Legislative Hotline
2007 SESSION OF THE
MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Volume
14, Number 4������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� February 7, 2007
ELECTION
OF THE STATE TREASURER
FEDERAL
CHILDREN’S
HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION
BILLS
INTRODUCED
STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION
STATE
During his first State of
the State address before a joint session of the Maryland General Assembly on
January 31, Governor O’Malley reiterated the priorities of his
administration as outlined in his proposed budget and legislative agenda.� Of note, the Governor called on the Assembly
to support the creation of the Life Science Advisory Board, “…so that we can more effectively grow
an industry that already employs 57,000 people in and around places like Johns
Hopkins, NIH, the University of Maryland and the Food and Drug Administration,
to name just a few.”
Election of the State Treasurer
On February 1, Nancy K. Kopp
was overwhelmingly re-elected State Treasurer.�
A
On January 30, Governor O’Malley announced
nominees for three more positions. �Catherine Raggio was
chosen to replace Kristen Cox as Secretary of Disabilities, a position created
by Governor Ehrlich in 2004.� Raggio is executive director of Independence Now, a
nonprofit organization that promotes independent
living.� Brenda Donald, formerly
The Senate Executive
Nominations Committee unanimously approved seven of Governor
O’Malley’s Cabinet nominees on January 29 including John D. Porcari for Transportation, Eloise T. Foster for Budget,
John R. Griffin for Natural Resources, Richard E. Hall for Planning,
Shari T. Wilson for Environment, John M. Colmers for
Health and Mental Hygiene, and Thomas E. Perez
for Labor, Licensing, and Regulation.�
The nominees await final approval of the full senate.� Paula M. Carmody was also confirmed as a new people’s counsel
for the Public Service Commission.
�[ Go to Top]
FEDERAL
Children’s Health Insurance Program
Reauthorization
On February 1, the Senate
Finance Committee began its discussion of the Children’s Health Insurance
Program (CHIP) which will need to be reauthorized this year.� The CHIP program was designed to expand
coverage to uninsured children.� However,
many states have also used the program to provide coverage to adults, such as
parents of CHIP-eligible children, pregnant women, and in some cases, childless
adults.�
Some states, like
Staff has estimated that the
CHIP program costs $5 billion per year nationally.� However, due to the increased cost of care and
expanded enrollments, the program will require an additional $3 billion per
year, or $15 billion during the five year reauthorization period.
�[ Go to Top]
BILLS INTRODUCED
Budget - Capital
HB0051� Creation of a State Debt - Maryland Consolidated
Capital Bond Loan of 2007, and the Maryland Consolidated Capital Bond Loans of
2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006
This bill authorizes the creation of State Debt of
$806,799,000 to be used for necessary building, construction, demolition,
planning, renovation, conversion, replacement, and capital equipment purchases.
This bill includes $12.5 million for Johns Hopkins Hospital’s new
clinical buildings and $2 million for the renovation of Gilman Hall (Johns
Hopkins Bayview Medical Center has $560,000 for capital improvements in a
separate individual bond bill.)
Effective
Date:� June 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Tom Lewis
HB0349� Creation of a State Debt - Adventist HealthCare
This bill authorizes a State grant in the amount of
$120,000 to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital for planning, design, renovation,
expansion, repair, construction and capital equipping of a prenatal care center
in Rockville, MD.
Effective
Date:� June 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
SB0370� Creation of a State Debt - Fort Washington Medical
Center
The bill authorizes a State grant of $560,000 to Fort
Washington Medical Center for planning, design, renovation, expansion, repair,
construction, and capital equipping of the emergency department.
Effective
Date:� June 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
SB0375� Creation of a State Debt - Atlantic General Hospital
This bill authorizes a State grant in the amount of
$700,000 to Atlantic General Hospital for the planning, design, renovation,
expansion, repair, construction and capital equipping of an existing building
to provide primary care and diabetes, outpatient pulmonary, and child sexual
assault services.
Effective
Date:� June 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
Business Operations
HB0090� Consumer Protection - Personal Information Protection
Act
This bill requires certain businesses to destroy or
arrange for the destruction of records that contain personal information. It
also requires certain businesses that own or license certain personal
information of individuals residing in the State to maintain and implement
specific security procedures and practices. Businesses must also notify
individuals whose personal information is the subject of a breach in security,
providing that a violation of the Act is an unfair or deceptive trade practice.
