Bill Reforming On-Site Sewage Disposal System Installations Crosses Over Heavily Amended

On March 17, a bill seeking to establish, update, and refine the process of managing and installing on-site sewage disposal systems passed out of the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee, and passed on the Senate floor unanimously. SB 830 – Environmental Health Specialists and On-Site Sewage Disposal Systems – Reform (Environmental Health Systems Support Act of 2023) initially required the Department of the Environment to develop standardized permit forms for those looking to install…

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Bill to Study Public Health Best Practices Passes the House with County Amendments

A bill that seeks to improve the delivery of public health services across Maryland has passed the House and moves to the Senate Finance Committee. MACo supports the creation of HB 214's Commission on Public Health, which will study the State's response to COVID-19 and the rising tide of overdose dealths, as well as extant racial disparities in maternal mortality and birth outcomes. Local governments also thank the House Health and Government Operations Committee for…

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Police Retention Study Bill Passes the Senate

A bill to probe the potential causes of the statewide decline in police officer recruitment and retention has passed the Senate and will now go to the House Appropriations Committee. Counties support SB 18 - Police Retention Workgroup. As a regular collaborator with local law enforcement agencies, MACo is well aware of the challenges these crucial organizations face. Many industries are still reeling from staffing shortages brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic and other economic factors,…

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Bill Addressing Private Well Safety Passes the House and Senate

On March 17, a cross-filed bill that would address the contamination of private and public water supply wells across the State passed the House Environment and Transportation Committee, as well as the Senate Committee on Education, Energy, and the Environment. MACo previously expressed support for both SB 483 - Private Well Safety Act of 2023, and it's cross-file, HB 11. Specifically, these bills establish the appropriately named Private Well Safety Fund, which will hopefully equip…

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Read more about the article Bill Imperiling Student and Pedestrian Safety in School Zones Passes the Senate
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Bill Imperiling Student and Pedestrian Safety in School Zones Passes the Senate

A bill that restricts counties and undermines local school zone public safety programs—all at a time when acute labor-driven bus service shortages are leading to increased school zone safety demands—has passed the Senate and will now go to the House Environment and Transportation Committee. MACo opposes SB 11 – Motor Vehicles – Speed Limits – School Zones, which specifically alters the default radius within which a county may establish a school zone and implement speed…

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Senate Passes Both MACo Body-Worn Camera Initiative Bills

SB 40 and SB 330 clear the first major hurdle and move to the House chambers for consideration. Following major police reform legislation in 2021, all county law enforcement officers were required to be equipped with body-worn cameras by 2025. This mandate brought with it a number of complications that counties have been eager to address in the 2023 General Assembly. The procurement process for cameras and the public release of body-worn camera footage were…

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MACo: Local Jurisdictions Should Be Entrusted with Testing Public Safety Measures

On March 9, 2023, Associate Policy Director Sarah Sample testified before the House Judiciary Committee in support HB 1045 - Public Safety - Safe Neighborhoods Pilot Program of with amendments. This bill establishes the eponymous Safe Neighborhoods Pilot Program to provide doorbell cameras or other security systems to residents in high-crime areas, and requires the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services to conduct a study on the Program's long-term viability. While counties appreciate this…

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Counties: Incentives to Involve Residents in Crime Solving Enhance Public Safety

On March 7, 2023, Associate Policy Director Sarah Sample submitted testimony to the House Judiciary Committee in support of HB 1044 - Criminal Procedure - Crime Solvers Reward Fund - Establishment. This bill establishes the Crime Solvers Reward Fund to provide local law enforcement agencies with resources to compensate individuals for their assistance in solving crimes. With an enhanced capacity to offer these incentives to residents, beyond the disparate availability of existing funds set aside…

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Counties Push Predictability in Grant Funding for Local Transportation Services

On March 7, 2023, Associate Policy Director Sarah Sample testified before the House Appropriations Committee in support of HB 1125 - Transit - Grant Funding for Local Service - Alterations. The Senate Rules Committee is due to consider the bill's cross-file, SB 939, but has set no hearing date as of writing. HB 1125 puts into statute the Locally Operated Transit System Grant Program (LOTS), which provides counties and municipalities with the requisite funds to…

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Counties: Bus Lane Monitoring Systems Make Public Transportation Safer

On March 2, 2023, Associate Policy Director Sarah Sample testified before the House Environment and Transportation Committee in support of HB 1027 - Vehicle Laws - Bus Lane Monitoring Systems - Statewide Expansion. This bill enables local jurisdictions to install and manage bus lane monitoring systems to enforce the prohibition against driving motor vehicles in designated bus lanes. Counties welcome this additional tool to ensure compliance with laws that are designed not to inconvenience drivers, but…

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