On Thursday, Senator Bailey introduced Senate Bill 974 – State-Owned Nursing Homes – Deficiencies, Citations, and Fines – Contractor Reporting Requirements, in response to recent reports of the mistreatment of veterans at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home. This bill would require increased reporting of deficiencies cited and enforcement actions imposed at State-owned nursing facilities by contractors operating those facilities.
Senate Bill 974 is intended to offer a greater opportunity for lawmakers and regulators to be notified of issues as they occur in order to work together to be part of the solution to best serve our State’s veterans. Because the bill is being introduced this late in the session, the Senate agreed to suspend its rules to allow the bill to be introduced and to immediately go to the Finance Committee for consideration. Senator Bailey is proud to sponsor this important legislation and that he has the support of all of the members of the Senate as co-sponsors.
Senate Bill 57 Passes
Today, the Senate passed Senate Bill 57, Senator Bailey’s legislation to strengthen Maryland’s laws protecting minors from sexual abuse and protect our most vulnerable citizens from some of the most heinous crimes, specifically felony sexual assaults. This bill now goes to the House of Delegates for their consideration; the House passed identical legislation earlier this session.
More House Bill Hearings
On Wednesday, Senator Bailey presented five more of his bills to House Committees. Four of these bills were heard by the House Appropriations Committee, including Senate Bill 395, to ensure the correct calculation of State employees’ service time for retiree health benefits; Senate Bills 457 and 458, which provides St. Mary’s County bond authority to build public facilities; and Senate Bill 639, the Historic St. Mary’s City Reform Act of 2023. He also presented Senate Bill 10, to allow the Department of Natural Resources to issue more licenses in both electronic and paper formats, to the House Environment and Transportation Committee.
Local Bills in Senate
This week, Senate committees also heard several bills introduced at the request of our local governments. This included four bills sponsored by the St. Mary’s County Delegation that were requested by the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County:
House Bill 219 – St. Mary’s County – Golf Carts on Public Highways – Report
House Bill 247 – St. Mary’s County – Transfer Tax – Sunset Extension
House Bill 263 – St. Mary’s County – Gaming – Senior Activity Centers
House Bill 887 – St. Mary’s County – Metropolitan Commission – New Facilities
The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee also heard House Bill 1174 – Calvert County – Civil Infractions – Prosecutorial Designations, which was introduced at the request of the Calvert County Commissioners, on Tuesday.
Senatorial Scholarship Applications Due
The deadline for applications for this year’s Senatorial Scholarship is next Friday, April 7, 2023. This scholarship is available to students who permanently reside in District 29 and who plan to either attend a Maryland institution of higher education or who have been approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission for unique major status. The application and additional information about the scholarship can be found at senatorbailey.com/scholarship. Please read the instructions carefully before applying.