Monday was crossover day in the General Assembly. This is the date by which all legislation must pass out of either the Senate or the House to be guaranteed a hearing in the opposite chamber. While legislation passed after this date can still be considered, it must first be assigned to and wait in the Rules Committee, which can cause a substantial delay in the final weeks of the session. This made Monday a key deadline for legislation if it is to pass this year.
Senator Bailey was proud to have two more bills pass the Senate prior to Monday’s deadline.
The first, Senate Bill 559, establishes the Recreational Fishery Data Collection Program to collect data on the recreational catch of striped bass. Under this bill, the Department of Natural Resources will develop and implement a data collection system for recreational anglers to better inform State and Federal partners about the harvest of striped bass in Maryland.
The second, Senate Bill 807, revises provisions of law governing Maryland’s farm breweries to support our farmers and encourage the lasting success of these small agritourism businesses in Maryland. These bills now go to the House of Delegates for their consideration.
With the passage of these bills, eight of Senator Bailey’s sponsored bills passed the Senate prior to the crossover deadline, and the House versions of an additional three of his sponsored bills have passed the House of Delegates and are currently being considered by the Senate. As always, you can find up-to-date information on all of the legislation that Senator Bailey has sponsored or co-sponsored from the General Assembly’s website.
Capital Budget
This week, the Senate passed their version of the State’s Capital Budget for Fiscal Year 2027. Senator Bailey has once again been successful in securing State funding for several local projects through this process. As passed by the Senate, the Capital Budget includes funding for three of Senator Bailey’s sponsored legislative bond initiatives for the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maryland, the Seventh District Volunteer Fire Department, and the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department. The Capital Budget also includes funds for the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home EMS Facility and for Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities in St. Mary’s County.
Letter of Opposition to Maryland Route 235 Project
On Thursday, the St. Mary’s County Delegation sent a letter to the Maryland Secretary of Transportation expressing the Delegation’s opposition to the proposed Maryland Route 235 Pedestrian Safety Action modifications from Great Mills Road to Chancellors Run Road. Senator Bailey has been strongly opposed to this proposal, which would take away one lane from a portion of Route 235 to create a bicycle and pedestrian path. The letter also identifies potential adjacent projects that could protect the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians without reducing the capacity of Route 235, including improvements to FDR Boulevard and the Three Notch Trail.
Miss Maryland
Also on Thursday, Senator Bailey was proud to welcome Maria Derisavi to Annapolis to recognize her for being named the 90th Miss Maryland. Maria is a former intern in Senator Bailey’s office and is the first Miss Maryland crowned from St. Mary’s County. Senator Bailey was honored to have the opportunity to lead the Senate in congratulating Maria for this honor.
Scholarship
As a reminder, the Senatorial Scholarship application for the 2026-27 school year is now available at senatorbailey.com/scholarship. The deadline for submitting the application is this upcoming Wednesday, April 1, 2026. The instructional letter that is posted includes information on how to complete the application, as well as how to confirm who your elected representatives are. Please be aware that our office can only accept applications from students who permanently live in Senate District 29.