Legislative Hotline
2008 SESSION OF THE
MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Volume 15, Number 1����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� January 16, 2008
Here are some of the hot
issues as the 2008 Legislative Session develops:
OPENING DAY
B&T COMMITTEE
CHANGES
BILLS
INTRODUCED
STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION
The 425th Session of the Maryland Legislature opened
in
B&T
Committee Changes
The Senate Budget & Taxation Committee has undergone significant
restructuring. Two subcommittees have merged to form the Health,
Education, and Human Resources subcommittee, which now has purview over all
health and higher education budget issues. This subcommittee will be lead
by Senator Ed Kasemeyer (
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BILLS INTRODUCED
HB0023 �Maryland Green Buildings Standards Act of 2008
This bill requires certain buildings receiving state
capital funding to meet the standards of a “high-performance
building.”� High-performance
buildings are defined as meeting one of the following standards: achieving at
least a silver LEED rating, achieving at least a two globe rating according to
the Green Globes Program, achieving a comparable rating on a nationally
recognized sustainable development rating system, or meeting nationally
recognized green building guidelines approved by the state.� Subject to a cost/benefit analysis, the
following projects will be required to meet the high-performance building
criteria: new construction of a building projected to cost $5M or more, of
which $2M or more is to be provided by the state; renovation of a building that
is projected to cost $2M or more, of which $2M or more is to be provided by the
state; and renovation of a public school facility that is projected to cost $2M
or more, of which $2M or more is to be provided by the state.� Also increases by 2% the state’s share
of funding for renovation of a public school as a high-performance building.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Matt
Greenwood
HB0040 �Flexible Leave Act
This bill provides that an employee of a Maryland
employer may use earned leave with pay for the illness of the employee’s
immediate family (child, spouse or parent).�
If the employee earns more than one type of leave with pay, they may
choose the type of and amount of leave to use.�
Leave with pay under the bill includes sick leave, vacation time and
compensatory time.� The employee must
comply with the terms of a collective bargaining agreement or employment policy
when using leave with pay with exceptions.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Delora
Sanchez
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HB0008 �Lottery for Schools Act of 2008
This bill will allocate money from the sale of state
lottery tickets to K – 12 public school classroom staff, instruction
materials and the Bridge to Excellence Public School Program (Thornton).� The amount of money distributed to each
public school system will be proportionate to the amount of lottery ticket
sales in the public schools’ political subdivision. Twenty-five percent
of the proceeds from the sale of lottery tickets will be distributed to
classroom staff and instructional materials in public schools.� Seventy-five percent will be distributed to
the general fund to provide additional revenue for public school systems under
Thornton.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Delora
Sanchez
HB0021 �Education - Compulsory Attendance - Age of Withdrawal
This bill will increase the age at which a child may
withdraw from mandatory school attendance from 16 years to 18 years of
age.� Individuals that have legal custody
or care and control of a child who is over 5 years of age but less than 18
years of age will be required ensure that the child attends school.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2010
For more
information, please contact:� Delora
Sanchez
HB0049 �Education - Maryland High School Assessment Test
Results
This bill requires the State Board of Education to
report to each county board the Maryland High School Assessment test results of
each student in the local school system.
Effective
Date:� June 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Delora
Sanchez
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HB0057 �Pediatric Cancer Molecular Database Research Grant -
Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation Matching Fund
This bill requires the
annual budget bill to include $200,000 for the Pediatric Cancer Molecular
Database Research Grant to the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation,
provided that the Foundation presents evidence of matching funds by December 1,
2008.�
The
grant’s purpose is to establish an integrated comprehensive database that
would contain genetic tumor information for subsequent comparative analysis
that may lead to a cure for a targeted pediatric cancer and increase the rate
at which pediatric cancer research activities are translated into treatment
protocols in the state.� The bill
stipulates the terms of the grant that would be administered by the Department
of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH).�
Among the stipulations is a memorandum of understanding between the
grantee and DHMH, the Department of Business and Economic Development, and the
Maryland Technology Development Corporation that (1) establishes the scope of
the State’s ownership or other financial interest in the
commercialization and other benefits as a result of the activities funded by
the grant, and, (2) establishes a plan for expediting the translation of
pediatric cancer molecular database research activities into treatment
protocols and clinical trials.� The bill
permits the grantee to select a higher education institution or private entity
to expedite the translation of the research into treatment protocols and
clinical trials.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
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HB0069 �Prosthetic Parity Act
This bill requires insurers, nonprofit health plans
and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage and payment for
prosthetic devices. Coverage must be provided for the prosthetic device
determined by the health care provider of the insured.� Coverage must also be provided for the repair
or replacement of a prosthetic device due to a change in the physical condition
of the insured if determined necessary by the health care provider of the
insured.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Delora
Sanchez
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HB0003 �Public Institutions of Higher Education - Textbook
Fairness Act
This bill would require public higher education
institutions to publish and notify students of the textbooks assigned for each
coarse and include the ISBN.� It would
also prohibit professor's or staff of public higher eduation institutions from
requiring or receiving any payment or benefit in exchange for assigning a
specific text book.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Mat Palmer
SB0031 �Public Utility Companies - Bus Service Provided by
Institutions of Higher Education - Exemption from Motor Carrier Permit
Requirement
This bill would exempt from a motor carrier permit and
Bus service provided by institutions of higher education to their student and
to residents of the municipal corporation which the institution resides in.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Mat Palmer
SB0036 �Legislative Scholarships Integrity Act of 2008
This bill Prohibits a Senator or Delegate from
awarding a Sentorial or Delegate Scholarship to a relative of him/her or any
member of his/her legislative district.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Mat Palmer
SB0049 �Maryland Higher Education Commission - Review of
Duplicative Academic Programs
This bill requires MHEC to determine if unnecessary
duplication of programs exists in regard to Morgan State, Coppin State, Bowie
State and University of Maryland Eastern Shore, for any programs which were
approved or implemented after July 1, 2005 and before December 1, 2005.� MHEC then must deem the unnecessarily
duplicated program unjustified, and that determination is subject to judicial
review in the Circuit Court of Maryland.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Mat Palmer
SB0081 �Public Institutions of Higher Education - Textbook
Fairness Act
Would require public higher education institutions to
publish and notify students of textbooks assigned for each coarse and include
the ISBN.� It would also prohibit
professor's or staff of public higher eduation institutions from requiring or
receiving any payment or benefit in exchange for assigning a specific text
book.
