Week in Review: Bills Moving Forward

Two of my bills passed out of committee and are headed to the House floor for discussion:
Environment – PFAS Chemicals – Prohibitions and Requirements (George “Walter” Taylor Act)  HB 275 passed unanimously on March 4 out of the House Health and Government Operations Committee. (Its cross-file, SB 273, passed unanimously in the Senate on March 1, and headed to the House.) This bill prevents the sale of certain products containing dangerous PFAS chemicals, and is the first step towards a safer Maryland for firefighters and all residents across the state.

Natural Resources - Wildlife Trafficking Prevention HB 52 passed 23-2 out of the House Environment and Transportation Committee on March 4. (Its cross-file, SB 381, passed unanimously in the Senate on March 4, and headed for the House.) This bill protects imperiled wildlife species including elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, and great apes by preventing the sale in Maryland of products made from these animals. 

Other bills that moved forward include:
Public Safety - Untraceable Firearms (Ghost Guns), HB 425, banning ghost guns in Maryland, received a favorable vote in the House Judiciary Committee on March 4 and now goes to the House floor for discussion. Ghost guns - untraceable firearms that can be bought online in parts and assembled at home - are considered the fastest-growing gun safety problem facing our country. The bill sponsored by Speaker Adrienne Jones and Delegate Leslie Lopez (and crossfiled by D16 Senator Susan Lee) is an important step in making our communities safer. 

Protecting Women's Reproductive Health:  Declaration of Rights - Right to Reproductive Liberty, HB 1171, (sponsored by Speaker Adrienne Jones), Abortion Care Access Act  HB 937 (sponsored by D16 Delegate Ariana Kelly), and Access to Abortion Care and Health Insurance Act  HB 952 (also sponsored by D16 Delegate Ariana Kelly) all passed out of the House Health and Government Operations Committee on March 4 and are headed to the House floor for debate. This three-piece legislative package protects abortion care access in Maryland, even if the Supreme Court severely restricts or overturns Roe v Wade.

"Family Budget Booster" Bills: On March 3 and March 4, the House passed a total of 6 bills designed specifically to help families financially by eliminating the Maryland sales and use tax on necessities such as baby bottles, baby bottle nipples, and infant car seats (HB 288); diapers (HB 282); certain medical devices (HB 364); diabetic care products (HB 1151); and oral hygiene products (HB 492); as well as tax incentives to businesses to hire workers who have trouble finding work (HB 2). All of these bills are now heading to the Senate.

In Other Legislative News... 
Here are a few other House bills that you may find interesting based on constituent inquiries and media coverage:

General Provisions – Standard Time – Year–Round Daylight Saving Time HB 126 sponsored by Delegate Brian Crosby passed out of the House, was sent to the Senate, and was referred to the Senate Health, Education & Environmental Affairs Committee on February 18. If passed by the Senate and enacted, the Bill would make Daylight Saving Time permanent only when all the surrounding states enact the same legislation and the federal government amends its time code. (Meanwhile, please remember that Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 13!)

Constitutional Amendment - Beer and Wine Licenses - Retail Grocery Establishments HB 506 sponsored by Delegate Lily and heard in the House Economic Matters Committee on February 21, and SB 603, sponsored by Senator Cory McCray and heard in the Senate Education, Health, & Environmental Affairs Committee on March 4 would put a referendum to lift Maryland’s blanket ban on beer and wine in grocery stores, in the form of an amendment to the state’s constitution, on November’s ballot. Marylanders have been unable to purchase beer and wine in grocery stores since 1978, when a law was passed banning the sale of alcohol in supermarkets and chain stores, with a handful of exemptions.

 Gasoline-Powered Leaf Blowers - Sale, Offering for Sale, and Use -- Prohibition HB 934, sponsored by Delegate Linda Foley and heard in the House Economic Matters Committee on February 25, would ban the sale of gasoline-powered leaf blowers throughout the state by 2024, followed by a ban of all usage by the start of 2025. Gas blowers emit hydrocarbons at rates up to nine times higher than those generated by electric blowers. It’s estimated that using a commercial leaf blower for one hour emits as much pollution as driving a 2016 Toyota Camry from D.C. to Miami. Gas-powered blowers produce double the number of decibels and have a lower sound frequency than electric leaf blowers. This blower noise will cause birds, frogs, pollinating insects and other creatures to vacate an area, affecting the ecosystem, and can be heard 23 houses away. Additionally, the noise and toxic fumes generated by gas-powered blowers impact the health and safety of workers who use them on the job.