House Appropriations Committee hears sponsor presentations on more than two dozen bills, including $71 million St. Mary’s bond and $5 million behavioral health 

The House Appropriations Committee on behalf of Chair Ben Barnes heard sponsor-only presentations for more than two dozen bills on a range of topics including local bonds, health-care funding, behavioral health grants, collective bargaining for firefighters at BWI, and retirement and pension technical bills.

The presentations were brief and primarily consisted of sponsors or their representatives asking the committee for favorable reports. Among the largest funding items presented was Senate Bill 623, a local bill authorizing St. Mary’s County to borrow up to $71,000,000 to finance construction and improvements of public facilities. Senator Jack Bailey, who presented the bill, asked the committee to give it a favorable report.

Committee members were also briefed on Senate Bill 599, which would establish a $5,000,000 mandatory appropriation for the Behavioral Health Crisis Grant Program. Mara Dunigan, presenting for Senator Katie Hettleman, said the funding supports local mobile crisis teams and warned that two mobile crisis teams would be laid off if the…