2017 SESSION OF THE
MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
| | | |
| 2017 SESSION OF THE |
| Volume 23, Number 1 | January 18, 2017 |
Here are some of the hot issues as the 2017 Legislative Session develops:
Session Opens
Lobbying Reminder
2017 Session
Some dates of major legislative importance include:
- January 18th: Deadline for the introduction of the Operating Budget Bill and Capital Budget Bill
- February 1st: Governor scheduled to deliver the State of the State Address
- April 3rd: Deadline for the passage of the Budget Bill
- April 10th: General Assembly adjourns Sine Die
We will use this email as a tool to keep you abreast of changes and concerns which may affect Johns Hopkins, and welcome any feedback you may have. If you would like to assist an elected official or advocacy group in any way, please contact our Annapolis office at 410-269-0057. We can provide practical guidance in all aspects of the policy-making process and anticipate any political landmines to ensure you are well-prepared. It is also possible that your participation may be construed as lobbying and/or as setting forth the position of Johns Hopkins. Unless you are explicitly authorized in advance to speak on behalf of Johns Hopkins, all testimony should be given on a personal basis, should not use Johns Hopkins letterhead, and should include the following disclaimer: “The opinions expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Johns Hopkins University (or The Johns Hopkins Health System, as applicable).” This week’s new bills of interest to the Johns Hopkins community:
Lobbying Reminder
As not-for-profit, tax-exempt entities, The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation (JHHS) are required to comply with certain lobbying disclosure laws and ethics rules, and are prohibited as institutions from endorsing candidates or participating in political campaigns.
2017 Session
BILLS INTRODUCED
Behavioral Health SB27 Child Abuse and Neglect - Substance-Exposed Newborns - Reporting Repealing specified provisions exempting a health care practitioner from making a specified report regarding a substance-exposed newborn under specified circumstances; and making the Act an emergency measure. Hearing Date: Tue 1/24 1:00 PM Effective Date: Upon Enactment [GO TO TOP] [GO TO BILL LIST] HB13 Baltimore City - High Crime Zones - Required Public Notice Requiring the Police Commissioner of Baltimore City to post signs reasonably calculated to notify the public of the presence of an area designated as a "High Crime Zone", A "Stop and Frisk Zone", or any similar name; and requiring signs to be placed intermittently around the perimeter of the designated areas to notify the public of the existence and effects of the designation. Hearing Date: Tue 1/31 1:00 PM Effective Date: October 1, 2017 HB58 Baltimore City - Police Tactics and High Crime Zone Notification Requiring the Police Commissioner of Baltimore City to notify the Mayor, the City Council, and the Baltimore City Delegation to the General Assembly within 30 days after the development and implementation of new tactics, technologies, and devices; and requiring the Police Commissioner of Baltimore City to notify the Mayor, the City Council, and the Baltimore City Delegation to the General Assembly within 30 days after the establishment or modification of specified enforcement areas. Hearing Date: Tue 1/31 1:00 PM Effective Date: October 1, 2017 [GO TO TOP] [GO TO BILL LIST] SB26 Maryland False Claims Act - Municipal Corporations Altering the definition of "governmental entity" to include a municipal corporation for purposes of the Maryland False Claims Act; and providing for the prospective application of the Act. Hearing Date: Tue 1/24 1:00 PM Effective Date: October 1, 2017 [GO TO TOP] [GO TO BILL LIST] HB63 Health Care Practitioners - Cost Estimate Notice - Required Requiring health care practitioners to provide specified information relating to the cost of a health care service to an individual or the parent or guardian of a minor; requiring the information to be provided in writing before performing the health care service; and excluding emergency health care services from the application of the Act. Hearing Date: Effective Date: October 1, 2017 HB70/SB151 State Board of Nursing - Disciplinary Process and Authority - Revisions Authorizing a disciplinary committee of the State Board of Nursing to grant and deny licenses and certificates and take specified disciplinary action against licensees and certificate holders; authorizing the Board to establish one or more disciplinary committees to conduct specified hearings and issue final decisions or orders under specified provisions of law; authorizing the Board to delegate authority to conduct a hearing and issue a final decision or order to a disciplinary committee; etc. Hearing Date: Effective Date: Upon Enactment SB6 Occupational and Professional Licensing Boards, Commissions, and Regulatory Entities - Notifications of Applicants, Licensees, Registrants, and Permit Holders Altering the methods by which specified occupational and professional