Effective
Date:� January 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Tom Lewis
Economic Development
HB0118� State Government - Priority Funding for Public School
and Transportation Projects for BRAC
This bill compels the
Interagency Committee on Public School Construction, in its recommendations to
the Board of Public Works, to make a high priority of the funding of any public
school construction project needed to accommodate projected student population
growth resulting from the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.
This bill
also compels the Maryland Department of Transportation to include as a priority
(in its Consolidated Transportation Program) any capital project that is needed
to accommodate transportation needs resulting from the 2005 Base Realignment
and Closure Commission.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Matt Greenwood
HB0135� Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board
This bill establishes the Maryland Life Sciences
Advisory Board in the Department of Business and Economic Development,
consisting of 15 members, of which, at least four must represent colleges or
universities. The Advisory Board is to provide advice to the Secretary of
Business and Economic Development and assist the department in developing a
comprehensive state plan for promoting life science research, development,
commercialization and manufacturing in the State.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Tom Lewis
hb0142� Business and Economic Development - Biotechnology
Investment Incentive Act
This bill imposes eligibility restrictions for the
State income tax credit allowed for investments in qualified biotechnology
companies and limits the amount of credits that may be claimed by any
individual to no more than 10% of the total available credit for that year or
for any specific company to no more than $2 million. The bill repeals a
provision making the credit refundable but allows a three year carry over.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Tom Lewis
General Business
HB0136� Base Realignment and Closure Subcabinet
This bill establishes the Base Realignment and Closure
Subcabinet in State government to coordinate the efforts of departments of the
budget, environment, business and economic development, higher education,
housing, and transportation. The secretaries of the departments will serve as
members of the group and the Lt. Governor will be chair.� The Subcabinet is required to submit an
annual report to the Governor and General Assembly.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Tom Lewis
SB0260� Labor and Employment - Leave with Pay - Illness of
Employee's Immediate Family
This bill allows an
employee of an employer that provides leave with pay under the terms of a
collective bargaining agreement or employment policy to use leave with pay for
the illness of the employee's immediate family.�
The employee may only use leave that has been earned, and if the person
earns more than one type of leave with pay, then the employee may elect which
type of leave to be used.
The bill
states that if the terms of a collective bargaining agreement or employment
policy provide a leave with pay benefit that is equal to or greater than the
benefit provided in this bill, the collective bargaining agreement or
employment policy prevails.
This bill
prohibits employers from eliminating or threatening to eliminate an existing
leave with pay benefit.� Employers may
not discharge, demote, suspend, discipline or otherwise discriminate against an
employee or threaten to take these actions against an employee who exercises
the rights granted in the bill or files a complaint, testifies against, or
assists in an action brought against the employer for violating this
legislation.
This bill
does not affect leave granted under the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act of
1993.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Nicole
Xander
General Education
HB0088� Education - Nonpublic Schools - Notification of School
Administration of Enrollee with Criminal Record
This bill expands the requirement that a
student’s police record and juvenile court record be disclosed to the
administration of the school where the student is enrolled to include
non-public schools (the disclosure requirement currently only applies to public
schools).
