[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6314482,"mediaKeyId","2383744-cdabc8f2dd0a22b1ca7f72ab5940bc2c","parentId",2383744,"title","Maryland veterans agency defends Charlotte Hall funding after contractor change, litigation and low federal ratings","audioSeconds",3604,"startMs",991000,"endMs",4595000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383744-cdabc8f2dd0a22b1ca7f72ab5940bc2c&start=991&end=4595","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383744-cdabc8f2dd0a22b1ca7f72ab5940bc2c/thumbnail_991000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6314482/Maryland/Maryland-veterans-agency-defends-Charlotte-Hall-funding-after-contractor-change-litigation-and-low-federal-ratings","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6314482-8ed063d2b7916714b6f3d9df5999e822/orig.mp4?Expires=1771111543&Signature=Nf629RFNhSOEFxv-~oEohAgHpr1QErQsGAIGZ2NV4flM6tQ0uDhttI5oqJxUQPwJiKMLnYgREZ0xy1Hm3YiFemgBtU5c7NoZAMQLBJdo1bc75MDazPK8~h-ksUg4kyYmFQV58~qpCFXIw7o~cTzY4UXrnjGcAvr6sXFgnUufsX7HZjQGUmV7sbJz-mQVrG~Ure6uvnaGnUZYOawmmQEAj2tzyldBcJfW01Zq6m9PmQil2~UraYxW1a8Z5fDxHwQLjXx~UIy5tSbYyW1keFQE3uPIv2iE72eE2hq-ZKc54d6HSc7ScBTFWuYzbqcza4x5h9ZzsnWwSNvtcUbTs4aoeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","MGA - B&T","date","2025-02-21T00:00:00Z","article","Secretary Tony Woods and Department of Legislative Services analysts pressed several operational and budget details about Charlotte Hall Veterans Home and other Department of Veterans and Military Families (DVMF) programs during a Public Safety, Transportation and Environment Subcommittee briefing on the department’s fiscal 2026 allowance.

DLS presented a fiscal 2026 analysis that showed the department’s overall allowance would decrease by $608,000 (0.9%) and that special fund support for Charlotte Hall had fallen sharply because of a new funding mechanism after a contractor change in June 2023. The DLS analyst noted a $3.9 million reduction in estimated Charlotte Hall operating expense in the fiscal 2026 allowance to better align with fiscal 2024 actuals and said special‑fund balances and fund swaps reduced the department’s fiscal 2025 appropriations.

“We have processed over 5,000 VA claims free of charge, resulting in over $44,700,000 in direct payments to veterans,” Secretary Tony Woods told the subcommittee, reiterating the department’s aim to strengthen services for Maryland’s military‑connected community. Woods said DVMF supports the governor’s allowance and highlighted recent program work: online applications for the Maryland Veteran Trust Fund, joint accreditation at Charlotte Hall and progress on a five‑pillar Maryland Joint Forces initiative launched in November 2023.

Woods and DVMF staff were asked repeatedly about the replacement of a private manager at Charlotte Hall and a related $825,000 litigation expense that DLS said had been budgeted as a one‑time cost. Woods said the Attorney General’s Office has been “very collaborative” and that outside counsel had been considered but might not be needed if the parties reach a settlement. He declined to discuss active litigation further.

DLS also drew attention to quality measures reported by federal regulators: as of December 2024 Charlotte Hall had an overall federal rating of one star, with staffing rated three stars and health inspections and quality measures rated one star each. The DLS analyst requested that the department brief the committee on corrective actions. Woods said the new contractor (identified in the record as Pruitt Health) has eliminated reliance on temporary staffing agencies, improved recruitment and instituted a data‑driven quality improvement approach, and that the department conducts weekly meetings with the contractor to review resident‑by‑resident issues.

