CCMD - 2022 legislative tracker.xlsx


1			Common Cause Maryland Legislative Tracker
2			Check out our 2022 legislative review!
3			Check out our 2022 legislative priorities!
4			*Please note: the bills listed below only reflect our current priorities. If you don't see a bill listed, including unfavorable bills, please reach out and we will provide you with information on our position.
5		Bill Status	Position	SB	Senate Sponsor	HB	House Sponsor	Bill Summary	Senate Bill Status	House Bill Status

6	Access to Voting
7	Election Law - Ballots - Processing and Reporting Procedures	PASSED IN BOTH CHAMBERS. SENT TO GOV!	FAV	SB 163	Kagan			Provides common sense steps to improve our mail-in voting process, including establishing a process for "curing" and the preprocessing of ballots.	Passed in the Senate (33-14). Passed in the House (94-41).
8	Elections - Election Judges - Minimum Compensation	IN COMMITTEE	FAV			HB 327	D. Jones	Establishes a minimum daily compensation for Election Judges at $200 for each early voring day and election day.		In W&M committee
9	Postelection Tabulation Audits - Risk-Limiting Audits	PASSED IN THE HOUSE	FAV	SB 742	Washington	HB 745	Kaiser	Establishes process for conducting risk-limiting audits, a critical post-election process needed to ensure that the results of an election reflect the will of Maryland voters.	In EHE committee	Passed in the House (132-0). In Senate EHE committee.
10	General Assembly - Special Election to Fill a Vacancy in Office	PASSED IN THE SENATE	FAV	SB 73	Lam			Requires a special election to fill legislative vacancies if vacancy occurs more than fifty five days prior to the filing deadline for the statewide election.	Passed in the Senate (45-0). In House W&M committeE (hearing never scheduled).
11	Elections - Polling Place Location Restrictions - Repeal	PASSED IN BOTH CHAMBERS. SENT TO GOV!	FAV	SB 907	Simonaire	HB 328	D. Jones	Repeals restrictions on holding an election in a building that is within 100 feet of a location where alcohol is served, creating new options for polling sites that are more accessible to MD voters.	Passes in the Senate (46-0). Passed in the House (124-0).	Passed in the House (138-0). Passed in the Senate (47-0).
12	Election Judges - Training and Signs - Accomodations for Voters in Need of Assistance	IN COMMITTEE	FAV			HB 702	Hill	Aims to improve the process for training election judges on the methods used to assist elderly and disabled voters as well as require the SBE to make clear signage available to ensure voters are aware of assistance and accomodations available to them.		In W&M committee
13	Montgomery County - Ranked Choice Voting	IN COMMITTEE	FAV			HB 362	MoCo Delegation	Would authorize Montgomery County to adopt a Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) or Approval Voting method.
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15	Transparency & Accountability
16	Transparency in Public Records Act of 2022	IN COMMITTEE	FAV	SB 307	Lam	HB 395	Stewart	Requires that certain communications made or received by State employees or public officials having to do with public business be considered public record, subject to the Public Information Act (PIA). It also clarifies that the Office of the Governor is in fact subject to the requirements under this Act.	In EHE committee	In HGO committee
17	Courts – Remote Public Access	IN COMMITTEE	FAV	HB 647	Moon	SB 469	Rosapepe	Ensures public remote audio-visual access to all court proceedings not deemed closed, confidential, or restricted by either State or federal law.	In JRP committee	In Judiciary committee
18	Maryland State Agency Transparency Act of 2022	PASSED IN BOTH CHAMBERS. SENT TO GOV!	FAV	SB 269	Kagan	HB 375	Korman	Significantly increases access to and the efficiency of certain State agencies and public bodies, making them subject to enhanced Open Meetings Act requirements.	Passed in the Senate (44-0). Passed in the House (129-0).	Passed in the House (130-0). Passed in the Senate (42-0).
19	Open Meetings Act - Notices, Closed Sessions, and Minutes - Retention Periods, Online Posting, and Public Inspection	PASSED IN BOTH CHAMBERS. SENT TO GOV!	FAV			HB 246	Carr	Strengthens the Open Meeting Act, specifically expanding access to meeting materials of public bodies. This change increases the transparency of public meetings and ensures the ability for meaningful public participation.		Passed in the House (132-0). Passed in the Senate (47-0).
20	Ethics – Local Governments – Registration of Lobbyists	PASSED IN THE HOUSE	FAV			HB 59	Carr	Strengthens local ethics laws by improving the guidance provided to local jurisdictions throughout the State, specifically improving option B in COMAR to cover more lobbying activity.		Passed in the House (138-0). In Senate EHE committee.
21	Montgomery County Planning Board - Open Meetings - Video and Audio Streaming and Minutes PG/MC 101-22	PASSED IN BOTH CHAMBERS. SENT TO GOV!	FAV			HB 396	PG/MoCo Delegation	Requires the Montgomery County Planning Board to stream live video or audio of its open meetings and archive recordings of each meeting online.		Passed in the House (134-0). Passed in the Senate (46-0).
22	Public Information Act – Inspection of Records From Body–Worn Digital Recording Devices	PASSED IN THE SENATE	UNF	SB 31	Sydnor			Legislation would diminsh the Public Information Act as there are already descretionary exemptions that protect footage - including sensitive footage of survivors of domestic violence - from disclosure. For real accountability, police body camera footage must remain accessible.	Passed in the Senate (44-0). In House Judiciary.