licensing boards, commissions, and other regulatory entities are authorized to send specified notices to specified applicants and specified renewal notices to specified licensees, registrants, or permit holders; altering specified requirements for, and the contents of, specified notices; etc. Hearing Date: Tue 1/17 1:00 PM Effective Date: October 1, 2017 SB41 State Board of Nursing - Nurse Licensure Compact - Revisions Changing the name of the Nurse Multistate Licensure Compact to the Nurse Licensure Compact; altering the findings of the party states to the Compact; providing that a multistate license to practice specified types of nursing issued by a home state to a resident in that state will be recognized by each party state for a specified purpose; providing that the party states create and establish a joint public entity known as the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators; etc. Hearing Date: Wed 1/25 3:00 PM Effective Date: July 1, 2017 [GO TO TOP] [GO TO BILL LIST] SB8 Insurance - Risk Management and Own Risk and Solvency Assessment Act Requiring specified insurers to maintain a risk management framework; requiring specified insurers to conduct an own risk and solvency assessment regularly or at any time when there are significant changes to the insurer's risk profile; requiring specified insurers to provide the Maryland Insurance Commissioner with an own risk and solvency assessment report on request; establishing the manner in which specified insurers may comply with the reporting requirement; establishing a penalty of up to $25,000 for failure to comply; etc. Hearing Date: Wed 1/18 1:00 PM Effective Date: January 1, 2018 SB48 Health Insurance - Medicare Supplement Policies for Dual Eligible Individuals - Open Enrollment Period Requiring specified health insurance carriers, under specified circumstances, to make available during a specified time period Medicare supplement policy plans A and C to individuals who are under the age of 65 years but are eligible for Medicare due to a disability; and repealing an obsolete provision of law relating to open enrollment in specified Medicare supplement policy plans for individuals terminated from the Maryland Health Insurance Plan. Hearing Date: Thu 1/12 1:30 PM Effective Date: June 1, 2017 SB61 Health Insurance - Coverage for Digital Tomosynthesis Establishing that a specified coverage requirement that applies to specified insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations includes coverage for digital tomosynthesis under specified circumstances; prohibiting a copayment or coinsurance requirement that is greater than for other breast cancer screenings; applying the Act to all policies, contracts, and health benefit plans issued, delivered, or renewed in the State on or after January 1, 2018; etc. Hearing Date: Wed 1/25 1:00 PM Effective Date: Upon Enactment [GO TO TOP] [GO TO BILL LIST] SB38 Department of Health and Mental Hygiene - Updating Advisory Boards and Councils Establishing a State Advisory Council on Health and Wellness to address chronic disease in the State by repealing and consolidating three existing State advisory councils that address physical fitness, arthritis, and heart disease and stroke; providing for the duties and membership of the Advisory Council; authorizing the Advisory Council to create specified committees; requiring the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene to adopt specified regulations to implement the Advisory Council; etc. Hearing Date: Thu 1/19 1:00 PM Effective Date: October 1, 2017 SB52 Sales and Use Tax - Exemption - Disposable Medical Supplies and Condoms Specifying that an exemption from the sales and use tax for the sale of disposable medical supplies includes specified items; and providing an exemption from the sales and use tax for the sale of condoms. Hearing Date: Wed 1/18 2:00 PM Effective Date: July 1, 2017 SB82 Department of Health and Mental Hygiene - Renaming Renaming the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to be the Maryland Department of Health; renaming the Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene to be the Secretary of Health; providing that the Maryland Department of Health is the successor of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; providing that specified names and titles of a specified unit and officials in laws and other documents mean the names and titles of the successor unit and officials; etc. Hearing Date: Tue 1/17 1:00 PM Effective Date: July 1, 2017 [GO TO TOP] [GO TO BILL LIST] HB33 Income Tax - Subtraction Modification - Retirement Account Withdrawals for Higher Education Tuition Allowing a subtraction modification under the State income tax for the amount received from specified qualified retirement plans if the amount is used to pay for tuition for specified individuals at an institution of higher education in the State; requiring a taxpayer to file, with the taxpayer's tax return, a statement from the institution of higher education certifying the amount of tuition paid during the taxable year; applying the Act