Public Information and Ethics

Round-up of the 2018 Session for Counties

Robin Clark Eilenberg Agriculture, Business Affairs, County Budgets, County News, Economic Development, Education, Elections, Employee Benefits and Relations, Environment, Finance and Procurement, General Assembly News, Government Liability and Courts, Health and Human Services, Housing and Community Development, Human Resources, Information Technology, Intergovernmental Relations, Parks and Recreation, Pensions & Public Funds, Planning and Zoning, Public Information and Ethics, Public Safety and Corrections, School Construction and Capital Budgets, State Budget and Fiscal Issues, Taxes and Revenues, Transportation and Public Works

MACo’s legislative efforts earned an 80% success rate – and as usual, the counties’ voice makes a difference in Annapolis. Bills we support are more likely to pass, and bills we oppose are more likely to fail.

2018 Legislative Results Infographic

MACo’s legislative initiatives, priorities, and positions are directed by its Legislative Committee. This body comprises elected representatives from all of MACo’s members – the 24 county jurisdictions (including Baltimore City).

The “one county, one vote” system of deciding the Association’s legislative strategies, ensures that all counties have an equal voice. All 24 jurisdictions participated regularly in the weekly meetings throughout the session – where they also engaged with policy leaders and advocates who joined the meeting to address county leadership.

Our policy staff have compiled updates and results on all of the bills the Legislative Committee decided to take action on this year.

For the 2018 End of Session Wrap-up for each subject MACo covers, click below:

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Assessments and Taxation

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Business Affairs

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Disparity Grants

2018 End of Session Wrap-up: Economic Development Tax Credits

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Education

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Elections

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Employee Benefits & Relations

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Environmental Legislation

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Finance and Procurement

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Government Liability & Courts

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Health & Human Services

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Housing & Community Development

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Intergovernmental Relations *MACo Initiative Area*

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Parks & Recreation

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Pensions

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Planning & Zoning

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Property Taxes

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Public Information & Ethics * MACo Initiative Area *

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Public Safety and Corrections

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Road Funding * MACo Initiative Area *

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: School Construction * MACo Initiative Area *

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: State Budget & Fiscal Affairs

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Tax Sale Bills

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Transportation and Public Works

2018 End of Session Wrap-up: Wynne Tax Bills

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: County Tax Revenues

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Other Tax Bills

2018 End of Session Wrap-Up: Public Information & Ethics

Les Knapp General Assembly News, Public Information and Ethics

This post summarizes the status of various public information and ethics bills that MACo took a position on for the 2018 Regular Session.

Public Information Act – Body Camera Footage & Personal Contact Information: HB 1638 / SB 788 would make several updates and changes to the Maryland Public Information Act (PIA). The bill addresses government accountability, privacy rights, and protections for governments from abusive record requests. The bill would:

  1. define “personal surveillance video” to mean audio or video recorded by a device attached to or designed to follow a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or emergency medical technician, or an employee of a unit or an instrumentality of the State or a political subdivision (including body cameras, drones, and robots but excluding dashboard cameras and mounted stationary cameras);
  2. require, subject to existing exceptions in the PIA law, a custodian to allow inspection of personal surveillance video that depicts: (i) an arrest or attempted arrest; (ii) a temporary detention or attempted temporary detention; (iii) a search or attempted search; (iv) the issuance of a citation; (v) the injury or death of an individual; (vi) the use of force against an individual; or (vii) an incident that led to a complaint or allegation of officer misconduct against any law enforcement officer involved in the incident.
  3. require a custodian to deny that part of a personal surveillance video that depicts: (i) a victim or information that could identify a victim of domestic violence, a sexual crime, or child abuse; (ii) the death of a law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician, or an employee of a unit or an instrumentality of the State or a political subdivision that occurred in the performance of the individual’s duties; or (iii) an incident that does not contain any of the criteria listed in 2. above;
  4. require, subject to existing exceptions in the PIA law, a custodian to allow inspection of personal surveillance video covered under the bill by a person in interest (a person in interest who is the cause or may have caused an incident of domestic violence, a sexual crime, or child abuse is limited to viewing video of the incident but cannot receive a copy of the video under the PIA);
  5. require a victim of domestic violence, a sexual crime, or child abuse who is the subject of a personal surveillance video to be notified of all requests to inspect the record according to uniform standards and procedures developed by the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission, in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
  6. clarify that a custodian shall deny inspection of records for the incidents listed above regardless of subsequent action taken by law enforcement or a court based on the incident recorded;
  7. provide that the bill’s provisions may not be construed to affect the discovery or evidentiary rights of a party in civil or criminal litigation;
  8. require a record custodian to deny inspection of a distribution list, or the inspection of a request to be added to a distribution list, that identifies a physical address, an e-mail address, or a telephone number of an individual that is used by a government agency or elected official for the sole purpose of: (i) periodically sending news about the official activities of the governmental agency or elected official; or (ii) sending informational notices or emergency alerts; and
  9. clarify that the PIA does not allow the inspection of a social security number or date of birth of an individual, except to a person in interest or unless otherwise provided by law.

MACo Position: MACo supported the bill and several technical sponsor amendments, arguing that the bill provides thoughtful and reasonable solutions to the PIA challenges posed by changing technologies. The bill promotes transparency and accountability, protects victims and individuals who passively receive government information, and addresses the expense and potential for abusive requests facing local governments and State records custodians.

Push Icons-NOT IDEALFINAL STATUS: The Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee passed the bill with the sponsor amendments. The bill passed second reader on the Senate floor with additional amendments to prohibit the release of video that depicts an individual during a search of the individual’s home that does not result in an arrest and included a group dedicated to civil liberties as one of the stakeholders that the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission must consult when creating uniform standards and procedures for victim notification.

However, the bill was recommitted to the Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee during the third reader vote and saw no further action. HB 1638 was withdrawn by the sponsor of the bill.

MACo Testimony on HB 1638

MACo Testimony on SB 788

Public Information Act – Denials of Personal Contact Information Used For Newsletters & Emergency Alerts: HB 677 / SB 477 would require a record custodian to deny inspection of a distribution list, or the inspection of a request to be added to a distribution list, that identifies a physical address, an e-mail address, or a telephone number of an individual that is used by a government agency or elected official for the sole purpose of: (1) periodically sending news about the official activities of the governmental agency or elected official; or (2) sending informational notices or emergency alerts.

Push Icons-WONMACo Position: MACo supported the bill, arguing that: (1) newsletters and emergency alerts are a primary way for local governments to communicate with their residents; (2) recent PIA requests have required counties and municipalities to disclose contact information used for newsletter or alerts, leading to people being spammed with unwanted commercial or political communications; and (3) the risk of disclosure creates a disincentive for people to use government subscription or alert services and erodes the public’s trust in government institutions.

FINAL STATUS: The General Assembly passed both HB 677 and SB 477.

MACo Testimony on HB 677

MACo Testimony on SB 477

Public Information Act – Prohibition on Lawsuits Filed By Record Custodians: HB 387 / SB 167 would prohibit a governmental unit from filing suit against a person who has requested to inspect a record under the PIA.

Push Icons-DEFEATEDMACo Position: MACo opposed the bill, noting that: (1) there does not appear to be any instance of a custodian invoking a lawsuit as a first response to a records request in Maryland: (2) custodian lawsuits were never raised as a potential issue in a recently completed 2-year comprehensive study of the PIA by the Office of the Attorney General; and (3) the bill’s language would appear to prevent the current ability of custodians to bring suit to seek court guidance regarding the release of potentially confidential information, whether the request is abusive, or to resolve a temporary denial.

FINAL STATUS: HB 387 was withdrawn by the bill sponsor. The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee gave SB 167 an unfavorable report.

