Maryland Tech Council in Annapolis
A Recap of 2019 Legislative Efforts
|
The Maryland Tech Council continued to be a leading voice in Annapolis this session for policies supporting the technology and life sciences community in Maryland. The Maryland legislature took note of the progress of these efforts, which helped establish the Tech Council as a leading authority across numerous policy issues critical to businesses and patients.
With the 2019 legislative session having drawn to a close, the Tech Council
focused on and addressed nearly 70 different pieces of legislation
. This included 12 bills focused specifically on the life sciences industry, 17 specific to technology, and 39 additional bills related to taxes, the workforce, and other relevant issues for our members.
Of these bills, the Tech Council
provided written testimony on 34 total bills, while providing in-person oral testimony on 12
to relevant Maryland House and Senate Committees. This is in addition to multiple letters sent to various committees of jurisdiction in advance of and after the completion of testimony to clarify issues and provide additional context and details.
The Tech Council has been a leading contributor helping shape beneficial legislation and changes on key issues relevant to our industry, including:
- Drug Pricing & Transparency. As in years past, legislation was introduced this year to address pricing, with the creation of a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. While the legislation as enacted still raises concerns about future action related to drug pricing, in part due to the Tech Council’s efforts, the most damaging aspects concerning innovation were struck from the bill, including immediate upper payment limits and foreign drug importation efforts.
- Expanding 5G Coverage. The Tech Council has also supported three different pieces of legislation to help expand 5G to support businesses and entrepreneurs developing extraordinary technologies to save, protect and improve lives. HB 474, 654 and 1020 have each been referred for summer study by the House Economic Matters Committee.
- Net Neutrality. The Tech Council also pushed back against a misguided net neutrality rule, HB 141, that was legally questionable and would harm consumers. The Tech Council provided testimony opposing the legislation and the bill failed to advance past crossover to be considered this session.
|
|
The Tech Council actively engaged with state and local media, leading up to and throughout the session, to communicate our priorities and raise awareness about issues critical to our members, including pieces in:
In this opinion piece, Tech Council advocate and stage IV metastatic breast cancer patient Christine Hodgdon provided the patient perspective about how upper payment limits harm patients like her who suffer from diseases for which there is currently no cure, urging legislators to reject the bill.
In this opinion piece, CEO Marty Rosendale argues against potential drug pricing regulation based on the damage it would do to Maryland’s economy and the negative impact it would have on patients in our state and around the world.
In this interview, Marty discusses the legislative agenda for the Tech Council in 2019, focusing on efforts to extend 5G and oppose misguided regulations around drug pricing.
Following recent administrative efforts to reduce patient out-of-pocket costs, Marty urged more action to ensure that pharmacy benefit managers pass on their potential cost savings to patients.
The Daily Record (Forthcoming):
New Maryland Bill Could Put Innovative Breakthroughs Out of Reach
In his forthcoming opinion piece, Tech Council member and Cartesian Therapeutics CEO Murat Kalayoglu discusses the unintended potential consequences of upper payment limits that could undermine Maryland companies who are pursuing breakthrough treatments and cures.
|
|
In addition to these efforts, the Tech Council has also been active in engaging with legislators and the general public using digital marketing and grassroots member engagement with elected officials, particularly around the issue of drug pricing:
- Targeted advertisements opposing upper payment limits as legislators were finalizing pricing legislation. As part of a concerted (and eventually successful) effort to eliminate or delay upper payment limits, the Tech Council deployed targeted ads as Sine Die approached about the dangers of upper payment limits, including their risk to patients and potential unconstitutionality, directly to key policy influencers in Maryland, including lobbyists, legislators, and their staffs. These generated over 750 digital engagements (likes/comments/shares) and over 550 click-throughs to a patient testimonial in the final days of session.
- Grassroots advocacy supporting innovation and cautioning against overregulation. The Tech Council galvanized members and advocates concerned about innovation to reach out to their elected officials, urging them to protect our innovation economy and oppose burdensome regulation, including upper payment limits. These efforts led to over 1,600 legislative contacts (letters and phone calls) from 320+ Tech Council advocates.
- Educational video testimonials about key policy issues. The Tech Council produced video testimonials of Tech Council members, leadership, patient advocates and supporters discussing the benefits of innovation to the economy and patients. These videos were used to educate legislators and the public, including additional targeting to influencers, which led to over 60,000 views and 1,000 digital engagements (likes/comments/shares) from a targeted audience, particularly around key legislative moments.
- Twitter live-streaming and other social media engagement. The Tech Council also actively engaged elected officials and other influencers on social media, including live-tweeting multiple hearings, sharing earned media, promoting Tech Council content during the State of the Union, distributing a response to Governor Hogan’s State of the State, and more.
Our work to prepare for next year’s legislative session has already begun, as we continue efforts to position the Maryland Tech Council as the thought leader on the most critical issues among our membership. We will continue to keep you updated about ongoing Tech Council efforts as we champion issues critical to the technology and life sciences community in Maryland.
|
|
Learn more about why Maryland’s legislature supports innovation to help patients and the economy.
|
|
Learn more about why Maryland has to pave the way for 5G and small cells.
|
|
Learn more about how Maryland continues to attract innovative new life sciences companies.
|
|
Learn more about patients like CJ who rely on innovation for cures they need.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
