On March 4, Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally testified before the Budget and Taxation Committee in support of SB 690 - Property and Casualty Insurance - Distribution of Premium Tax Proceeds to State Disaster Recovery Fund.  This bill establishes a modest, defined annual funding commitment to the State Disaster Recovery Fund (SDRF), ensuring Maryland can respond and deliver relief to residents and communities when federal disaster assistance proves unavailable or insufficient. Counties are often the first…

On March 3, Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally submitted written testimony to the Government, Labor, and Elections Committee in support of HB 1239 - Public Safety - Critical Infrastructure Protection. This bill establishes a Critical Infrastructure Protection Branch within the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center to strengthen threat identification, coordination, and response related to critical infrastructure. As cyber and physical threats grow more sophisticated, so too must Maryland's approach to identifying risks, sharing information, and coordinating…

On February 24, Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally testified before the Finance Committee in support of SB 739 - Climate Change, Homeowner's Insurance, and Emergency Management - Study. This bill advances a top priority identified by county emergency managers by directing the University System of Maryland to evaluate Maryland’s emergency management funding structure and develop recommendations for sustainable, long-term funding. County governments serve on the front lines of emergency management, maintaining readiness across prevention, protection, response,…

On February 24, Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally submitted written testimony to the Environment and Transportation Committee in support of HB 937 - Workgroup to Study Youth Camp and RV Park Emergency Preparedness - Established with amendments.  This bill establishes a Workgroup to Study Youth Camp and RV Park Emergency Preparedness. The workgroup must review emergency preparedness policies, inventory youth camps and RV parks by county, examine legislation in other states, and develop recommendations regarding potential…

On February 18, Legislative Director Kevin Kinnally submitted written testimony to the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee in opposition to SB 159 - Emergency Medical Services - Vehicles and Ambulances - Required Supplies, Reviews, and Complaints. While the bill aims to strengthen Emergency Medical Service (EMS) performance and accountability statewide, it mandates broad, duplicative, and burdensome administrative and reporting requirements on local EMS systems. As drafted, local EMS systems — already navigating staffing shortages…