Note: No MACo Testimony for HB 387

MACo Testimony on SB 167

Open Meetings Act – Closing Meetings For Cybersecurity Issues: HB 695 would allow a public body to meet in closed session to discuss cybersecurity issues if the public body determines that public discussion would constitute a risk to: (1) security assessments or deployments relating to information resources technology; (2) network security information; or (3) deployments or implementation of security personnel, critical infrastructure, or security devices.

Push Icons-WONMACo Position: MACo supported the bill, arguing that cybersecurity issues have become a major concern for local governments and that the existing “closed session” language under the Open Meetings Act needed updating so counties could confidentially anticipate and prepare for cybersecurity threats.

FINAL STATUS: The General Assembly passed HB 695.

MACo Testimony on HB 695

Ethics – Meetings and Reports of Local Public Ethics Commissions: As introduced, SB 474 would require a local ethics commission (or the appropriate entity) to meet at least three times a year and file an annual report with the local governing body and members of the General Assembly who represent that jurisdiction. The reports must provide an overview of the local ethics law and the activities of the local ethics commission.

Push Icons-IMPROVEDMACo Position: MACo supported the bill with an amendment that would only require the local ethics commission to meet one time a year, arguing that: (1) unless a jurisdiction is facing an ethics issues or considering changing its ethics laws, there may be no need for a local commission to meet more than once a year; and (2) requiring additional meetings that may not be required is both inefficient and wasteful.

FINAL STATUS: The General Assembly passed SB 474 with the MACo amendment and an amendment striking the requirement that the annual report be sent to the General Assembly members who represent that jurisdiction.

MACo Testimony on SB 474

For more information on all of the legislation that MACo tracked on Public Information and Ethics in the 2018 General Assembly, click here.

Conduit Street Podcast: Post-Crossover Roundup, School Construction, School Safety, and More!

Kevin Kinnally Business Affairs, County Budgets, County News, Education, Employee Benefits and Relations, General Assembly News, Health and Human Services, Labor, News You Can Use, Planning and Zoning, Public Information and Ethics, Public Safety and Corrections, School Construction and Capital Budgets, State Budget and Fiscal Issues, Taxes and Revenues

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson provide listeners with a roundup of MACo’s 2018 Legislative Initiatives, as well as a host of other bills MACo has weighed in on this year, discuss the latest on school construction, and examine the debate on school safety. MACo has made the podcast available through both iTunes and Google Play Music by searching Conduit Street Podcast. You can also listen on our Conduit Street blog with a recap and link to the podcast.

Listen here:

You can listen to previous episodes of the Conduit Street Podcast on our website.

MACo’s PIA Initiative Bill Sent Back to Committee, Likely Defeated

Michael Sanderson Public Information and Ethics

MACo’s initiative legislation to modernize the state’s Public Information Act, SB 788, received its likely death blow on the Senate floor, and has been recommitted back to its Senate Committee. That, very likely, ends the debate on the matter for this session. The House cross-filed bill has not received any House action.

During the bill’s hearing the Maryland chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, who objected to certain provisions of the bill regarding the release of body camera footage. MACo’s bill sought to carve out narrow classes of materials as not appropriate for release under the PIA — including footage that could identify crime victims, show the death of a public safety officer, or are offered without any claim of wrongdoing or other potential rights violations. Despite these provisions, the Maryland ACLU testified the bill was too broad. Some time after the public hearing, additional groups representing other communities came out in opposition to the bill.

On the Senate floor, the Chair of the Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee Joan Carter Conway noted the opposition from groups that had not appeared before the committee, and after making that reference, urged the Senate floor to recommit the bill “for more work.” No Senators objected to the request, which then passed on a voice/acclamation vote.

In most cases, “recommitting” a bill represents a final chapter in legislative deliberations. While it is still procedurally possible for the bill to be reported out again, that appears unlikely.