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24	Campaign Finance
25	Declaration of Rights - Campaign Financing Right to Know	IN COMMITTEE	FAV	SB 895	Smith			Pending approval by voters in the November election, would affirm the right of every single Maryland resident to know who and what entities spend money to influence their vote. SB 895 also protects their right to participate in publicly financed elections.	In EHE committee
26	Election Law - Contested Elections	PASSED IN BOTH CHAMBERS. SENT TO THE GOV!	FAV	SB 101	Kagan	HB 291	Kaiser	Establishes disclosure requirements through the creation of contested elections committees - increasing reporting and transparency in the recount process. It also provides enabling authority for counties with public financing program.	Passed in the Senate (42-3). Passed in the House (101-21).	Passed in the House (131-0). Passed in the Senate (43-0).
27	Campaign Finance – Recurring Contributions and Donations – Requirements	PASSED IN BOTH CHAMBERS. SIGNED INTO LAW!	FAV			HB 17	Palakovich Carr	Bans political campaigns from guiding online donors into recurring donations by default, a practice that has led supporters to make unintended gifts that sometimes total in the thousands of dollars.		Passed in the House (132-0). Passed in the Senate (46-0)
28	Election Law - Campaign Finance - Protection of Contributor	PASSED IN BOTH CHAMBERS. SENT TO GOV!	FAV	SB 239	Simonaire			Protects Maryland contributor information made available on campaign finance reports or statements from commercial solicitation and published in print materials intended for commercial solicitations	Passed in the Senate (45-0). Passed in the House (122-0).
29	Public Financing Act – State Senate & House of Delegates	IN COMMITTEE	FAV	SB 358	Pinsky			Creates a small donor public campaign financing program for General Assembly candidates.	In EHE committee
30	Local Public Campaign Financing – Expansion to Additional Offices	IN COMMITTEE	FAV			HB 488	Feldmark	Expands on the Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2013 by allowing public campaign finance systems currently allowed in the counties to also cover offices for sheriff, board of education, judge and clerk of the circuit court, and more.		In W&M committee
31	Election Law - Campaign Finance - Enforcement	PASSED IN BOTH CHAMBERS. SENT TO GOV!		SB 15	Jackson	HB 340	D. Jones	Provides the SBE and Office of the State Prosecutor greater authority when enforcing our campaign finance laws, ensuring accountability in instances where bad actors aim to undermine our democracy.	Passed in the Senate (45-0). Passed in the House (99-35).	Passed in the House (98-35). In Senate Rules committee.
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33	Redistricting
34	Legislative Districting Plan of 2022	PASSED IN BOTH CHAMBERS. MAP IS BEING CHALLENGED IN THE COURT.	INF	SJ 2	LRAC	HJ 2	LRAC	Proposal submitted by the Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission (LRAC) established by the General Assembly which outlines a plan to redraw the boundaries of our legislative voting districts.	Passed in the Senate (32-14). Passed in the House (95-42).	No action
35	Maryland Citizens' Legislative Districting Plan of 2022	NO ACTION		SJ 3	MCRC	HJ 1	MCRC	Proposal submitted by the MD Citizens Redistricting Commission (MCRC) established by the Governor which outlines a plan to redraw the boundaries of our legislative voting districts.	No action	No action
36	ALTERNATE - Congressional Districting Plan	PASSED IN BOTH CHAMBERS. SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOV.		SB 1012	Sen. President			Anne Arundel County Senior Judge blocked the congressional map adopted during the December 2021 special session from going into effect — calling it an “extreme partisan gerrymander.” SB 1012 is an alternative congressional map passed by the MGA and submitted to the court by the March 30th deadline.	Passed in the Senate (30-13). Passed in the House (94-41).
37	Voting Rights Act of 2022 - Counties and Municipalities	IN COMMITTEE	FAV	SB 413	Sydnor			Empowers the state Attorney General to intervene and ensure that Marylanders’ fundamental right to vote is protected in the event that local governments violate federal voting laws.	In EHE committee
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39	Other
40	Courts - Payment for Jury Service	PASSED IN BOTH CHAMBERS. SENT TO GOV!	FAV	SB 775	Carter	HB 208	Moon	Jurors are currently paid $15 per day which barely covers their transportation and meal expenses, let alone the opportunity cost of a lost day’s wages. HB 208/SB 775 would increase the per diem rate to $30, similar to the rate in DC/VA.	Passed in the Senate (38-8). Passed in the House (126-8).	Passed in the House (124-4). Passed in the Senate (47-0).
41	Criminal Law - Threats to Public Officials	PASSED IN THE SENATE	FWA	SB 956	Watson			Provide health officers and other public employees with further legal protection from threats made against them. Amendment: restore bill to its original posture to ensuring election officials are also protected against threats and harassments.	Passed in the Senate (47-0). In House Judiciary committee.
42	United States Constitution – Amendments Convention – Limitations on Federal Power	IN COMMITTEE	UNF	SJ 8	Ready	HJ 6	M. Fisher	Calls for a national constitutional convention, creaing a dangerous opportunity for a runaway convention that could rewrite any constitutional right or protection currently available to American citizens.	In EHE committee	In House Rules committee
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