Monday was the Senate’s deadline to guarantee that any bill that is introduced receives a hearing. Senator Bailey introduced three more bills from his legislative package prior to this deadline.
Senate Bill 643 – Natural Resources – Hunting – Management would give the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) discretion over further expansion of Sunday hunting in Maryland effective July 1, 2027. The bill requires any regulations adopted by DNR to allow, at a minimum, Sunday hunting during those hours and days when it is permitted as of June 30, 2027. These provisions would sunset in 2030 to allow the General Assembly to evaluate the effects of this change. This bill also creates a new permit to protect forest, trees, native plants, agricultural crops, and landscaping where there has been a documented history of damage.
Senate Bill 647 – Law Enforcement Officers’ Pension System and State Police Retirement System – Line-of-Duty Catastrophic Injury Disability would provide an enhanced disability allowance to be paid to a police officer who is found to be disabled in the line of duty and unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity equal to 100% of the member’s annual compensation at the time their injury occurred.
Senate Bill 807 – Alcoholic Beverages – Class 8 Farm Brewery and Class 10 Farm Distillery Licenses would establish a Class 10 farm distillery license that authorizes a license holder who is engaged in agritourism to distill, rectify, bottle, and sell at wholesale or retail distilled spirits produced on a licensed farm. The bill also establishes and alters standards and requirements for food service under a Class 8 farm brewery license or a Class 10 farm distillery license.
Charlotte Hall Veterans Home Update
On Wednesday, the Governor gave his annual State of the State address to the General Assembly, which included an update on the progress that has been made on improving the care of the residents of Charlotte Hall Veterans Home. This year, the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home received a four-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, up from a one-star rating three years ago. This is great news for our State’s veterans and it is a credit to the staff at Charlotte Hall who have worked to improve the quality of care that our veterans receive. Senator Bailey looks forward to seeing this improvement continue in the years to come.
Potomac River Sewage Spill
On Thursday, Senator Bailey spoke at a press conference about the effects of the DC Water sewage spill on the lower Potomac River, including St. Mary’s County. The University of Maryland’s School of Public Health has described this as “one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history.” Nearly 250 million gallons of raw sewage has contaminated the Potomac as a result of this spill, and bacteria levels have been recorded that were 100 times higher than those originally reported.
Our State needs to be looking at every option on the table to hold DC accountable for this avoidable catastrophe. Senator Bailey spoke of the need for a comprehensive plan from our State government that will hold DC Water financially responsible, particularly if that plan includes legislation that will need to be passed during the legislative session.
Scholarships
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 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.