After a three year effort to bring change to these public records laws, it appears the effort will go unresolved. These sensitive classes of documents and records will remain conditionally releasable, as custodians will be without bright-line rules on what documents should not be released to the public.

MACo’s PIA Initiative Bill Clears Senate Committee

Michael Sanderson Public Information and Ethics, Public Safety and Corrections

MACo’s legislative initiative to “Modernize the Public Information Act” passed its Senate Committee on Tuesday, March 13, clearing its first of several hurdles toward passage.

SB 788 passed the Senate’s Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee without any “NO” votes, after the Committee spent time during its voting session discussing the bill’s application and effects. At the time of this writing, the bill sits on the floor of the Senate awaiting a second reader vote, and the addition of technical amendments.

MACo is working with multiple other stakeholders – representing law enforcement, victim’s rights groups, school systems, and others – in arguing that the bill provides needed balance to laws generally dictating that public records and documents be shared with the public. Other groups that frequently oppose measures that limit public distribution of such documents (the MD/DC/DE Press Association, and Common Cause of Maryland) have indicated their comfort with this bill’s balance, and did not raise such objections to the bill (into which they contributed very substantial input).

The bill faces opposition on the Senate floor and may be subject to multiple attempts to lessen its scope or effects via floor-offered amendments. Its elements regarding footage from body cameras and similar devices are the central target of this opposition. Some legislators have expressed concern that the bill retains too much direction to provide records of body camera footage. Others have been advised by a limited group of advocates that denying such records compromises accountability in troubling circumstances like police officer misconduct (although the bill explicitly does not change the law regarding such records).

Other bill provisions include tightened assurances that personal identification information such as Social Security numbers and dates of birth should not be released, and that passive subscribers to government newsletters and mailing lists should not have their personal information released under the PIA.

Follow the progress of MACo’s initiative bill through MACo’s Legislative Tracking Database.

Conduit Street Podcast: “Crossover” Coming, Fiscal Follow-Up, Body Cameras Back-And-Forth, and More!

Kevin Kinnally County News, General Assembly News, Information Technology, News You Can Use, Public Information and Ethics

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson discuss the looming “crossover” deadline, review the latest on the State’s fiscal plan, break down MACo’s Legislative Initiative to modernize the Maryland Public Information Act, and look ahead as the dust begins to settle on the 2018 session. MACo has made the podcast available through both iTunes and Google Play Music by searching Conduit Street Podcast. You can also listen on our Conduit Street blog with a recap and link to the podcast.

Listen here:

“Crossover” Deadline

As the unofficial deadline for passing legislation out of its original chamber approaches, both the Senate and House are awash with lengthy agendas and long floor sessions. The “crossover” date is Monday, and bills passed out after that date will be forced to go to the Rules Committee of the second chamber, a procedural hurdle impeding their chances of final passage.

State Fiscal Plan

The Senate passed SB 185, the Budget Bill, and SB 187, the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2018 (“BRFA”) – both with good news for Maryland counties.

As proposed by the Governor, the budget included shifting nearly all costs of the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT)’s assessment and directorial functions to counties, forevermore. The Senate struck this language from the BRFA.

The Governor’s original proposal also included flat funding local health departments at the previous year’s levels. The Senate cut that language, too– instead increasing the funding according to the formula in existing law.

The Senate has also approved all funds included in the original budget for local roads funding: $178.1 million in highway user revenues, in addition to $53.7 million in additional local transportation grants. This includes a full $27.8 million to 23 counties, which is $15 million more than the Senate approved last year.

The applicable House Appropriations subcommittees have also recommended retaining all local roads funding in the budget, scrapping any language to shift additional SDAT costs to counties, and increasing local health department funding. The full committee considers the budget bills on Friday.

