
On Friday, Senator Bailey presented two public safety bills to the Senate’s Judicial Proceedings Committee. The first bill, Senate Bill 364, Jamari’s Law, would increase the existing maximum penalties for felony manslaughter by vehicle or vessel from 10 years to 20 years for a first offense, and from 15 years to 30 years for a subsequent offense. The second bill, Senate Bill 394, would provide for criminal penalties for individuals who intentionally conceal the death of another person.
Update on Natural Resources Bills
On Tuesday, February 4, the Senate’s Education, Energy and the Environment Committee will hear several bills sponsored by Senator Bailey relating to natural resources. Following discussions with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Senator Bailey has requested the withdrawal of Senate Bill 53 – Natural Resources – Commercial Crab Harvest – Start Time, as DNR has committed to making administrative changes to their data collection that will help the State take a more comprehensive look at the issue of dead loss in commercial crabbing going forward. The Senator has also requested the withdrawal of Senate Bill 128 – Hunter Safety Education – Issuance of Identification Number, as DNR will be enacting this change through administrative procedures.
Co-Sponsored Bills
In addition to his legislative agenda, Senator Bailey is also working with his colleagues in the Senate Republican Caucus to support legislation to address other issues of importance to District 29 and the State of Maryland this year. He is proud to have co-sponsored several of these legislative initiatives this year, including:
Senate Bill 336 – Gun Theft Felony Act of 2025 would classify the theft of a firearm as a felony, carrying a maximum penalty of 5 years and/or a $1,000 fine for a first offense and 10 years and/or a $2,500 fine for subsequent offenses.
Senate Bill 482 – Public Middle and High Schools – Student Discipline (Right to Teach Act of 2025) would authorize a teacher in a public middle or high school to remove students from their classroom who repeatedly or significantly interfere with the teacher’s ability to communicate with other students in the classroom or with other students’ ability to learn effectively.
Senate Bill 531 – Juvenile Law – Custodial Interrogation (Juvenile Justice Restoration Act of 2025) would authorize a law enforcement officer to conduct an otherwise lawful custodial interrogation of a child if the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian consents to the custodial interrogation of the child.
Senate Bill 557 – Vehicle-Miles-Traveled Tax and Associated Mandated Devices – Prohibition (Transportation Freedom Act of 2025) would prohibit the State from imposing a tax based on how many miles a vehicle has traveled.
Senate Bill 588 – Education – Interscholastic and Intramural Junior Varsity and Varsity Teams and Sports – Designation (Fairness in Girls’ Sports Act) would require an athletic team or sport that is sponsored by a school to be expressly designated as one of the following based on biological sex: a boys, male, or men’s team or sport, a girls, female, or women’s team or sport, or a coeducational or mixed team or sport. The bill also provides that an interscholastic or intramural athletic team or sport designated for girls, females, or women may not include students of the male sex.
Senate Bill 644 – Public Schools – School Resource Officers – Firearms Required would require all school resource officers to carry a firearm while present on the premises of the school to which the officer is assigned,
Senate Bill 735 – Real Time for Violent Crime Act (Geri’s Law) would change Maryland’s system of diminution credits as it pertains to those who commit crimes of violence. Under the bill, individuals convicted of first- and second-degree murder would be ineligible to receive diminution credits that can reduce their prison sentence. Those convicted of other crimes of violence would have their diminution credits capped to no more than a 10% reduction in their total sentence. This bill also prohibits bail for an individual charged with a crime of violence if the individual has pending charges for a previous crime of violence.
Senate Bill 783 – Public Schools – Student Fights – School Investigation and Discipline would require schools to investigate each student fight or physical struggle and prohibit a school employee from disciplining a student who used reasonable force necessary to protect themselves or to escape the attack.
Recognition of Student Page
This week, Senator Bailey was able to meet with Emilie Garrabrant, a student at St. Mary’s Ryken High School, who attended session this week as one of the General Assembly’s pages to thank her for her work in support of the General Assembly.