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Bill would let Maryland public-access ombudsman delegate duties to staff to reduce backlog
Summary
House Bill 331 would permit the Public Access Ombudsman to delegate duties to other staff in her office. The ombudsman and press associations said delegation is needed because the office has a backlog and the ombudsman recently expanded to a two-person office; supporters said delegation would short-circuit delays while preserving ombudsman's
Delegate Jennifer Whitehall said House Bill 331 would let the Public Access Ombudsman delegate duties to another staff member in her office to address a backlog and speed dispute resolution. "This bill, seeks to remedy this by permitting the ombudsman to delegate their duties, offering flexibility, and seeking to strengthen this office," the sponsor said.
Rebecca Snyder of the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association and Lisa Kershner, the Public Access Ombudsman, supported the bill. Kershner told the committee her office recently expanded to two staff members and that delegation would allow the new attorney mediator to perform programmatic duties the ombudsman currently carries alone. "To get the full benefit of having an additional staff, I need to be able to delegate functions, tasks, and the authority that the legislature gave me," Kershner said.
Sarah Clem, assistant attorney general in the public-access unit, also supported the change and urged passage. The committee received no opposition during the hearing.
