Read more about the article Health Plans and Insurers Must Submit First Gag Clause Attestations by End of Year
Employee Benefits and Relations / Health and Human Services / NACo and Federal Issues
Health Plans and Insurers Must Submit First Gag Clause Attestations by End of Year

Health care plans must submit gag clause attestations by December 31, 2023, per the 2020 federal prohibition of gag clauses. The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury (the "Departments") issued FAQs on the prohibition of gag clauses under the transparency provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA). As outlined in the FAQs, plans and issuers must annually submit an attestation of compliance with the CAA’s prohibition of gag clauses to the…

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March 24, 2023
Read more about the article Intended to Lessen the Burden of Hiring Local Blueprint Coordinators, Amended Bill Now Elevates the Mandate Counties
County News
Intended to Lessen the Burden of Hiring Local Blueprint Coordinators, Amended Bill Now Elevates the Mandate Counties

A bill intending to provide State grants for counties to hire local Blueprint coordinators -- as mandated by The Blueprint -- was amended, ultimately raising the salary burden on locals. As introduced, HB 1196 – County Boards of Education – Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Implementation Coordinator – Salary Grant would provide State grants of $150,000 to each of the 24 local education agencies (LEAs) for FYs 25-26 to cover the hiring and salaries of Local Blueprint Coordinators. The…

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March 22, 2023
Read more about the article Proposed Updates to Paid Leave Law Would Give Counties More Time to Prepare
County News / Employee Benefits and Relations / Health and Human Services
Proposed Updates to Paid Leave Law Would Give Counties More Time to Prepare

The Senate has passed a "fix it" bill to adjust key provisions of the 2022 paid leave law, including its timeline for implementation and contribution rates.  During the 2022 legislative session, the General Assembly established the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (FAMLI Program) via legislation known as “The Time to Care Act of 2022.” That law provides up to 12 weeks of paid leave and benefits to an employee in Maryland who takes leave…

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March 21, 2023
Read more about the article Local Blueprint Implementation Plans Now Available Online
County News / Education
Local Blueprint Implementation Plans Now Available Online

Draft plans on how local jurisdictions will implement The Blueprint are now available for review online. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) were required by law to submit a local Blueprint Implementation Plan by midnight on March 15, 2023, outlining how it intends to implement the major education reforms set by the Blueprint for Maryland's Future ("The Blueprint"). As LEAs pre​pared their draft plans, many held public information sessions, which are accessible online. An email from the Blueprint…

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March 21, 2023
Read more about the article Counties Support Increased Funding for Out-of-School Recreational Programs
MACo Testimony
Counties Support Increased Funding for Out-of-School Recreational Programs

On March 16, 2023, Associate Policy Director Brianna January submitted testimony the Senate Finance Committee in support of SB 810 - Maryland Priority Out-of-School Time Program - Alterations. SB 810 transfers the Public School Opportunities Enhancement Program from the Department of Education to the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services, and changes its name to the Maryland Priority Out-of-School Time Program. More importantly, the bill also significantly increases the State's annual appropriation to the…

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March 20, 2023
Read more about the article March 15 Board of Public Works Meeting: Here’s What Counties Need to Know
Board of Public Works / Economic Development / Parks and Recreation / School Construction and Capital Budgets
March 15 Board of Public Works Meeting: Here’s What Counties Need to Know

The Board of Public Works (BPW) — a three-member panel including GovernorWes Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman, and State Treasurer Dereck Davis — reviews projects, contracts, and expenditure plans for state agencies, many of which affect county governments. The BPW considered and approved the following requests and recommendations at its meeting on March 15, 2023: Anne Arundel County A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $500,000from the Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure funding…

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March 16, 2023
Read more about the article Counties Welcome Additional Grant Funding for Community College Capital Projects
Education / Higher Education / MACo Testimony / School Construction and Capital Budgets
Counties Welcome Additional Grant Funding for Community College Capital Projects

On March 15, 2023, Associate Policy Director Brianna January submitted testimony to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee in support of SB 918 - Higher Education - Community College Facilities Renewal Grant Program - Alterations. This bill doubles the amount of capital project grant funding available for Maryland's community colleges from $8 million to $16 million. At present, the Community College Construction Program distributes existing funds in the form of $1 million grants to individual community…

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March 16, 2023
Read more about the article Counties: Child Care Provider Bonuses Help Maryland’s Working Families
Education / MACo Testimony
Counties: Child Care Provider Bonuses Help Maryland’s Working Families

On March 15, 2023, Associate Policy Director Brianna January submitted testimony to the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee in support of SB 881 - Child Care Providers and Employees - Bonuses - Alterations. This bill increases financial support in the form of certain bonuses for currently licensed child care providers in Maryland, and in doing so, also seeks to incentivize the establishment of new providers. At a time when the child care community is still reeling…

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March 16, 2023
Read more about the article Counties Support Increased State Aid for School Safety
Education / MACo Testimony
Counties Support Increased State Aid for School Safety

On March 15, 2023, Associate Policy Director Brianna January submitted testimony to the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee in support of SB 938 - Primary and Secondary Education - School Safety and Student Well–Being - Examination of Policies. This bill increases the amount of annual funding distributed to schools for the purpose of further developing their safety and student wellness services, such as dispute prevention and remediation and School Resource Officers. In doing so, SB 938…

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March 16, 2023
Read more about the article Library Collective Bargaining Bill Passes the House, Counties Seek Clarifying Amendments
StockSnap (CC0), Pixabay
County News / Education / Employee Benefits and Relations / Labor
Library Collective Bargaining Bill Passes the House, Counties Seek Clarifying Amendments

House Bill 65 was passed out of the chamber and is now up for consideration in the Senate. MACo is seeking clarifying amendments. MACo opposes HB 65 - Education - Public Libraries - Collective Bargaining as drafted. The bill effectively repeals the ability of local jurisdictions to pursue single-county legislation in this policy area, a framework that has suited the needs of both counties and library employees for years. This bill’s one-size-fits-all approach would not only…

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March 16, 2023
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