March 1, 2022

Dear Sharon,

As I write this update at the midpoint of our legislative session, I am especially grateful for our democracy as the people of Ukraine sacrifice so much to protect theirs. It is a privilege to be your representative in Annapolis. 

At this point in the session, three of my legislative priorities have passed the House.

• HB 219 will help Dialysis Centers more easily hire and train Dialysis Technicians. This helps workers and patients in need of dialysis care.



• HB 220 removes unnecessary licensing barriers for Massage Therapists and will help authorities crack down on human trafficking.

In a sign of the times, this simple bill was targeted by far right anti-vaccine extremists. Expressing concern that existing public health information sharing provisions in the underlying law might enable public health officials to enforce vaccine mandates, two floor amendments were proposed which would have blocked public health efforts related to vaccines. Thankfully, Vice Chairman Joseline Pena-Melnyk successfully defended the integrity of the legislation, and the underlying public health laws.

• HB 970 was voted out of Committee last week and will be up for a vote in the full House this week. Raised by the Montgomery County Medical Society, it ensures that sexual assault survivors have timely access to PREP medication to prevent HIV infection. 

• I presented five additional bills at hearings last week and I have four more bills yet to be heard, including multiple pieces of legislation to support a variety of care models for the elderly and critical investments in our healthcare workforce. 



• The hearings on the Abortion Care Access bills were last week and we are expecting a Committee vote this week. You can find press coverage HERE. If you support these bills, now is the time to contact your legislators and urge a green vote. Thankfully, the entire District 16 team is fully supportive of these bills.

• The Family Budget Booster package helps families by eliminating the sales tax on necessities such as diapers, baby bottles, car seats, medical devices, oral hygiene products and diabetic care products. We will consider several of these bills on the floor this week.

• Our childcare legislative package includes five bills to rebuild Maryland’s childcare capacity by making childcare more affordable and opening more childcare centers so parents can get back to work and children can get the high-quality care they deserve. The package contains improvements to the childcare scholarship program (formerly known as childcare subsidies), a $35 million revolving loan fund for providers to expand and renovate facilities, and funding for bonuses to assist with retention and recruitment of high quality childcare workers. 

• Delegate Emily Shetty passed an excellent piece of legislation out of the House last week. Building on the law I passed a few years ago requiring the inclusion of Consent Education in the Sex Education curriculum statewide, Delegate Shetty's bill will also require teaching teens about the risks of sexting.

• Paid Family and Medical Leave – In an exciting turn of events, Senate Leadership announced last week they will be supporting the Time To Care Act (finally!) this year. Workgroups are ongoing in the House on this issue. Stay tuned! I introduced this legislation in Maryland for the first time ten years ago and continue to strongly support the efforts of the Time to Care coalition.

  

Best,

I was honored to receive the 2021 Autism Speaks Public Service Award for my work to expand access to autism therapy.

Delighted to stand with Speaker Adrienne Jones, Finance Committee Chairwoman Delores Kelley and Planned Parenthood Maryland President Karen Nelson to discuss our abortion access bills.

Photo credit: Maximillian Franz