Other points DLS and committee members pressed the department on:
- Occupancy and admissions: DLS reported admissions were paused April–November 2023 for assessment and corrective actions; occupancy has increased since December 2023 but remains below capacity. DVMF projected resident increases in fiscal 2025–26 and DLS asked how the department will fund more residents after the reduced appropriation.
- Funding mechanism: DLS described a new funding mechanism starting in fiscal 2025 under which Medicare, Medicaid and private‑pay revenues are deposited to the general fund and the state pays the contractor from general fund expenditures. DLS asked for details on the mechanism and on unspent special and federal fund balances that were carried forward.
- Staffing and inspections: DLS noted that as of December 2024 a comprehensive recertification survey cited noncompliances; the department was asked to brief corrective measures. Woods pointed to joint accreditation and the contractor’s staffing and training changes as central to improvements.

A DVMF employee and union representative, Rodney Dickerson, testified during public comment that staff remain underpaid, that equipment is outdated across veterans services and urged restoring the veterans home to state management rather than continuing privatized operations. He called for increased staff pay at veterans’ cemeteries and more sustained funding for prevention‑oriented services for veterans facing homelessness or other hardships.

What happens next: DLS recommended continued quarterly reporting on Charlotte Hall’s progress and submitted several committee‑narrative requests. Committee members asked DVMF to provide updates on litigation, contractor performance, staffing and the plan to fund rising occupancy under the revised fiscal 2025–26 appropriation. The subcommittee did not take a formal vote during the hearing.

Ending: Committee members expressed support for additional transparency and thanked DVMF officials and staff who attended the hearing. DLS and the department will provide follow‑up material requested by the subcommittee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","PST Committee Session, 2/21/2025 #1","oneSentenceSummary","Secretary Tony Woods and Department of Legislative Services analysts pressed several operational and budget details about Charlotte Hall Veterans Home and other Department of Veterans and Military Families programs during a subcommittee briefing on the department’s fiscal 2026 allowance.","taxTitle","Public Safety, Transportation, and Environment Subcommittee, Budget and Taxation Committee, SENATE, SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Maryland","taxId",78575,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6314468,"Environment department asks to preserve core programs as committees probe permits, IT projects and climate funding",509,9491000,10000000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383744-cdabc8f2dd0a22b1ca7f72ab5940bc2c&start=9491&end=10000","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383744-cdabc8f2dd0a22b1ca7f72ab5940bc2c/thumbnail_9491000.jpg","/articles/6314468/Maryland/Environment-department-asks-to-preserve-core-programs-as-committees-probe-permits-IT-projects-and-climate-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6314468-4ad50d1d034734dd9429a293812a30af/orig.mp4?Expires=1771111543&Signature=GjTpG9ulUDZCZEVdZRAkTwytn6m-QEEdcJJaoXeVV~fw51k1ZEvoV831z-tc-o2IJdD4yGZVmtxwNkaZBBEFOqTzF-aQmYaW2XI-bYBZdFK-rMK9UpcdYQHgspsKUhZS8XF5a12a2I3utKK9dfKsKhs~WYqaZDCRc1~y3Z-3zTTIFxZQAKX32Tmm22EFQtD5zLEscJpHzT~l~BYcxQKyWxqwGp5LHrEpsyZrf-0GO8UsjQOehBiW5Xgj83nBnNBVfudSWSFsnb~DomXgY7N6Hj6oiUgnrGNDrxNehRyaIABKkdZ~NW4i3w6eBE6gD3wJ-qtqWyH83oy3LeEOlmipFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) officials and Department of Legislative Services analysts clashed over a suite of program and budget questions spanning permit backlogs, major information‑technology projects, producer responsibility work and the state’s climate funding commitments.

DLS opened the review by noting a fiscal 2026 operating allowance of about $247.3 million (an increase of $16.2 million, or 7%). Analysts flagged several concerns: missing or delayed public‑reporting measures (childhood blood‑lead surveillance and Public Information Act request turnaround), a rise in permit applications paired with a decline in permits issued between fiscal 2023 and 2024, and two major IT modernization projects (the Maryland Environmental Reporting Portal and a wells & septic portal) that have rising estimated costs and risk factors.

