A bill establishing a task force to study the Warrant Intercept Program for Maryland tax refunds has passed third reader in the House 93-40.

The bill, HB 701, is sponsored by Delegate Walker. It requires the task force to study the effectiveness and impact of the warrant intercept program and make recommendations to ensure the program does not have a disparate racial impact. The task force is required to submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by December 31, 2016.

As previously reported on Conduit Street, SB 425 sponsored by Senator Reilly, authorizes warrant intercept programs statewide. It was favorably voted out of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and has since been passed out of the Senate 44-0. The bill is on first reader in Ways and Means Committee.

Warrant intercept programs, which help to clear backlogs of outstanding warrants, are currently only authorized in Anne Arundel County, Washington County and Baltimore City.

Previous coverage on Conduit Street: Statewide Warrant Intercept Bill Passes out of Committee