs that help tenants who are struggling to meet their rent payments [SB 384, SB 6, HB 521];

Bills that would extend job opportunities to students and low-skilled workers who have been left behind by the post-pandemic recovery;

Bills that would alter procurement and open meetings laws based on lessons drawn from the pandemic [HB 767];

Bills that would enable state leaders to assess the post-pandemic economy.

Maryland Matters also outlined other important non-COVID related measures passed by the House and Senate Chambers:

Disclosure of corporate contributions to advocacy organizations – HB 1343 would require companies that have contracts with the state of $1 million or more to disclose donations to advocacy organizations that run advertising campaigns on behalf of a particular project to the State Board of Elections.
House votes for ‘Indian Head’ Highway name change – the House unanimously passed HB 1433, which requires the State Highway Administration to change the name for MD Route 210, known as Indian Head Highway, and designate the road as Piscataway Highway.
Measure to create Baltimore-area transit commission advances – HB 1336 would create a commission, the Greater Baltimore Transit Governance and Funding Commission, to come up with options for funding transit improvements in the region and submit those recommendations by the end of 2023.
Clean cars – The Clean Cars Act of 2022 (HB 1391) would extend an expired tax credit for electric vehicles but was amended to exclude hybrid vehicles and apply only to zero-emission vehicles. The tax credit is also limited to vehicles that cost $50,000 or less, a drop from the previous limit of $63,000.
Gun store security – HB 1021, introduced by the Speaker, would require heightened security measures at gun stores, including alarm systems and security barriers including bars, security screens or grates on the windows and doors. The bill also outlines measures that stores must take when storing firearms when closed and allows the state to suspend a dealer’s license if they don’t comply with the security requirements.
Establishing the Maggie McIntosh School Arts Fund – HB 1469 establishes the School Arts Fund to boost funding for arts curriculum in Baltimore City Public Schools by $250,000 a year. The bill was amended to change the name to the Maggie McIntosh School Arts Fund, in honor of House Appropriations Committee Chair Maggie McIntosh, who is retiring this year and is a former art teacher. The bill passed unanimously.