Johns Hopkins Institutions

ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Legislative Hotline

2008 SESSION OF THE
MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Here are some of the hot issues as the 2008 Legislative Session develops:

LEADERSHIP IN ANNAPOLIS

BUDGET

HEARINGS

BILLS INTRODUCED
STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION

Leadership in Annapolis
Dr. Miller and Mr. Peterson spent the morning of February 26^th meeting with the Speaker of the House and other key House and Senate leaders to thank them for their continued support of Johns Hopkins and to stress the importance of continued state support our capital projects, the Sellinger program, stem cell research funding, and the Cigarette Restitution Fund program.

On February 27th, Provost Kristina Johnson testified before the Senate Budget & Taxation Committee with a panel of representatives from other MICUA institutions in support of full funding for the Sellinger program.ï¿½ The Provost conveyed Johns Hopkins’ awareness of the fiscal problems which Maryland faces, but asked the Committee to try to maintain the unified higher education formula structure by increasing Sellinger funding in line with other higher education institutions to the extent possible.ï¿½ Provost Johnson was joined on the panel by Thomas Powell, President of Mount St. Mary’s University; Ronald Volpe, President of Hood College; and Tina Bjarekull, President of MICUA.

Senate President Mike Miller invited Johns Hopkins leaders to testify and participate in a press briefing in support of SB 735 – Coordinating Emerging Nanobiotechnology Research (CENTR) in Maryland Program.ï¿½ Dean Nick Jones and Dr. Peter Searson were able to join USM Chancellor Brit Kirwan and UMCP Provost Nariman Farvardin to participate on February 26th.ï¿½ This bill would create the CENTR Fund to provide annual grants in support of advanced nanobiotechnology research at higher education institutions and to promote Maryland as a key location for private-sector firms in the industry.ï¿½ The CENTR Fund would receive $5M annually beginning in FY 2010.

These visits had a very positive impact, in particular on Senate budget subcommittee decisions regarding the Sellinger program, stem cell research funding, and the CENTR fund.

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Budget
The Senate Budget & Tax Subcommittee on Health, Education, and Human Resources, chaired by Senator Ed Kasemeyer, voted to increase Sellinger funding by 4.51% over the FY 2008 appropriation.ï¿½ This would bring the total appropriation for the Sellinger program to $58.6M for FY 2009, and be consistent with the Subcomittee’s action for the other segments of higher education.

Rather than adopting the Department of Legislative Services' recommendation to eliminate the entire $23M in state funding for stem cell research in FY 2009 to help address the state’s fiscal problems, the Subcommittee made a severe cut of $18M, leaving $5M for FY 2009.ï¿½ The Subcommittee’s action is helpful in a way, in that it leaves open the possibility that funding can be restored for the coming fiscal year during budget negotiations.ï¿½ House leaders, particularly Speaker Busch, have expressed a strong commitment to this program, pointing to a good possibility that additional funding may be restored.

The Subcommittee also approved the transfer of $3M of existing economic development funds within the Department of Business and Economic Development to be used in FY 2009 for the CENTR Fund.ï¿½ If the House agrees, those funds would be available for competitive bid beginning on July 1^st of 2008.

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Hearings
On February 26^th the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee held a CRF program briefing which included an update on Johns Hopkins’ program.ï¿½ Drs. John Groopman, Steve Baylin, Malcolm Brock, and Jean Ford were joined by Albert Clark, a program participant from Baltimore City.ï¿½ The testimony on Johns Hopkins’ accomplishments with funding from this program was well received; the committee chairman described Dr. Brock’s testimony on his lung cancer research as “powerful” and expressed his continued support of the CRF program.

Also on February 26^th, there was a hearing on administration bill HB704 – Higher Education Investment Fund (HEIF) Expenditures – Base Realignment and Closure Process (BRAC).ï¿½ Because of the past and current support that Johns Hopkins has provided in bringing new Department of Defense facilities to the state under the BRAC process, Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown requested that Johns Hopkins participate on a panel on behalf of the administration in support of the bill.ï¿½ On several occasions, the state has asked the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering to provide courses to, and asked Johns Hopkins University to testify on Capitol Hill for the state as to the availability of, advanced engineering education programs at Patuxent River Naval Air Station Base in southern Maryland and Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County.ï¿½ Because Dean Nick Jones was occupied testifying in support of Senate President Mike Miller’s bill on nanobiotechnology, Allan Bjerkaas, Associate Dean for the Whiting School of Engineering’s Engineering and Applied Sciences Program for Professionals, testified in support of HB704 on behalf of Johns Hopkins and the School of Engineering.ï¿½ This bill would allow funds in the HEIF to be used to address both the capital and operating needs of all three segments of higher education (public, private, and community colleges) as they respond to BRAC.

On February 29^th, Drs. Dennis Barton and Andy Angelino, from the Johns Hopkins’ Department of Psychiatry, testified with Tom Lewis in support of legislation that will permit treatment of psychiatric patients admitted involuntarily who refuse medication.ï¿½ Testimony on both sides of this issue was tense with committee members expressing very divergent views.

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BILLS INTRODUCED

Health Care Occupations

BILLS INTRODUCED

Health Care Occupations

SB0243ï¿½ Child Abuse and Neglect - Additional Professions Required to Report

This bill would make it a misdemeanor for a health practitioner acting in a professional capacity in the state to knowingly fail to provide notice or report suspected child abuse or neglect where the health care professional is required to provide notice or report.ï¿½ A violator is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to a maximum fine of $1000.

Effective Date:ï¿½ October 1, 2008

For more information, please contact:ï¿½ Delora Sanchez

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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
47 State Circle, Suite 203
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-269-0057
fax 410-269-1574


ï¿½ï¿½ Mickey Geisler	[email protected]
ï¿½ï¿½ Matt Greenwood	[email protected]
ï¿½ï¿½ Sheila Higdon	[email protected]
ï¿½ï¿½ Tom Lewis	[email protected]
ï¿½ï¿½ Mat Palmer	[email protected]
ï¿½ï¿½ Delora Sanchez	[email protected]
ï¿½ï¿½ Ines Vigil	[email protected]
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ACRONYMS

Legislative Hotline is a service of Johns Hopkins Government Affairs.

ï¿½ 2008 The Johns Hopkins Institutions. Baltimore, Maryland.
Office of Government, Community and Public Affairs.