Secretary Serena McElwain told the committee MDE has increased the number of inspections by 31%, restored 365 acres of brownfields, accelerated tree plantings toward the 5‑million‑tree goal and completed historic enforcement settlements. McElwain said MDE reduced administratively continued permits (so called “zombie permits”) substantially and is moving toward resolving the remaining number within the year. She said the agency has focused on internal efficiencies (reducing phone and desk costs) while building online permitting and digitized records to improve customer service.

Key policy and budget items discussed:
- Clean Water Commerce Act funding: DLS recommended a temporary reduction of $20 million in Clean Water Commerce Act allocations to reassign money to water‑science operating needs during current fiscal stress; advocates urged preserving the $20 million in the act because it funds cost‑effective nutrient and sediment reductions.
- Major IT projects: MDE has two major IT projects where DLS asked why the agency opted for an “agile services team” rather than the state’s one‑stop vendor, and why cost and scope estimates grew. The agency said it is progressing but increased clarity on procurement and costs is needed.
- Climate funding and accounting: DLS raised questions about how the $1 billion annual public investment estimate in the Climate Solutions Now Act aligns with current appropriations and funding streams; MDE noted the administration proposed a $180 million down payment toward climate goals in fiscal 2026 and that some federal awards (IIJA/Inflation Reduction Act) constitute part of the broader funding picture. MDE requested clarification on federal award timing; committee members noted EPA communications have been uneven.
- Recycling and producer responsibility: DLS asked about timing for the statewide recycling needs assessment and whether producer responsibility organizations will reimburse the state for assessment costs.

Outside groups — conservation advocates and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation — testified in support of the governor’s MDE budget and warned that cutting programs further would jeopardize water‑quality progress and federal matching opportunities. Advocacy witnesses asked the subcommittee to avoid one‑year cuts into programmatic funds that leverage private and federal dollars.

What happens next: DLS recommended adopting committee narrative to continue monitoring the used‑tire cleanup fund and the enforcement inspection position strength assessment, requested detailed explanations of the IT procurement route and asked for updates on federal competitive awards. Committee members asked for follow‑up documents: a schedule and cost plan for digitization/automation, details of fee methodology, and clearer timelines for outstanding reports.

Ending: The department committed to follow up with detailed procurement, staffing and project schedules; the committee did not take formal action during the hearing.","The Maryland Department of the Environment defended staffing increases and progress on inspections, climate staffing and tree‑planting while analysts pressed for clarity on permit processing, two major IT portals, the Clean Water Commerce Act funding and timing of federal Inflation Reduction Act/IIJA awards.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6314472,"State, MTA and riders urge sustained investments as Purple Line nears completion and Red Line planning advances",987,4577000,5564000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383744-cdabc8f2dd0a22b1ca7f72ab5940bc2c&start=4577&end=5564","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383744-cdabc8f2dd0a22b1ca7f72ab5940bc2c/thumbnail_4577000.jpg","/articles/6314472/Maryland/State-MTA-and-riders-urge-sustained-investments-as-Purple-Line-nears-completion-and-Red-Line-planning-advances","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6314472-94ca2c2bb0ae86f36a0ccf37725cc95d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771111543&Signature=I9BfzBI83cVw5w9TQ4VEnYk~Ej94GNcUTHcQRJqVstwrW27pbfy2Work5RjsTL1V0eriN5Tmzr66F9lD2cFBIDmRBNdzpmcDU0TxgFa0yyMrarXvqj0Kw~aenhEGB7u676KvcTTHP1xPbA0SjDwvgMd1UkSonhM5T8-AVJTgHjAC8MP21n~Ltq2BwnU1Z9DZybTV1w6mo6noHReK8UoP4fcaCSaBvhsidbFjPnR70hiJ8ThRoVKY7YnTwF9bWK8003QH484P3h8v9s9E7EV~4zEaI~9fyBjMInoYyx9Cptdh9~JJa-Bsv1jTp~9DHTdKupWAPI4JzV6PCYrBBORcqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Maryland Transit Administration leaders, Department of Legislative Services analysts and a large group of transit riders, business and health‑care stakeholders testified before the Public Safety, Transportation and Environment Subcommittee on the MTA’s fiscal 2026 operating and capital plans and on the broader consolidated transportation package.