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact: �Matt
Greenwood
HB0127� Public Schools - Summer Learning Pilot Program
This bill requires the State board of education to
develop a model program for summer learning. The State Board of Education, in
cooperation with local boards, is to select up to three schools for the
Program.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Tom Lewis
HB0139� Education - Geographic Cost of Education Index -
Funding
This bill requires the State to provide grants to
certain county boards of education to reflect regional differences in the cost
of education that are due to factors outside the control of local
jurisdictions. The calculation and distribution of the grants begin in fiscal
year 2009 and require the State Department of Education to update the geographic
cost of education index at specified times.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Tom Lewis
General Health Care
HB0138� Task Force on Health Care Access and Reimbursement
This bill establishes a Task Force to study access to
health care providers and reimbursement levels for providers from public
programs and private health insurers. The Secretary of Health and Mental
Hygiene is to be chair of the Task Force.�
The Task Force is to make a report and recommendations by December 31,
2007.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Tom Lewis
Sb0283� Southern Maryland Prostate Cancer Pilot Program
This bill establishes the Southern Maryland Prostate
Cancer Pilot Program to fund prostate cancer screening, treatment and education
services for uninsured men.� The progam
will be open to men who are at least 50 years of age, and to men who are at
least 40 years of age and are at high risk for prostate cancer on the advice of
a physician or at the request of the individual.� The Program will be funded as provided in the
State budget and through grants distributed by the Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene to local health departments in Southern Maryland.� By September 2010, DHMH is to report to the
Senate Finance Committee and the House Health and Government Operations
Committee on the number of individuals screened and treated by the Program,
including racial and ethnic data on the individuals served, and any cost
savings achieved by the Program as a result of early detection of prostate
cancer.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
Health Care Practitioners
HB0040� Income Tax Credit for Services Donated to Community
Health Organizations
This bill provides a State income tax credit for
health care professionals who provide uncompensated health care to low-income
individuals in certain community health care organizations. The total tax
credit that may be awarded statewide is $250,000.� The Department of Mental Health and Hygiene
is to provide for allocation of the tax credit among community health
organizations. The total credit available to any individual provider is limited
to $1,000.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Tom Lewis
HB0216� HIV Testing - Prohibited Exposure - Victims
This bill adds forensic scientists working under the
direction of a law enforcement agency to the list of possible victims of
prohibited exposure to HIV.� A forensic
scientist working under the direction of a law enforcement agency would also be
added to the definition of "public safety worker" required to test
for HIV in the event of certain exposure.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Nicole
Xander
SB0118� State Board of Nursing - Licensing, Certification, and
Reinstatement Requirements
The bill adds former licensees who file for
reinstatement of their license to those licensees required to undergo a
criminal history records check, beginning in January 2008.� In addition, the bill adds to the
certification requirements for medicine aides including successful completion
of a Board of Nursing approved medicine aide continuing education program and
200 hours of practice as a CMA in the two years preceding renewal of
certification.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
SB0255� State Board of Physicians - Sunset Extension and
Program Evaluation
This bill extends the
sunset for the Board of Physicians (BOP) from June 1, 2007 to July 1, 2013.
In
addition, the bill requires that all applicants for licensure submit to a
criminal history records check.�
Beginning with the 2009 renewal cycle, the BOP is required to begin a
process requiring criminal history records checks on selected annual review
applicants as determined by regulations.�
An additional criminal history records check will be required every 10
years thereafter.
The BOP
will also be authorized to impose a civil penalty of up to $100 per CME credit
for failure of a licensee to obtain the BOP required CME credits.
The bill
also directs the BOP to develop a pilot program for continuing competency for
licensed physicians that addresses the following:
1) an
assessment of a licensed physician's ability to practice medicine
2) the
development, excecution, and documentation of a learning plan based on the
assessment
3) periodic
demonstrations of continuing competence through evidence-based methods
The pilot
program may be implemented in a state-based teaching hospital system that
elects to implement the program; demonstrates the capacity to do so; and agrees
to collect outcome measures to compare the competency of individuals on entry
and completion of the program.� BOP may
provide technical and financial assistance to support the hospital that
implements this pilot program, and BOP must issue a report on the pilot program
to the Governor and General Assembly within 2 years of its implementation.
The bill
also requires proceedings of the Board or a hearing officer following the
issues of formal charges to be open to the public.� Such hearings may be closed on request by
either the licensee or complainant for good cause, consistent with regulations adopted
by BOP.
In
addition, the bill prohibits hospitals and related institutions and employers,
from employing an individual to practice radiation oncology/therapy technology,
radiation technology, or nuclear medicine technology without a certificate.� The bill also authorizes BOP to impose a
civil penalty of up to $1,000 for employing such uncertified individuals;
additionally, it authorizes BOP to impose a $1,000 penalty to any hospital or
related instutions who limit, reduce, change, or terminate any of the above
named technologists or licensed polysomnographic technologists for any reasons
that might be grounds for Board disciplinary action.�
The bill
also amends current law that authorizes a third peer reviewer utilized in the
event that two reviewers have opposing decisions to render a final peer review
decision.� Instead, the role of the third
peer reviewer is to affirm the decision of one of the peer reviewers.
