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Crossover day 2022

Crossover 2022: Where Are We Now?

We’ve made it past Crossover Day! But what is that?

Crossover Day is the deadline for bills to move from one chamber of the General Assembly to the other through normal order, which means lawmakers try very hard to get their bills through either the House or the Senate by that day. Bills that haven’t yet passed through either chamber will now need to go through a more complicated process involving the Rules Committees of each chamber.

What does this mean for JUFJ’s bills? Well, thanks to your advocacy, JUFJ and our coalition partners have already helped move two House bills and five Senate bills through at least one chamber of the Maryland General Assembly!

These bills have a good path to full passage. However, one of our priority bills did not move in time and will have to go to the Rules Committee.

Let’s take a look at what progress we’ve made and where our work lies moving forward over the next three weeks before this legislative session ends.

Big advancements of critical justice legislation in Maryland!

  • SB384/HB674, let rental assistance work – passed out of the Senate and now heads to the House! This bill is in good shape, since it passed out of one chamber by the Crossover deadline.
  • SB53/HB269, Child Interrogation Protection Act – passed out of the Senate and now heads to the House! This bill is in good shape, since it passed out of one chamber by the Crossover deadline.
  • SB275/HB8, paid family and medical leave – passed out of the Senate and now heads to the House! This is a strong bill and would be the most comprehensive paid leave bill passed in the US if it happens and if the House doesn’t alter it significantly. HB496 (Delegate Wilson’s paid leave bill) also passed out of the House. This bill was amended to create a commission to study paid family and medical leave before any program is established and the commission itself is heavily representative of business interests. Paid family and medical leave has already been studied and this is not what Marylander’s need.
  • SB662/HB724, fund renters’ access to counsel – passed out of the Senate and now heads to the House! This bill is in good shape, since it passed out of one chamber by the Crossover deadline.
  • Funding for Access to Counsel in Evictions was also included in the 2023 Fiscal Year Budget which passed out of the Senate. This bill is in good shape, since it passed out of one chamber by the Crossover deadline.
  • Funding a women’s prerelease facility (MDGA20-SB684) – the recommendation to restrict $150,000 in the operating budget for the next phase of establishing a women’s prerelease center was included in the full budget (SB290) and passed the Senate. The recommendation to include $2 million in the capital budget (SB291) passed out of the Budget & Tax Committee, but has not yet passed second and third reader in the Senate. We are not concerned about this passing in time – the Senate is constitutionally required to pass this bill.
  • HB613, which would expand presence of police-free schools, has not moved out of committee. We are opposed to this bill.

We’ll keep organizing on these bills with our coalition partners and legislative allies, so that they all pass out of the General Assembly before the end of the legislative session, with a veto-proof majority.

Setbacks

Two of our priority bills have not yet had a committee vote.

  • SB129/HB114, Access to Counsel in Immigration Proceedings. Even though this bill has not yet received a committee vote in either chamber, we are still working to move this bill forward as soon as possible.
  • Safe Schools Fund/Counselors Not Cops, funding for non-police student supports in schools, does not look like it will be moving forward this year and did not receive bill numbers. We are working with our partners on next steps.

SB441/HB991, clarify Baltimore Civilian Review Board – passed out of the House ahead of the Crossover Day deadline, which was a big win! However, the City administration has backtracked its supportive position on the House bill, and so this bill is not moving at the moment. More information and next steps will be forthcoming.

Additional Issues: Testimony Only & Sign-on Bills

In addition to our priority issues, JUFJers have worked to support other issues that we had historically been involved in or reflect our values and are important to our allies.


PROGRESS!

  • Juvenile Justice (HB459) – passed out of the House and heads to the Senate!
  • Cannabis Legalization + Equity package (HB1) – passed out of the House and heads to the Senate!
  • Allow Montgomery County to move automated traffic enforcement from the Police Department to Department of Transportation (HB231) – passed out of the House and heads to the Senate!
  • Repeal Crimes on School Grounds (HB84/SB119) – passed out of the House and Senate, and now needs both versions to align for full passage.
  • Reportable Offenses Statute (HB146) – passed out of the House and heads to the Senate!
  • Rental License Proof in Failure to Pay Rent actions (HB174) – passed out of the House and heads to the Senate!
  • Probation, Not Deportation (HB559/SB265) – passed out of the House and heads to the Senate!
  • Trans Health Equity Act of 2022 (HB746/SB682) – passed out of the Senate and heads to the House!
  • Maryland 988 Trust Fund/Behavioral Health Crisis Response Services (HB293/SB241) – passed out of the Senate and heads to the House!
  • Office of the Public Defender Collective Bargaining (HB90/SB255) – passed out of the Senate and heads to the House!

SETBACKS

  • Juvenile Court Jurisdiction (SB165/HB294) – Charge children as children and not adults.
  • Body Worn Cameras (HB429) – Clarify and strengthen legislation passed last year and add requirements for plainclothes officers to also wear cameras.
  • Eviction Diversion (HB691/SB564) – Increase due process for renters facing eviction and provide increased opportunities for existing protections and resources to reach resolutions other than eviction.
  • Just Cause Eviction (HB881) – Prohibit landlords from terminating or not renewing leases unless they have a legitimate reason to do so.
  • Lead Inspection Certificate and Rental License Proof in Failure to Pay Rent actions (HB101) – This will provide more enforcement of lead inspection and rental licensing requirements.
  • Reducing Eviction Filings (HB298/SB223) – raises filing fees for landlords to evict renters
  • Tenant Screening (HB134) – Reform the tenant screening industry, which is currently a barrier to housing.
  • Tenants’ Right to Organize (HB392) – Establish a right for renters to organize among themselves for collective action in tenant/landlord matters and prevent landlord interference.

These have not yet received a committee vote, but some may still pass this session. Stay tuned for updates.

  • Public Information Act – Inspection of Records From Body-Worn Digital Recording Devices (SB31) – We oppose this bill because it would interfere with police transparency, but it has passed the Senate and heads to the House.

Our work moving forward

Moving forward, we will be laser-focused on which bills are still in play, and where our coalition partners are focusing their attention. We’ll be sending out updates and issue-specific action alerts – you can see the action alerts that are still live via the button below.

And, make sure to check out all of our upcoming statewide events, both in-person and online! Click on the events button below.

If you want to be on our Rapid Response list and receive more urgent updates/actions, click the Rapid Response button below.

If any of these buttons are inaccessible to you, please reach out to rianna@jufj.org for assistance.

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