DLS analysts said the MTA fiscal 2026 operating budget increases roughly $71 million to about $1.3 billion and the capital program increases to $753.8 million for the year. DLS highlighted several items for the subcommittee:
- Capital priorities and system preservation: MTA’s six‑year capital program prioritizes system preservation (about 57% of six‑year spending) and includes major projects such as light‑rail modernization, Frederick Douglass Tunnel contributions and Susquehanna River Bridge replacement.
- Purple Line progress: DLS reported the Purple Line was about 74–75% complete and projects an opening in late 2027; MTA continues to submit bimonthly construction status reports.
- Red Line planning: DLS and MTA said the administration expects to announce a Red Line alignment in 2025 and to complete NEPA by fall 2026.
- Personnel and contracts: The fiscal 2026 allowance includes roughly 167 new operating positions (171 new positions across operating and capital), including MTA police for the Purple Line and positions aimed at reliability and delivery; contract increases (paratransit, commuter bus and MARC) account for the largest non‑personnel operating increases.
- Federal discretionary grants: DLS listed federal discretionary grants already awarded and applied for; the agency has pursued federal funds to support major projects and system preservation.

Administrator Holly Arnold and Secretary Paul Whitfeld defended the governor’s transportation proposals as necessary to restore state of good repair and to leverage federal funding. Arnold said the proposed budget would fund critical work including replacement of the Metro fleet, a communications‑based train control rollout, light‑rail modernization with new low‑floor vehicles, and continued Purple Line construction. She said ridership is improving and MTA provided numbers showing a post‑pandemic ridership rebound — with commuter modes lagging but local bus and rail recovering faster.

Committee members asked for more detail about ridership: MTA said core bus, metro and light rail were at roughly 70–80% of pre‑pandemic peaks in different measures, mobility/paratransit service has recovered or exceeded pre‑pandemic levels, while MARC and commuter bus remain below prior peaks. MTA said it is adjusting service to match all‑day and weekend demand as travel patterns evolve.

Public testimony — more than a dozen witnesses — largely supported the governor’s proposed investments and emphasized the links between reliable transit and workforce access, health‑care access and economic development. Witnesses included transit unions, health‑care systems, business groups, community organizers and riders; they urged the subcommittee to approve the administration’s funding package and to protect state of good repair funding to avoid future service disruptions. Several witnesses also urged prioritizing transit‑oriented development and apprenticeship and workforce programs tied to the transit trades.

What happens next: DLS recommended continuing bimonthly Purple Line reports and requested additional information about the federal discretionary grants, first‑year capital project spending and GARVEE bond uses for light rail rehabilitation. Committee members asked MTA for a follow‑up on the quantity of federal awards that remain unreimbursed and for more detail about apprenticeship expansion and electric‑vehicle bus scheduling. No formal vote occurred at the hearing.

Ending: MTA and a broad coalition of stakeholders urged the subcommittee to approve the governor’s transportation package to restore system reliability and leverage federal funds; the committee requested more granular reporting on ridership, federal grant timing and apprenticeship plans.","Agency and public testimony before a legislative subcommittee emphasized the need to fund state of good repair and capital projects for the Maryland Transit Administration, highlighted the Purple Line schedule and Red Line alignment timeline, and raised concerns about ridership patterns, paratransit costs and federal grant uncertainty.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6314477,"Maryland emergency management warns of federal grant uncertainty and seeks to protect revolving resilience loan fund",977,2833000,3810000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2383744-cdabc8f2dd0a22b1ca7f72ab5940bc2c&start=2833&end=3810","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2383744-cdabc8f2dd0a22b1ca7f72ab5940bc2c/thumbnail_2833000.jpg","/articles/6314477/Maryland/Maryland-emergency-management-warns-of-federal-grant-uncertainty-and-seeks-to-protect-revolving-resilience-loan-fund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6314477-b339387b22df9314d32750bc215813f0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771111543&Signature=DOoozBp5SZL-0~3BwW2kLYBqPD6yc~3D~e-QqVkKZkHUiYc5RJO9zj9yBFB0V4vNfgVPJM8iz5PvmCyiUlxZfeyJMFvrBJVcfo2Bh3bMnKvSrw-K6O4BKDSuFTjCM0-HpeG0ZtCUNfHQdUB-wQPgcmMZCgyx2QaBCtgAICxYLUm63lElJ5uP-SdBGUCTKNCrO69DKcl88xNaNm5czfkuovgWTL2vaafVe5LIH5EnGnZiuCpOO2GHFTsmLvamdB7O2BEig7LENR5EshSKNYl6zo~mbBlrHiO~y2F9Z4ouOm~ndrYsMeRI~RoUiLDL6-2yVQ~Xflrl4YfQ9k87T~dzwg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Department of Legislative Services analysts and Maryland Emergency Management (MDEM) officials squared off over a declining fiscal 2026 allowance and the department’s readiness to administer new resilience lending and cyber‑security programs during a subcommittee hearing.