Effective
Date:� June 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
SB0262� Consent Provisions - Minors - Mental or Emotional
Disorder
This bill authorizes psychologists to be added to
those health care professionals who may--over the objection of or without the
consent of a minor--give a parent, guardian, or custodian information about
treatment of a mental or emotional disorder needed by the minor or provided to
the minor.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
Health Insurance
HB0132� Maryland Health Care Access Act of 2007
This bill expands health care access in Maryland
by:� increasing eligibility requirements
for participation in the Maryland Children’s Health Program from 300% of
the federal poverty level to 400% of the federal poverty level with DHMH to
establish a specified annual family contribution from these individuals;
establishes a “Maryland Institute for Health Care Quality,” an
independent, non-profit organization that authorizes the HSCRC to adopt
regulations to provide incentives in the rate setting system for adherence to
quality standards and performance benchmarks; requires insurers to cover
dependent children on a parent's policy until the age of 25; establishes a
“health insurance exchange” for small businesses with a Board of
nine members appointed by the Governor; creates a Task Force on Expanding
Access to Affordable Health Care; and allows an insurance carrier to offer a
discounted rate for participation in a wellness program.
Effective
Date:� Various
For more
information, please contact:� Tom Lewis
Higher Education
HB0081� Maryland Higher Education Commission - Review of
Duplicative Academic Programs
This bill requires the Maryland Higher Education
Commission to determine whether a program approved or implemented after July 1,
2005 is a duplication of academic programs from any affected public institution
of postsecondary education. The decisions of the Commission are subject to
judicial review in the circuit court in accordance with Maryland Administrative
Procedure Act. The retroactive application of the bill would allow Morgan State
University to contest the authorization granted to Towson University and the
University of Baltimore to establish a new MBA program.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Tom Lewis
HB0134� Higher Education - Tuition Affordability Act of 2007
This bill prohibits the Board of Regents of the
University System of Maryland and the Board of Regents of Morgan State
University from increasing the tuition for resident undergraduate students at
the institutions during 2006 and 2007. This bill is coupled with a budget
initiative from the new Administration to fund the University System at a level
that compensates the system for the adjustment necessary to forego a tuition
increase.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Tom Lewis
Medical Liability
HB0338� Task Force on Administrative Compensation for
Birth-Related Neurological Injury
This legislation
creates the Task Force on Administrative Compensation for Birth-Related
Neurological Injury.� The Task Force is
to (1) study the administrative compensation programs for birth-related
neurological injury established or proposed in other states, (2) investigate
the financial, policy, administrative, and legal issues critical to the design
of such a program, and (3) examine the impact of this type of program on the
supply of physicians practicing obstetrics and availability of affordable
obstetrical liability coverage for those physicians.
The Task
Force would be appointed, organize, and begin deliberations no later than
November 1, 2007.� An interim report
would be completed by December 1, 2008 and final report completed by December
1, 2009.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Nicole
Xander
Mental Health
SB0258� State Board of Physicians - Subpoenas - Medical
Records for Mental Health Services
This bill requires
health care providers to disclose medical records for mental health services to
the Board of physicians for investigations into complaints made by someone
other than the patient.� If the Board
issues a subpoena for a patient's records, on the same date that the subpoena
is issues, the Board must notify the patient that the Board is issuing a
subpoena and notify the recipient of the subpoena that the patient has been
sent the notice as well.
Under this
law, the patient would have the right to assert any constitutional right or
other legal authority in opposition to the disclosure by filing a motion to
quash or a motion for a protective order in the Circuit Court within 30 days.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Nicole
Xander
Minority Health Disparities
SB0269� Maryland Health Care Commission - Racial and Ethnic
Variations Data - Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance
This bill authorizes the Maryland Health Care
Commission to include information on racial and ethnic variations in its annual
comparative evaluation of the quality of care outcomes and performance
measurements of health maintenance organization (HMO) benefit plans and
services.� It also prohibits HMOs from
using the racial or ethnic variations data collected for this purpose to
reject, deny, limit, cancel, refuse to renew, increase the rates of, affect the
terms or conditions of, or otherwise affect a health insurance policy or
contract.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
Miscellaneous
HB0086� Vehicle Laws - Distracted Driving and Use of Wireless
Communication Devices While Driving - Prohibitions
This bill creates an
offense to be known as “distracted driving.”� A person would be guilty of distracted
driving if that person drives in an “inattentive manner resulting in the
unsafe operation” of his or her vehicle because they were reading, writing,
performing personal grooming, interacting with animals, adjusting cargo, or
engaging in any other activity that distracted their attention.