Modernizing the Public Information Act

Maryland’s Public Information Act creates a balanced framework for guaranteeing public access to open information, while protecting sensitive and private material. The rapid ascension of new technologies has strained the implementation and effect of these laws – potentially chilling their otherwise beneficial use. Maryland should clarify and reframe its Public Information Act to better accommodate citizen electronic engagement, personal surveillance footage from first responders and other county officials, and the release of sensitive personal information.

SB 788 – Public Information Act – Revisions, a 2018 Legislative Initiative, received a favorable report from the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee and the full Senate may vote on the bill this week. The bill’s cross-file, HB 1638, was heard in the House Health and Government Operations Committee on March 7. The Committee has not taken action on the bill.

You can listen to previous episodes of the Conduit Street Podcast on our website.

Victim Privacy & Government Accountability Hang in the Balance – Can You Help?

Virginia White County News, Public Information and Ethics

MACo Action Alert 2018.jpgMACo needs help ensuring that Senators vote to support SB 788, to protect victims and ensure transparency. One little word could change everything.

SB 788 – Public Information Act – Revisions is on the docket for the Senate EHE Committee on March 13, 2018. This is a MACo Initiative bill – 1 of 4 top priorities set by the 24 county jurisdictions.

The main focus of this bill is ensuring government transparency and accountability while shielding victims of sexual crimes, domestic violence, and child abuse from having their very private – and very traumatic – information needlessly shared. With new technology such as body cameras, more private details are available now than have ever been available before. This bill allows record custodians to focus on videos that are in the public interest, while protecting the identities of victims.

Opponents of the bill want to change SHALL to MAY. Shall ensures victims will be shielded. MAY makes it an option.

Do you want protecting victims to be an option? MACo doesn’t.

Here are the key points of the bill:

  • ENSURES TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY
    • Video in the public interest (where someone’s rights may have been violated) is subject to disclosure
    • Even a spoken allegation of potential misconduct is enough to trigger disclosure
  • PROTECTS VICTIMS:
    • Shields identity of victims of sexual crimes, domestic violence, and child abuse
    • Shuts down “victim shaming”
  • RESIST “SHALL” TO “MAY” AMENDMENT – Making victim disclosure optional by changing “SHALL” to “MAY” (as opponents suggest) will “just protect victims sometimes.” MAY IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH

MACo’s Message: MAY = MAYBE. SHALL = SHIELD.

Join Maryland’s counties in getting this message to legislators.

Tell your EHE members to SUPPORT SB 788 and RESIST the “SHALL” to “MAY” amendment.

Send this text as an email to EHE members.

Contact Les Knapp at lknapp@mdcounties.org or 410.269.0043 for more info.

 

 

Conduit Street Podcast: Call If You Can, Text If You Must. Sunshine Laws, Attorney’s Fees, #LIFT4MD, & Beer Wars

Kevin Kinnally County News, General Assembly News, Government Liability and Courts, MACo Testimony, News You Can Use, Public Information and Ethics, Public Safety and Corrections, Transportation and Public Works

On the latest episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson discuss the announcement of a statewide Text to 9-1-1 system, examine Maryland’s Public Information Act (and why it needs an update), break down the “Access to Public Courts Act,” preview #LIFT4MD day in Annapolis, and explain the beer battle in Maryland.

MACo has made the podcast available through both iTunes and Google Play Music by searching Conduit Street Podcast. You can also listen on our Conduit Street blog with a recap and link to the podcast.

Listen here:

If you are having trouble using this media player, listen on our website.

Aligning Public Access Laws with Modern Technologies

Maryland’s Public Information Act creates a balanced framework for guaranteeing public access to open information, while protecting sensitive and private material. The rapid ascension of new technologies has strained the implementation and effect of these laws – potentially chilling their otherwise beneficial use. SB 788/HB 1638, Public Information Act – Revisions, clarifies and reframes the Maryland Public Information Act to better accommodate citizen electronic engagement, personal surveillance footage from first responders and other county officials, and the release of sensitive personal information.