DLS presented MDEM’s fiscal 2026 allowance, saying the budget falls by $34.6 million (3.8%) to $878.5 million, driven largely by reduced special funds for the Maryland 9‑1‑1 board and timing of federal pass‑through grants. DLS noted that roughly 80% of MDEM’s allowance comes from federal pass‑through grants and that the department reported 109 regular positions and 20 vacancies as of December 31, 2024. DLS recommended deleting funding for two new administrative positions paid in the State Disaster Recovery Division and instead reclassifying existing vacancies.

Secretary Russell Strickland, who leads MDEM, told the committee the department has been heavily engaged in recent incidents and activations — from weather events to the Reagan National Airport plane crash — and that MDEM published a resiliency toolkit, advanced Maryland Mesonet weather stations and hired the state’s first director of interoperability. Strickland asked the committee to reject DLS’s recommended reductions, warning that the two new positions are “critical to developing and administering the program at the state level” given uncertainty at FEMA.

Two budget provisions and several federal programs were in focus:
- Resilient Maryland Revolving Loan Fund: The governor’s BRFAA would authorize transferring $9 million from the state revolving loan fund to the general fund; DLS proposed increasing that transfer threshold to $12 million and asked MDEM for a five‑year plan. MDEM said two Howard County projects (North Tunnel and Maryland Avenue Culvert) were the first planned awards and that an $11 million proposed fiscal 2025 amendment would leave an expected balance around $15 million.
- Cybersecurity and infrastructure grants: DLS reviewed an MDEM report on state and local cyber efforts and asked for an update on federal fiscal 2023–24 award allocations and the list of local projects and uses.

Strickland warned the committee that FEMA and other federal funding streams are in flux and that, “we are starting to hear about the impact of these sweeping layoffs,” referring to federal workforce reductions that could reduce capacity for claims processing and operational functions states rely on. The department said an interruption in federal drawdowns would be a cash‑flow risk and asked to maintain its staff and the revolving loan fund as a state backstop if federal awards are delayed or rescinded.

DLS also asked MDEM to justify two new positions in the State Disaster Recovery Division and to report on the department’s five‑year plan for the resilient loan fund. The department offered to provide further detail, and the committee asked for follow‑up reports and continuing committee narrative on revolving loan fund awards, cybersecurity grant distributions, and how MDEM is assisting local governments with applications.

Ending: The committee did not take formal action at the hearing; MDEM officials asked that the subcommittee preserve administrative positions and the revolving loan fund balance so the state can keep resilience projects moving if federal funding becomes unavailable.","Department of Emergency Management officials told legislators federal grant draws and FEMA funding uncertainty threaten project cash flow; the department urged the subcommittee to preserve the Resilient Maryland Revolving Loan Fund and to avoid cutting administrative positions needed to operate new recovery and resilience programs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Maryland veterans agency defends Charlotte Hall funding after contractor change, litigation and low federal ratings

Environment department asks to preserve core programs as committees probe permits, IT projects and climate funding

State, MTA and riders urge sustained investments as Purple Line nears completion and Red Line planning advances

Maryland emergency management warns of federal grant uncertainty and seeks to protect revolving resilience loan fund