This bill
makes it illegal for an individual 18+ years old with a learner’s permit
or provisional driver’s license, or the driver of a school vehicle, to
use a wireless communications device while driving.� It would also make it illegal for any other
drivers to use their hands in the operation of a wireless communications device
while driving, except to initiate or terminate a call, or to turn the device on
or off.� Exceptions would be made in all
cases for emergency calls.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Matt
Greenwood
HB0091� Food Service Facilities - Artificial Trans Fat -
Prohibition
This bill prohibits food service facilities from using
in preparation or serving foods that contain artificial trans fat equal to or
greater than 0.5 grams per serving. Food service facilities are to maintain
on-site the original label for all foods.�
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is required to list food
service facilities that are in violation on the Department’s website.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Nicole
Xander
SB0044� Vehicle Laws - Use of Wireless Communication Devices
While Driving - Prohibitions
This bill makes it
illegal for an individual 18+ years old with a learner’s permit or
provisional driver’s license, or the driver of a school vehicle to use a
wireless communications device while driving.�
It also makes it illegal for any other drivers to use their hands in the
operation of a wireless communications device while driving, except to initiate
or terminate a call, or to turn the device on or off.� Exceptions would be made in all cases for
emergency calls.
The
penalties for infraction would be established as follows:
For a 1st
offense, a fine of not more than $100.
For a 2nd
or subsequent offense, a fine of $250.
Points may
not be assessed against an individual for a first offense unless that offense
contributes to an accident, and a court may waive the penalty against a
first-time offender if the offender can prove that they have acquired a
hands-free device of some kind.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Matt
Greenwood
Prescription Drugs
SB0281� Department of Health and Mental Hygiene - Family
Health Administration - Maryland Medbank Program
This bill transfers the Maryland Medbank Program to
the Family Health Administration within the Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
Public Health
HB0078� Environmental Tobacco Smoke Elimination and Waiver Act
This bill expresses
the intent of the General Assembly to protect the public from involuntary
exposure to secondhand smoke. �This bill
bans smoking in all indoor environments, with the following exceptions: private
homes, hotel/motel rooms, and retail tobacco shops.� This bill also allows for the owner of a bar
or restaurant to obtain a waiver allowing their customers to smoke.� These waivers are to be sold at auction by
individual counties, with all proceeds going towards the Cigarette Restitution
Fund.� The number of waivers is not to
exceed 10% of the total number of bars and restaurants in the county.� The number of available waivers is to
decrease in number over a period of ten years.
Before a
bar or restaurant owner may implement a waiver, they must inform their
employees of the smoking policy, and obtain a written statement from each
employee attesting to the fact that, if not a smoker themselves, they
understand the smoking policy and voluntarily assume any risk resulting from
the policy.
The bill
would require signs to be posted in all smoking areas indicating that smoking
is permitted.� It would require the
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to report to the General Assembly on
the effectiveness and enforcement of this bill.�
The bill codifies fines that would be levied against any employees who
violate the bill or employers who discriminate against whistleblower employees.
Effective
Date:� June 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Matt
Greenwood
HB0261� Motor Vehicles - All-Terrain Vehicles - Protective
Headgear
This bill prohibits an individual who is under the age
of 16 from operating or riding on an all-terrain vehicle unless the individual
is wearing protective headgear that meets the standards established by the
Administrator for Motorcycle Helmets established under state law in the
Transportation Article.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
SB0043� Maryland Assault Weapons Ban of 2007
This bill designates certain firearms as assault
weapons and requires the Handgun Roster Board to maintain a list of prohibited
assault weapons.� The bill also prohibits
transporting designated weapons into the state, as well as the possession,
sale, transfer, purchase, or receipt of a designated weapon.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Matt
Greenwood
SB0067� Income Tax - Credit for Smoking Prohibition on the
Premises of Business Establishments
This bill allows a
business to claim an income tax credit if that business is normally entitled to
permit smoking and forgos that option and voluntarily prohibits smoking on its
premises.� The applicable credit is to be
the lesser of 15% of the state income tax or $5,000.
