Dear Friends, We recently passed the halfway mark for the 90 day legislative session and we are in the thick of committee work. Floor sessions are becoming longer as more bills are reported out of committee for our consideration, but we've been warned that many worthy bills may not make it out of the body before "crossover," the date by which a bill is guaranteed to be considered by the other house. It definitely feels like the legislative process is a bit slower this year, and I'm guessing that is because it's the first year of the term. Having said that, we're making a concerted effort to address the importance of mental health services that continue to reverberate through the community, especially post-COVID, and some legislation focused on mental health that we've highlighted below has already been approved by the Senate. The budget process is well underway and in the coming weeks we'll be making tough decisions about spending. I'm really enjoying being on the Budget & Taxation Committee and learning about our complex health care and human services systems. It's wonderful to meet with the many groups of constituents who are visiting Annapolis, many of whom are lobbying on bills of interest. Our snapshots below reflect just some of the groups who are visiting. For more real-time updates, be sure to follow me on Twitter @shellyhettleman, Facebook or Instagram. We're going to have our 3rd Shelly@thedeli this coming Monday, March 6th, joined by Dels. Cardin and Stein and are moving East in the district to Stone Mill Bakery for discussions about what's happening this session. Please join us for our gathering! You can register here: https://forms.gle/eEJqwteKD8eFBaG88 Wishing a wonderful Purim this week to all who celebrate! Stay safe & healthy,

Affordable public transportation is critical to the health and wellbeing of Marylanders, however our state’s transportation fares continue to increase, with low-income and Black riders disproportionately bearing the burden of these costs.  SB 617 decouples fare increases from the CPI and gives MTA the power to determine how best to address fares -all while ensuring that the public has input.

Incidents of domestic terrorism and hate crimes are on the rise. SB 785 creates a central office to coordinate domestic terrorism resources in the community to help bring together an array of resources to prevent it.

In a post-Dobbs world, health information sharing is putting reproductive health providers and patients at risk. SB 786 provides extra layers of protection for electronic reproductive health record systems, protecting providers and patients from out-of-state agents who aim to eliminate reproductive choice.

This bipartisan Senate legislative package is the first part of our ongoing commitment to ensure that Maryland has the systems in place to provide timely and effective care to anyone who needs behavioral health help. One pillar is about improving access and the second is about modernizing our behavioral health care system. These twin pillars, improving access and modernizing the system, are foundational to a world-class health system. This is a prime example of the Senate’s commitment to work together on behalf of all Marylanders.

Maryland senators hear legislation to protect patient and provider data on abortion care-Hannah Gaskill, The Baltimore Sun "According to Hettleman, 14 states have put abortion bans in place since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June. “These restrictive states, however, don’t seem content to just stop abortion within their own states,” she said. ”Instead, they’re adopting aggressive tactics to intimidate and even criminalize residents who have traveled out of state to states like Maryland to seek abortion care.” Maryland Bill Targets Universities Partnering with Betting Operators-Bennett Conlin, Sportshandle "SB 620, introduced by Sen. Shelly Hettleman, plans to prohibit colleges and universities from forming a partnership with a sports betting operator “if the institution of higher education receives compensation for student participation in certain sports wagering.” The bill also hopes to make public the specifics of any partnerships between sports betting companies and universities in Maryland."

Baltimore County continues to see an increase in automobile thefts targeting Hyundai and Kia vehicles. The Baltimore County Police have launched a Public Safety campaign for Hyundai owners. Please click on the link below to see free anti-theft software upgrades offered through Hyundai and Kia and also access to free steering wheel locks. https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/departments/police/news/2023/02/18/baltimore-county-police-launch-public-safety-campaign-for-hyundai-owners There have been reports in the media of some insurance companies refusing to write a policy for these vehicles in some states. This is not allowed in Maryland and the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) has confirmed that coverage for these vehicles continues to be available from all of our largest insurer groups. If you have been refused coverage because you own a Hyundai or a Kia, please file a complaint with the MIA: https://insurance.maryland.gov/Consumer/Pages/FileAComplaint.aspx

Attn Medicaid Recipients: Keep your info current to keep yourself insured! Make sure your Maryland Health Connection has your current contact information: Enrollees can log in to their account at MarylandHealthConnection.gov and update their contact information. Enrollees can call MCH at 855-642-8572. Help is available in more than 200 languages. Deaf and hard of hearing use relay service. Enrollees can also call or visit their local Department of Social Services or local health department. More information: https://www.marylandhealthconnection.gov/checkin/

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Marylanders have a new way to connect to a local behavioral health crisis call specialist. Calling 988 connects callers directly to the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline which can provide assistance with substance use or mental health crises. When someone in Maryland calls 988, the call is routed based on the caller’s area code. For those calls routed to Maryland, the call is answered by one of the eight strategically-located call centers. These centers provide phone-based support and information regarding local resources. More information: https://health.maryland.gov/bha/Pages/988md.aspx

Senatorial Scholarship Each year, Delegates and Senators in the Maryland General Assembly award thousands of Maryland students funding for their education. If you know of a student in need of financial assistance for the 2023-2024 academic school year, please forward the following information about my Senatorial scholarship. The FAFSA form must be completed before applying for the Senatorial scholarship.

Scholarship Application

CASEWORK/ADVOCACY Our office advocates for those who may be vulnerable or need assistance cutting through “bureaucratic red tape” with these entities and many more: ◆ Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) ◆ State Highway Administration (SHA) ◆ BGE ◆ Unemployment Insurance (Dept. of Labor) ◆ Tax Issues (Office of the Comptroller) ◆ Citations for milestone birthdays, Gold/Eagle Scout Awards, etc. ◆ Senate resolutions for major/historic commemorations We work closely with our local and federal partners to ensure that our constituents’ voices are heard at all levels of government, striving to make government accessible and responsive to our constituents' needs. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need assistance.