The legislative session has now ended. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard and advocated tirelessly for people with disabilities. Here's where the bills we were following ended up:
Maryland House Bill 226, which would require special education classrooms in public schools to be monitored by video, was engrossed in the House and passed to the Senate for review.
Maryland House Bills 103 and 224, which would grant property tax credits and exemptions to certain disabled veterans, both seem to have died in committee.
House Bill 78, which would require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for otherwise qualified employees with disabilities so long as doing so would not pose a financial hardship or give preferential treatment to the candidate with a disability, passed and was approved by the governor.
House Bill 221, which would allow people in the Healing Hunting and Fishing Program (primarily disabled veterans) to receive no-cost hunting and fishing licenses, passed and was approved by the governor.
House Bill 80, which would change the Home and Community Based Services Community Options Waiver Cap, was engrossed by the House and passed to the Senate.
Senate Bill 93, which would increase the tax credits for employers who hire people with disabilities, was returned passed and sent to the governor.
Senate Bill 235, which would allow a $1,000 personal exemption on Maryland taxes for individuals with permanent physical disability, died in Committee.
House Bill 529, which authorizes supported decision making for adults in certain situations, and oftentimes prevents the need for guardianships, was engrossed by the House and passed to the Senate.
Senate Bill 636, which requires the Health Department to reduce the waitlist for Waiver programs, passed and was approved by the governor.
House Bill 161, which alters the definition of “undue influence” to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable adults, was engrossed in the House and passed to the Senate.
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