The Board
of License Commissioners would issue eligibility certificates to certify that
smoking has been prohibited.� The Board
would revoke said certificate if the business violates the smoking prohibition
which gave rise to the credit within 2 years of the credit being claimed.� If an eligibility certificate were revoked,
the business would be forced to repay 200% of the original tax credit.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Matt
Greenwood
SB0091� Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007
This bill expresses
the intent of the General Assembly to protect the public from involuntary
exposure to secondhand smoke.� This bill
bans smoking in all indoor environments, with the following exceptions: certain
hospitals/treatment facilities, private homes, hotel/motel rooms, automobiles
(unless being used for child care) and retail tobacco shops.�
The bill
would require signs to be posted in all smoking areas indicating that smoking
is permitted.� It would require the
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to report to the General Assembly on
the effectiveness and enforcement of this bill.�
The bill codifies fines that would be levied against any employees who
violate the bill or employers who discriminate against whistleblower employees.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Nicole
Xander
Research/Human Subject
SB0362� Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2007
The bill prohibits a
person from performing or attempting to perform human cloning, participating in
an attempt to perform human cloning, or transferring or receiving the product
of human cloning.� Human cloning is
defined in the bill as human asexual reproduction accomplished by introducing
the nuclear material of one or more human somatic cells into a fertilized or
unfertilized oocyte whose nucleus has been or will be removed or inactivated to
produce a living organism at any stage of development with a human or partially
human genetic construction.��
The bill
also stipulates that the prohibition of cloning does not restrict scientific
research except that which is specifically prohibited, and does not prohibit
research using embryonic stem cells obtained from donated unused human embryos
that were created through in vitro fertilization for individuals being treated
for infertility.� It also permits
scientific research that uses nuclear transplantation or other cloning
techniques to produce molecules, DNA, cells other than human embryos, tissues,
organs, plans, or animals other than humans.
Civil
penalties for violation of this bill are 1) not less than $1,000,000 or 2) two
times the gross pecuniary gain an individual derives as a result of the
prohibited acts.� In addition, a
violation is grounds for denial of, renewal of, or revocation of licensure or
certification.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
Taxes/Tax Policy
HB0035� Income Tax - Expensing of Section 179 Property
In 2003, the State decoupled from the
“accelerated depreciation of business property” provisions of the
federal tax law, thus maintaining the state’s longstanding business
property depreciation standards.� This
bill just updates the cross-reference to the most recent federal law change.� The underlying state law on business property
depreciation is unchanged.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Tom Lewis
HB0046� Income Tax - Research and Development Tax Credits -
Modifications
This bill increases the aggregate amount of income tax
credits for qualified research and development expenses from $3,000,000 to
$5,000,000 per calendar year.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
Tort Reform
HB0110� Maryland Comparative Negligence Act
Maryland is one of the only about five states that
have a contributory negligence standard in negligence actions. This bill makes
Maryland a “comparative fault” state and requires that any damages
in a negligence action must be diminished in proportion to the amount of
negligence attributed to the plaintiff. Currently, a plaintiff who has been
contributory negligent is barred from recovery. MHA, the Maryland Association
of Counties, and a number of business coalitions have opposed this proposal for
many years.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2007
For more
information, please contact:� Tom Lewis
STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION
Please contact Government Relations if you have concerns or would like
additional information. Your input assists us greatly in evaluating and
formulating the position of Johns Hopkins on all legislation.
Legislative Session Office
410-269-0057
fax 410-269-1574
Federal
Beth Felder������������������ [email protected]
Jim Kaufman���������������� [email protected]
State
Jessica Best���������������� [email protected]
Mickey Geisler� �����������
[email protected]
Matthew
Greenwood���� [email protected]
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