House hearing spotlights Davis Martinez bill to extend MOSH penalties and require workplace-violence standard for public employers

A House Appropriations Committee hearing drew testimony in support of the Davis Martinez Public Employee Safety and Health Act, legislation that would expand enforcement and standards for public-sector workplaces in Maryland.

The bill would direct the Maryland Department of Labor(MOSH) to establish a unit focused on public-employee safety, require the development of a workplace-violence prevention standard, and remove an exemption that often leaves public employers immune from monetary penalties that private employers face.

Sponsor Delegate Jared Solomon told the committee the bill is intended to add accountability for public employers so "none of our public servants ever have to wonder whether they're coming back at night." Solomon said the measure would align public-employer accountability more closely with existing private-sector standards and clarified several drafting points after…