Effective
Date:
For more
information, please contact:� Mat Palmer
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SB0045 �State Advisory Council on Quality Care at the End of
Life - Membership
This legislation adds the Secretary of Disabilities to
the membership of the State Advisory Council on Quality Care at the End of
Life.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
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HB0041 �Crimes - Hate Crimes - Hanging or Placing of a Noose
Alters the definition of a hate crime to include the placement of a noose
on real or personal property.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Mat Palmer
HB0080 �No Nooses Act
Alters the definition of a hate crime to include the
placement of a noose on real or personal property.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Mat Palmer
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HB0037 �Medicare Part D "Donut Hole" Tax Assistance
Act
This bill gives a 50% income tax subtraction for
certain prescription drug costs for an individual who is eligible for
prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D and is enrolled in the Senior
Prescription Drug Assistance Program.�
The income tax subtraction is limited to 7.5% of the individual’s
federal adjusted gross income if the individual itemizes deductions on the
Maryland income tax return.� The bill is
applicable to taxable years after December 31, 2007.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Delora
Sanchez
HB0050 �Prescription Drugs - Marketing or Promotion - Use of
Prescriber Identifying Information
This bill requires the Secretary of Health and Mental
Hygiene in consultation with the appropriate health occupation licensing boards
to establish and periodically update a prescriber data sharing program.� The data sharing program will allow a
prescriber to grant or revoke consent to share their identifying information
for marketing or promoting a prescription drug.�
The bill also requires that a pharmaceutical detailer disclose certain
information to a prescriber about the prescription drug.
Effective
Date:� October 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Delora
Sanchez
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HB0062 �Lead-Containing Products - Prohibition
This bill serves to protect the health of the public,
particularly children under the age of 7 years and adults from products and
food packaging materials containing more that 0.1 part per million levels of
lead by prohibiting the manufacture, sale, offer for sale, importation, or
distribution of specified lead-containing children's products or
lead-adulterated consumable products; providing that specified provisions of
the Act do not apply to specified electronic devices; and authorizing an agent
of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to enter specified factories,
warehouses, and establishments to inspect specified products, obtain product
samples, test samples for lead levels, and possess the authority to declare the
product hazardous, thereby prohibiting the distribution and sale of the
product.
Effective
Date:� Emergency Measure
For more
information, please contact:� Ines Vigil
HB0081 �Task Force to Study the Regulation of Artificial Trans
Fat
This bill establishes
the Task Force to Study the Regulation of Artificial Trans Fat.� Members are to include the following:� a Senator; a Delegate; the Secretary of
Health and Mental Hygiene; a local Health Officer; a representative of the
Restaurant Association of Maryland; a representative of the Association of
Food, Beverage and Consumer Products Companies; a representative of the Center
for Science in the Public Interest; and a representative of the Maryland State
Medical Society, MedChi.
The Task
Force is to study the regulation of artificial trans fat implemented locally
within the state and determine whether the regulation of trans fat should be
implemented statewide.� The Task Force is
also to make recommendations for a program to regulate artificial trans fat
throughout the State.� The Task Force is
to submit a report of its findings by December 1, 2009.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2008
For more
information, please contact:� Ines Vigil
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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
Mickey Geisler��������� �����
[email protected]
Matthew Greenwood����
[email protected]
Sheila Higdon��������� ����� [email protected]
Tom Lewis���������������� ����� [email protected]
Mat Palmer��������������� ����� [email protected]
Delora Sanchez������ ����� [email protected]
Ines Vigil� ���������������� �� ���[email protected]
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