Here is all you will need to navigate the flurry of bills, hearings and activities that roil the Maryland General Assembly session as we enter Week NINE of the three-month marathon. Our progressive allies at the Job Opportunities Task Force and the Maryland Legislative Coalition have your scorecard and action plan.

Annapolis Annex to Progressive Maryland Weekly Memo for Monday March 2 2020

This week we frontline the work of our allies at the Job Opportunities Task Force/Working Matters, who are and have been focused on the decriminalization of poverty – removing barriers to better lives for low-income families and persons who can easily fall into trouble because the alleged “justice” system in Maryland drains their pockets for the least infraction.

The following are JOTF priorities that have been assigned a bill number, committee, and are scheduled for a public hearing THIS WEEK:

 [To learn more about JOTF priorities and see all the priority bill hearings, follow https://mailchi.mp/jotf/jotfpolicyupdateweek9?e=301b770b0c]

Senate Bill 934 / House Bill 660: Baltimore City and Prince George's County - Lifeline Low-Cost Automobile Insurance Program
The proposed legislation would establish the Lifeline Low-Cost Automobile Insurance Program to offer certain low cost insurance policies to residents of Baltimore City and Prince George's County who are in households with a gross annual household income not exceeding 300% of the federal poverty level and who meet certain other requirements; providing that the Program is part of the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund; requiring the Program, on receipt of a certain premium, to sell, issue, and deliver policies of automobile insurance to certain individuals.
Click here to read JOTF's fact sheet.
Senate Bill 934 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, March 4th at 1:00PM.
House Bill 660 was heard on Thursday, February 20th in the House Economic Matter Committee and is awaiting a committee vote. 

Senate Bill 847 / House Bill 946: Child Support - Guidelines
The proposed legislation authorizes a court, in determining whether the application of the child support guidelines would be unjust or inappropriate in a particular case to consider whether an obligor's monthly obligation would leave the obligor with a monthly actual income below the 2019 federal poverty level for an individual; authorizing the court to decline to establish a child support order under certain circumstances.
Click here to read JOTF's fact sheet.
Senate Bill 847 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Tuesday, March 4th at 12:00PM.
House Bill 946 was heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, February 20th and is awaiting a committee vote.

House Bill 1266: Child Support - Modification - Credit Toward Arrearage
The proposed legislation would require that, if the court modifies a child support award on the basis of the occurrence of a certain event, any overpayment made by a certain child support obligor be credited to the arrears owed by the obligor.
House Bill 1266 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, March 5th at 1:00PM.

Senate Bill 372 / House Bill 568: Election Law - Correctional Facilities - Voter Registration and Voting
The proposed legislation would require the State Board of Elections and the Department of Corrections to ensure that incarcerated persons - pretrial defendants and misdemeanants - who have the right to vote are given both a registration form and an absentee ballot.
This Senate Bill is scheduled for a public hearing in the Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee on March 5th at 1:00PM.
The House Bill was heard in the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, February 11th and is awaiting a committee vote.

Senate Bill 811: Criminal Procedure - Automatic Expungement
Many workers are denied employment opportunities because of a non conviction record. Moreover, a fee must be paid and a petition filed to request the expungement. Lack of finances and information can then become a barrier to a benefit so many need and deserve. The proposed legislation would restrict public access to non-conviction charges and provide for the immediate expungement non-convictions.
This bill is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Thursday, March 5th at 12:00PM.

Senate Bill 922 / House Bill 812: Correctional Services - Diminution Credits - Education
The proposed legislation would award a diminution credit of 90 days for inmates who have successfully obtained a certain educational certificate, diploma, or degree.
Click here to read JOTF's fact sheet.
Senate Bill 922 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Judicial Proceeding Committee on Thursday, March 12th at 12PM.
House Bill 812 was heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, February 25th and is awaiting a committee vote.

Senate Bill 971: Correctional Services - Diminution Credits - Education Milestones
Awarding a one-time diminution credit to reduce the term of confinement of an inmate;  if the inmate successfully obtains a certain educational certificate, diploma, or degree. The Commissioner of Correction would be required to establish a uniform system of deductions and establish the diminution credit that may be awarded to certain inmates
Click here to read JOTF's fact sheet.
Senate Bill 971 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Judicial Proceeding Committee on Thursday, March 5th at 12PM.