Attorney’s Fees

MACo this week testified in opposition to HB 1270/SB 1042. In theory, the bill seeks to ensure there is adequate legal representation for low-income individuals asserting a constitutional claim in State courts. In practice, the bill would trigger a rush of litigation and costs for the State and local governments and create a profoundly unbalanced system that favors plaintiffs over defendants.

Text to 9-1-1

Governor Larry Hogan this week announced the Board of Public Works’ approval of a new Text to 9-1-1 technology for Maryland, helping to update 1960s-era emergency systems with life-saving technology. This new Internet-based infrastructure allows citizens to send a Short Message Service (SMS) text message to 9-1-1. The Federal Communications Commission estimates that more than 70 percent of all 9-1-1 calls now come from cellular users.

Text to 9-1-1 supports 160 characters per message, but no multimedia messaging, such as photos or video. The total cost of the 2-year contract is approximately $2.2 million.

Text to 9-1-1 is a component of Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911), an initiative aimed at updating the 9-1-1 service infrastructure to improve public emergency communications services in a wireless mobile society. NG911 will improve and enhance the handling of 9-1-1 calls from cell phone users with technology that will increase response times, location accuracy, and allow text, photo, and video data to be shared by callers to First Responders on their way to the emergency.

Advancing NG911 is a priority for county governments. SB 285/HB 634, a 2018 MACo Legislative Initiative, establishes the Commission to Advance Next-Generation 9-1-1 Across Maryland. The Commission will examine the strategic aspects of Next Generation 9-1-1 implementation in coordination with the Emergency Numbers Systems Board’s (ENSB) existing efforts, particularly ensuring that those areas outside of the statutory responsibilities of the ENSB are addressed. The Commission will study and make recommendations for the implementation, technology, funding, governance, and ongoing statewide development of Next Generation 9-1-1 to the Governor and Maryland General Assembly.

#LIFT4MD

A perennial MACo initiative, counties have called for the return of their fair share of transportation-sourced revenues to fund their roadwork for years. This year, MACo’s initiative calls for a Local Infrastructure Fast Track – a #LIFT4MD – to bring local governments back their historic 30 percent share of transportation revenues from the State’s Transportation Trust Fund. It also calls for an assessment of the state of local infrastructure in Maryland, and for the State to share any additional federal infrastructure funds with counties and municipalities.

After discussing the topic with a myriad of stakeholders, MACo decided instead to introduce a consensus bill, with terms appealing to not only counties, but municipalities and the Administration. Therefore, House Bill 1569, as introduced, restores highway user revenues to counties and Baltimore City in eight years, and municipalities in two years.

The hearings on MACo’s Local Infrastructure Fast Track for Maryland Act are scheduled for Wednesday, March 7 at 1 pm in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and Friday, March 9 at 1 pm in the House Environment and Transportation and Appropriation Committees.

MACo calls on representatives from all levels of county governments to join us for these hearings to show your support – it’s time to find a way to give local infrastructure a LIFT.

Beer Wars

Maryland lawmakers are considering a bill by Comptroller Peter Franchot that would repeal some of the state’s regulations on craft beer breweries. In 2017, Franchot proposed the Reform on Tap Act of 2018, a bill to relieve regulatory burdens on craft beer production and sales.

The Comptroller’s bill would remove the state’s limits on how much beer breweries are allowed to sell on-site. It would also allow breweries to sell directly to retailers instead of requiring them to make franchising agreements with distribution companies. Currently, Maryland craft breweries are allowed to sell up to 3,000 barrels of beer, or about 500,000 pints, directly to consumers each year.

You can listen to previous episodes of the Conduit Street Podcast on our website.

