Maryland Legislative Watch
“It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones” - Calvin Coolidge
All bills on this site are from prior sessions - do not contact legislators on the status of this legislation as none of it is any longer under consideration. Bills either passed and are part of Maryland code or died.
Maryland Legislative Watch was a great experience and I hope you got a lot out of it. This 2017 legislative session was the last one for the project.
I thank every hard working volunteer over the years - it is hard work trying to take time to read both the words and meaning behind bills. I hope the experience was rewarding for you in some say.
Thank you to everyone who took time to contact committees on legislation. That’s one of the few ways we can make a difference in Annapolis.
2017 vote reports will not be available.
Please take the time to download prior session legislator vote reports. We will not host any reports past January, 2018.
I hope you got something out of the project, whether it was knowing how your representatives voted, understanding the legislative process, or seeing the depth and breadth of issues in which the Maryland General Assembly involves itself.
2017 HB 1285, sponsored by Delegate Stein, proposes that if a vehicle passenger isn’t wearing a seatbelt, that becomes a primary motor vehicle offense. In part, the bill’s purpose is:
FOR the purpose of making the failure to wear a seat belt in a rear passenger seat of a motor vehicle a primary offense rather than a secondary offense; requiring a certain motor vehicle passenger in a front seat position that is not adjacent to a door of the motor vehicle to be restrained by a seat belt
In the House - Hearing 3/09 at 1:00 p.m.
This bill passed out of committee (vote sheet here) but ended there.
2017 SB 928 and HB 1185 sponsored by Senator Madaleno and Delegate Anderson, respectively, propose cannabis sales and production, heavily regulated by the State. In addition to this, “legalization” bill, there is companion legislation for other cannabis taxation and regulation schemes.
This bill is very long so following are some highlights. This bill proposes:
And:
THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ISSUE REGULATIONS FOR APPLICATIONS FOR CANNABIS PRODUCT MANUFACTURER REGISTRATION THAT INCLUDE:
(1) ESTABLISHING THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL (THC) THAT MAY BE ALLOWED IN A SINGLE SERVING OF A CANNABIS–INFUSED EDIBLE PRODUCT;
(2) LIMITING AN INDIVIDUAL PACKAGE OF A CANNABIS–INFUSED EDIBLE PRODUCT TO A SINGLE SERVING;
(3) MANDATING OPAQUE AND CHILD–RESISTANT PACKAGING FOR A CANNABIS–INFUSED EDIBLE PRODUCT;
(4) REQUIRING THE DISSEMINATION OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO CONSUMERS WHO PURCHASE CANNABIS–INFUSED EDIBLE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING INFORMATION REGARDING THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TAKES THE PRODUCT TO TAKE EFFECT; AND
(5) REQUIRING THAT A RETAIL CANNABIS–INFUSED EDIBLE PRODUCT BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIABLE, WITH A STANDARD SYMBOL INDICATING THAT THE PRODUCT CONTAINS CANNABIS.
This bill is 53 pages and includes many regulations. It also leaves it to the Comptroller to develop many more regulations. Given that the minimum purchase age is twenty one, the companion taxation bills and to be determined regulations for sellers, the ramifications of this bill are unknown.
These cross-filed bills will be heard in committee in early March.
Send email to the 
House Judiciary Committee
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Send email to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee
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2017 MD HB 600/SB 175, proposed by Delegate Kramer and Senator Manno, respectively, propose restrictions on private property where medical oxygen is in use.
Among the proposed nanny state provisions:
(A) AN INDIVIDUAL MAY NOT LIGHT OR SMOKE A CIGARETTE, CIGAR, PIPE, OR ANY OTHER MATTER OR SUBSTANCE THAT CONTAINS TOBACCO:
(1) IN A ROOM OF A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING IN WHICH MEDICAL OXYGEN IS BEING USED; OR
(2) WITHIN 20 FEET OF A ROOM OF A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING IN WHICH MEDICAL OXYGEN IS BEING USED.
And:
(2) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO USES OR WILL BEGIN TO USE MEDICAL OXYGEN SHALL NOTIFY THE OWNER OF THE RESIDENTIAL DWELLING, THE OWNER’S REPRESENTATIVE OR AGENT, OR THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION OR OTHER SIMILAR ENTITY THAT THE INDIVIDUAL USES OR WILL BEGIN TO USE MEDICAL OXYGEN.
(3) THE INDIVIDUAL SHALL MAKE THE NOTIFICATION REQUIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION:
(I) AT LEAST 5 DAYS BEFORE BEGINNING TO RESIDE IN THE RESIDENTIAL DWELLING; OR
(II) IF THE INDIVIDUAL RESIDES IN THE RESIDENTIAL DWELLING AT THE TIME THE INDIVIDUAL WILL BEGIN TO USE MEDICAL OXYGEN, AT LEAST 5 DAYS BEFORE THE INDIVIDUAL BEGINS TO USE MEDICAL OXYGEN.
Owners and/or HOAs would be responsible to post, “oxygen in use” signs.
Of course, there is a monetary penalty, payable to the State, for infractions:
(1) FOR A FIRST VIOLATION, SHALL BE ISSUED A WRITTEN REPRIMAND BY THE SECRETARY OR THE SECRETARY’S DESIGNEE;
(2) FOR A SECOND VIOLATION, IS SUBJECT TO A CIVIL PENALTY OF $100; AND
(3) FOR EACH SUBSEQUENT VIOLATION, IS SUBJECT TO A CIVIL PENALTY NOT LESS THAN $250.
Send email to the House Economic Matters Committee
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Send email to the Senate Finance Committee
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2017 HB 255, sponsored by Delegate Hettleman, alters State Article – Criminal Procedure
11–926.
The two main additions are:
“WRITTEN INFORMATION DESCRIBING THE LAWS AND POLICIES GOVERNING THE TESTING, PRESERVATION, AND DISPOSAL OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT EVIDENCE COLLECTION KIT.”
2. Government agencies must keep rape kits for a minimum of 20 years.
(1) A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, GOVERNMENT AGENCY, OR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER MAY NOT DESTROY OR DISPOSE OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT EVIDENCE COLLECTION KIT OR OTHER CRIME SCENE EVIDENCE RELATING TO A SEXUAL ASSAULT WITHIN 20 YEARS AFTER THE EVIDENCE IS COLLECTED.
An article in the Baltimore Sun addresses some issues in government treatment of sexual assault cases and evidence.
In the House - Hearing 2/07 at 1:00 p.m.
Send email to the House Judiciary Committee
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2017 SB 119, sponsored by Senator Middleton, proposes eighteen pages of regulations for those who sell, “e-cigarettes” (to include electronic cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, pipes).
Electronic cigarette shops are small, typically non-franchised businesses. This legislation would require, in part:
These new county and state license schemes have many pages of regulations, licenses, fines and would impose a burden on small business and grow government.
In the Senate - Hearing 2/02 at 1:00 p.m.
Send email to the Senate Finance Committee
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The Legislative Watch’s database has been made available online for anyone to search. It now contains 2017 bills, with the 2016 data having been archived.
Note that the “Votes” tab has no data as yet as the session doesn’t start until January 11, 2017.