to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2016; etc. Hearing Date: Wed 1/18 11:00 AM Effective Date: July 1, 2017 [GO TO TOP] [GO TO BILL LIST] SB68 Criminal Law - Veterans - Medical Cannabis Adding posttraumatic stress disorder to the definition of "debilitating medical condition" for the purposes of specified affirmative defenses to a charge of use or possession of marijuana; establishing a specified affirmative defense for a charge of use or possession of marijuana for a specified qualified veteran patient; establishing a specified written certification for a qualified veteran patient; etc. Hearing Date: Effective Date: October 1, 2017 [GO TO TOP] [GO TO BILL LIST] HB77 Lean Government Advisory Board - Establishment Establishing the Lean Government Advisory Board; providing for the composition, chair, and staffing of the Board; requiring the Board to meet at least quarterly and to apply lean principles to analyze the operations and organization of State government, identify specified inefficiencies, and recommend improvements to increase State government efficiency and improve the delivery of State government services; requiring the Board, beginning December 1, 2018, to annually report its recommendations to the General Assembly; etc. Hearing Date: Effective Date: October 1, 2017 [GO TO TOP] [GO TO BILL LIST] HB1 Labor and Employment - Maryland Healthy Working Families Act Requiring employers that employ 15 or more employees to provide employees with earned sick and safe leave that is paid at the same wage rate as the employee normally earns; requiring employers with 14 or fewer employees to provide an employee with unpaid earned sick and safe leave; providing for the manner in which earned sick and safe leave is accrued; authorizing an employee to work additional hours or trade shifts with another employee under specified circumstances; applying the Act prospectively; etc. Hearing Date: Effective Date: January 1, 2018 HB65 Labor and Employment - Maryland Healthy Working Families Act Requiring employers that employ 15 or more employees to provide employees with earned sick and safe leave that is paid at the same wage rate as the employee normally earns; requiring employers with 14 or fewer employees to provide an employee with unpaid earned sick and safe leave; providing for the manner in which earned sick and safe leave is accrued; authorizing an employee to work additional hours or trade shifts with another employee under specified circumstances; applying the Act prospectively; etc. Hearing Date: Effective Date: January 1, 2018 SB55 Employers of Ex-Offenders - Liability for Negligent Hiring or Inadequate Supervision - Immunity Establishing that specified employers are not liable for negligently hiring or failing to adequately supervise an employee based on evidence that the employee has received probation before judgment for an offense or has been convicted of an offense under specified circumstances; providing that the Act does not limit or abrogate specified other immunities or defenses; applying the Act prospectively; etc. Hearing Date: Tue 1/24 1:00 PM Effective Date: October 1, 2017 Legislative Session Office Legislative Hotline is a service of Johns Hopkins Government Affairs. © 2016 The Johns Hopkins Institutions. Baltimore, Maryland.
For more information, please contact: Nicole McCann
Economic & Community Development
For more information, please contact: Mary Clapsaddle
For more information, please contact: Mary Clapsaddle
General Business
For more information, please contact: Rianna Matthews-Brown
Health Care Occupations
For more information, please contact: Nicole McCann
For more information, please contact: Rianna Matthews-Brown
For more information, please contact: Rianna Matthews-Brown
For more information, please contact: Rianna Matthews-Brown
Health Insurance/Health Care Access
For more information, please contact: Mary Clapsaddle
For more information, please contact: Nicole McCann
For more information, please contact: Nicole McCann
Health, General/Public/Environmental
For more information, please contact: Nicole McCann
For more information, please contact: Nicole McCann
For more information, please contact: Rianna Matthews-Brown
Higher Education/Financial Aid
For more information, please contact: Mary Clapsaddle
Marijuana
For more information, please contact: Rianna Matthews-Brown
Miscellaneous
For more information, please contact: Mary Clapsaddle
Workplace Regulation
For more information, please contact: Rianna Matthews-Brown
For more information, please contact: Rianna Matthews-Brown
For more information, please contact: Rianna Matthews-Brown
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.
47 State Circle, Suite 203
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-269-0057
fax 410-269-1574
Chelsea Beaupre [email protected] Mary Clapsaddle [email protected] Mickey Geisler [email protected] Sheila Higdon [email protected] Rianna Matthews-Brown [email protected] Nicki McCann [email protected]
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ACRONYMS
Office of Government and Community Affairs.