Bill Would Protect Personal Contact Information Used for Government News or Alerts

Les Knapp Public Information and Ethics

MACo Legal and Policy Counsel Les Knapp testified in support of emergency legislation that would protect an individual’s personal contact information that is used to provide official government news or emergency alerts from disclosure under the Maryland Public Information Act (PIA) before the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee on February 21, 2018. The bill (SB 477) was sponsored by Senator Cheryl Kagan and is a Maryland Municipal League Legislative Priority. The bill is also a component of MACo’s larger PIA Legislative Initiative that also addresses the release of personal surveillance video and a person’s social security number and date of birth.

In his testimony, Knapp expressed concerns that allowing disclosure of personal contact information under the PIA  could actually lead to a chilling effect on people seeking out information about government activities or receiving alerts. Knapp also focused on the narrow scope of the bill’s restriction on disclosure:

It is a fundamental principle of both the State and local governments in Maryland that public information be easily available to residents and other interested parties. A primary method of providing such information is through official newsletters and emergency alert notices. Whether through mailings, email, or text messages, individuals can receive information about government activities or emergency events.

However, under the PIA, anyone can request a person’s contact information contained in these distribution lists and the State or local governments are generally required to provide them….Disclosure of personal contact information has led to people being spammed with unwanted commercial or political communications.

This also creates a disincentive for people to use government subscription services and erodes the public’s trust in our institutions. Ironically, many private companies have stronger protections in place about disclosing customer information than Maryland’s governments do for their own residents.

The bill only applies to personal contact information used solely for the passive distribution of official news or emergency alerts. It does not apply to personal contact information provided as part of an “active” engagement with a government agency or official.

For example, an individual’s contact information remains subject to PIA disclosure when the individual: (1) sends a letter providing comments on a proposed ordinance or regulation; (2) requests government action on an issue, such as fixing a pothole; (3) signs up to speak at a public hearing or meeting; or (4) submits a PIA request. The bill also still allows disclosure of aggregate subscriber data – just not the release of personal contact information.

Carroll County Attorney Timothy Burke joined Knapp in supporting the bill and recounted a recent legal challenge that required the  County to turn over contact information for all subscribers to the County Commissioners’ official newsletter. Several Maryland Municipal League representatives and municipal officials were on hand to support their priority. Common Cause of Maryland and the Maryland/Delaware/District of Columbia Press Association also testified in support of the bill. No one testified in opposition.

HB 677 is the cross-file to SB 477 and will be heard by the House Health and Government Operations Committee on February 21.

Useful Links

SB 477 of 2018

MACo Testimony on SB 477

Senator Cheryl Kagan Webpage

Conduit Street Article on MACo’s 2018 Legislative Initiatives

 

MACo Works With Bill Sponsor on Local Ethics Commission Legislation Amendments

Les Knapp Bill Hearing, Public Information and Ethics

MACo Legal and Policy Counsel Les Knapp offered sponsor-friendly amendments to local ethics commission legislation before the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee on February 8, 2018. SB 474, sponsored by Senator Joanne Benson, would would require a local ethics commission (or the appropriate entity) to meet at least three times a year
and file an annual report with the local governing body and members of the General Assembly who represent that jurisdiction. The reports must provide an overview of the local ethics law and the
activities of the local ethics commission.

From MACo’s testimony:

MACo believes the annual reporting requirements further local government transparency and openness and would not place an undue fiscal or administrative strain on the local ethics commission. However, MACo would offer an amendment to require the ethics commission to meet at least once a year instead of three times a year.

Unless a jurisdiction is facing an ethics issues or considering changing its ethics laws, there may be no need for a local commission to meet more than once a year. Requiring additional meetings that may not be required is both inefficient and wasteful. MACo has worked with the bill’s sponsor and believes the sponsor is supportive of this amendment.

Senator Benson indicated her support for the amendment, offering the language as a sponsor amendment. Maryland Municipal League Governmental Relations Director Candace Donoho also testified in support of the amendment but noted some reservations with the bill’s reporting requirement.

There is no House cross-file to SB 474.

Useful Links

SB 474 of 2018

MACo Testimony on SB 474

Senator Joanne Benson Webpage