Senate Bill 77/ House Bill 1553: Identification Cards and Driver's License Renewals - Inmates
The proposed legislation would require the State Board of Elections and the Department of Corrections to ensure that incarcerated persons - pretrial defendants and misdemeanants - who have the right to vote are given both a registration form and an absentee ballot.
This House Bill is scheduled for a public hearing in the Environment and Transportation Committee on March 6th at 1:00PM.
The Senate Bill was heard in the Senate Judicial Proceeding Committee  on Tuesday, March 21st at 1:00PM.

[To learn more about JOTF priorities and see all the priority bill hearings, follow https://mailchi.mp/jotf/jotfpolicyupdateweek9?e=301b770b0c]

THE MARYLAND LEGISLATIVE COALITION

Critical bills continue to process through the Assembly and our allies at the MLC are tracking them. Here is this week’s lineup. To see their full calendar, click on https://mailchi.mp/68c94082cf1c/2020-maryland-legislative-session-welcome-1169247?e=d378240ba7

THIS IS THE LAST BIG WEEK OF HEARINGS!  This is a big week again, and there are some hearings next week, but crossover is coming fast.  
If you are providing written testimony for any of these bills, please make sure that you get it to the bill sponsor at least 24 hours in advance.  Each of the bills below is linked so you can find the bill sponsor easily - just click on the link. 
You will also be able to submit testimony electronically in Annapolis if you plan to testify in person, and the instructions are available on our website. Be sure to reserve parking.  See instructions at http://mdlegislative.com.   Go to - Legislative Info/Submit Testimony.

MARCH 2nd
HJ0006 - Participation by Maryland Residents in the 2020 Census

MARCH 3rd
HB1090 - Law Enforcement - Complaints and Investigations and Use of Force (Anton's Law)
HB1209 - Public Safety - DNA Collection, Records, Analysis, and Reporting
HB1221 - Public Information Act - Personnel and Investigatory Records - Complaints Against Law Enforcement
HB1246 - Presidential Candidate Tax Transparency Act
HB1367 - Transportation - Western Maryland MARC Rail Extension Study
SB0958 - Criminal Law - Untraceable Firearms
SB1029 - Public Information Act - Personnel and Investigatory Records - Complaints Against Law Enforcement Officers

MARCH 4th
HB0429 - Human relations - Places of Public Accommodation - Pricing of Goods and Services
HB1312 - Water Pollution Control - Discharge Permits - Industrial Poultry Operations (CAFOs)
HB1406 - Land Use - Development - Middle Housing (Modest Home Choices Act of 2020)
HB1425 - Climate Solutions Act of 2020 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act
HB1451 - School Bus Purchasing - Zero-Emission Vehicle - Requirement
SB0669 - Public Health - Prescription Drug Affordability Board and Fund

MARCH 5th 
HB1010 - Health Care Facilities - Discrimination (LGBTQ Senior Bill of Rights)
HB1095 - Public Health - Prescription Drug Affordability Board and Fund
HB1100 - Prescription Drug Affordability Board - Meetings, Legal Advisor, and Technical Changes
HB1105 - Income Tax - Credit for Residential Composting and Pickup Services
HB1220 - Public-Private Partnerships - Highway and Bridge Toll Facilities - Rates (No Lexus Lane Act)
HB1526 - Transportation Carbon Reduction Fund - Establishment (Transportation Carbon Fund Act)
HB1545 - Electric Generation - Transition from Fossil Fuels - Carbon Dioxide Emissions rate and Transition Fund
SB0372 - Election Law - Correctional Facilities - Voter Registration and Voting
SB0811 - Criminal Procedure - Automatic Expungement
SB0873 - Health Facilities - Hospitals - Medical Debt Protection
SB0879 - Public Health - Maryland Infant Lifetime Care Trust Funded by HSCRC and Maryland Patient Safety Center Duties
SB0900 - Criminal Records - Disclosure Information - Prohibited Acts

MARCH 6th
HB1475 - School Buildings - Drinking Water Outlets - Elevated Level of Lead (Safe School Drinking Water Act)
To see the full calendar of progressive bills being tracked by the Maryland Legislative Coalition, click on https://mailchi.mp/68c94082cf1c/2020-maryland-legislative-session-welcome-1169247?e=d378240ba7