Stay up to date on legislation through our Bill Tracker! View position statements, access bill text, and check hearing times and dates.

Senate DDA Budget Action Days

February 18th, 19th, and 20th This Week

This Thursday, February 20th is an important day for the future of Home and Community-Based DD Services in Maryland. At 1 p.m. in the Senate B&T Health and Human Services Subcommittee, the first DDA Budget hearing is happening, and we need to make our voices heard! Over the next three days, we ask our community to reach members of the Senate to share information about what these cuts would do to you, your family, and/or the people you support.

Tuesday, February 18th - Writing and Sending Your Story To Legislators

Tomorrow, February 18th, testimony is due for the DDA Budget, scheduled to be in Senate B&T Health and Human Services DDA Budget hearing on February 20th at 1 p.m. The Budget Bill number is SB0319.

You can submit tesitmony on the MGA Legislative website here, but note that you must set up an account to do so! Check out the guide on using the MGA Website below to get started! On Tuesday, log into MyMGA and select "Witness Sign Up". Scroll down to see the Senate Health And Human Services Hearing (it will be under a red header).

Positions you may select for your testimony are:

• Favorable (you agree with and support the Governor's draft budget as written);
• Favorable with Amendment (you agree with parts of the budget but do not agree with certain parts of it and want them to be changed/have changes to suggest);
• Unfavorable (you disagree with the budget bill), or;
• Letter of Information (you are not taking a formal position, but want to express your opinion or provide information that may be helpful to the budget discussion).

This submission option for the DDA Budget will only be available between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday! Use our Proposed Budget Fact Sheet below to learn about budget impacts as you write your story. You may also wish to use the testimony template attached.

We also encourage you to email members of B&T, and the Health and Human Services Subcommittee through their contact information below! You should send your message to your own district representatives as well. You can find their information using the Find My Representatives tool through the button below. Enter your address and scroll to the bottom where it shows your Legislative District, state Senator, and State Delegates. You can click Email to message them all together!

Wednesday, February 19th - Calling Legislators

On Wednesday the 19th, we invite you to reach out to Legislators who are part of the Budget and Taxation Committee, specifically its Health and Human Services Subcommittee. You can call their offices to share how budget cuts would affect you or a loved one. Our message is that while we expect we may need to come to the table with some alternative solutions, we cannot take a 22% budge cut! We are counting on them to "Save Our DD Services." Those contacts and their phone numbers are listed above!

Thursday, February 20th - The DDA Budget Hearing In Annapolis

On Wednesday, advocates from across Maryland will be in Annapolis to attend the DDA Budget hearing. You can attend in person in the Miller Senate Building, William Amoss Room, 4th Floor. You can also watch the hearing online here, where you can click the LIVE button next to the subcommittee name once they begin. If you attend in person, know that the room will fill up quickly, so arrive early, and do not be dismayed if you do not get a spot - your presence is still important, and you can use this time to stop by your representatives' offices to drop off copies of your letters.

Close to 1K Gather in Annapolis for Developmental Disabilities Day at the Legislature

On Thursday, February 13th, advocates joined together in Annapolis, with several hundred in person and more than a thousand more tuning in online, to hear about legislative issues affecting the lives of Marylanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Thank you to everyone who participated, including several legislative champions, people with disabilities, families, providers and allies, and to our Maryland Developmental Disabilities Coalition colleagues with whom The Arc Maryland partnered to make this event possible.

During the event, we premiered a video highlight reel from the February 3rd rally in Annapolis to Save Our DD Services! You can watch the video below, check out fact sheets and pictures from DD Day, and watch the event recording if you missed it!

Tuesday, February 18th at 1 p.m. in House APP

• HB0531 - Education - Remote Learning Accommodations - Established (College Disability Education Act)

Tuesday, February 18th at 1 p.m. in House E&T

• HB0896 - Human Relations - Discrimination in Housing - Income-Based Housing Subsidies

Tuesday, February 18th at 1 p.m. in House W&M

• HB0781 - Election Law- Polling Place Procedures- Voting by Elderly Voters and Voters with Disabilities (Accessible and Expedited Voting Act of Maryland)
• HB0816 - Election Law - Petitions and Ballot Questions - Contents, Plain Language Requirement, and Procedures
• HB0983 - Election Law - Local Boards of Elections - Language-Related Assistance

Tuesday, February 18th at 1 p.m. in Senate FIN

• SB0433 - Office of Disability Employment Advancement and Policy and Maryland as a Model Employer Initiative - Established
• HB0592 - Public Health - Health Care Quality Fund for Community-Based Behavioral Health Programs - Establishment
• SB0679 - Nursing Homes - Direct Care Wages and Benefits and Cost Reports (Nursing Home Care Crisis Transparency Act)

Wednesday, February 19th at 1 p.m. in House APP

• HB0504 - Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act

Wednesday, February 19th at 1 p.m. in House W&M

• HB0689 - Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Use of Reimbursement Funds by Schools
• HB0743 - Public Health - Health Care Quality Fund for Community-Based Behavioral Health Programs - Establishment
• HB0862 - Child Care Affordability Commission - Establishment

Wednesday, February 19th at 1 p.m. in Senate B&T

• SB0429 - Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act
• SB0603 - University of Maryland, College Park Campus- TerpsEXCEED Program Funding

Wednesday, February 19th at 1 p.m. in Senate EEE

• SB0429 - Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act
• SB0602 - County Boards of Education - Special Education Service Delivery Models - Publication Requirement

Thursday, February 20th at 1 p.m. in Senate B&T Health and Human Services Subcommittee

• DDA Budget Hearing

Thursday, February 20th at 1 p.m. in House HGO

• HB0933 - Nursing Homes - Direct Care Wages and Benefits and Cost Reports (Nursing Home Care Crisis Transparency Act)

Thursday, February 20th at 1 p.m. in Senate EEE

• SB0490 - State Boards, Committees, Commissions, Task Forces, and Workgroups - Elimination of Citizenship Requirements and Establishment of Diversity Requirements

Thursday, February 20th at 1 p.m. in Senate FIN

• SB0659 - Consumer Protection - Electronic Funds Transfers - Regulations (Elder Fraud Prevention Act of 2025)

Friday, February 21st at 1 p.m. in Senate EEE

• SB0482 - Public Middle and High Schools - Student Discipline (Right to Teach Act of 2025)
• SB0714 - Public Schools - Discipline-Related Data - Collection and Publication

Monday, February 24th at 11 a.m. in House W&M

• HB1097 - Workgroup on Mail-In Ballot Accessibility

Tuesday, February 25th at 1 p.m. in House APP

• HB0450 - Maryland Transit Administration - Disability Reduced Fare Program - Renewal for Permanently Disabled Individuals

Tuesday, February 25th at 1 p.m. in House HGO

• HB0696 - State Boards, Committees, Commissions, Task Forces, and Workgroups - Elimination of Citizenship Requirements and Establishment of Diversity Requirements

Tuesday, February 25th at 1 p.m. in House W&M

• HB0526 - Primary and Secondary Education - Definition and Notification of Reportable Offense - Alterations
• HB0620 - Primary and Secondary Education - Reportable Offense - Alteration
• HB0694 - Public Schools - Individuals With Disabilities - Main Entrance Accessibility and Emergency Planning
• HB0702 - County Boards of Education - Special Education Service Delivery Models - Publication Requirement

Wednesday, February 26th at 1 p.m. in Senate EEE

• SB0615 - Election Law - Petitions and Ballot Questions - Contents, Plain Language Requirement, and Procedures
• SB0685 - Election Law - Local Boards of Elections - Language-Related Assistance
• SB0838 - Election Law - Absentee Ballots - Signature Requirements and Verification
• SB0929 - Workgroup on Mail-In Ballot Accessibility

Thursday, February 27th at 1 p.m. in House APP

• HB0352 - Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2025

Friday, February 28th at 2:30 p.m. in House APP Health and Social Services Subcommittee

• DDA Budget Hearing

Friday, February 28th at 1 p.m. in Senate B&T

• SB0321 - Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2025

House of Delegates:

APP - Appropriations

EMC - Economic Matters

E&T - Environment and Transportation

HGO - Health and Government Operations

HRU - Rules and Executive Nominations

JUD - Judiciary

W&M - Ways and Means