Appropriations Committee approves several bills, advances consent calendar and votes not to concur on House Bill 504

The Appropriations Committee voted to approve several bills and to place multiple cross-filed measures on a consent calendar during a recorded voting session. The panel also approved a motion not to concur on House Bill 504.

Senate Bill 200, presented at the start of the voting list, is described in the recorded remarks as a renaming measure for supplemental retirement plans. "Renaming bill of, for the, supplemental retirement plans. There are no amendments. Move the bill," said the member who moved the question. The committee completed a roll call with all recorded voting delegates indicating yes; the transcript shows affirmative votes from Vice Chair Chang and Delegates Shetty, Watson, Solomon, Grice, Ivy, Jones, McCaskill, McComas, Spiegel, Beauchamp, Schindler, Stonker, Mangione, Wallach, Heimbaugh, Asaparro, Metzger, Utelson, Edelson, Harris and Forbes. The clerk recorded the motion as passed.

Senate Bill 231 was presented as a departmental bill for the Public Employee Relations Board. "This is a departmental bill for the Public Employee Relations Board, makes a couple of changes to the board, in its, third year of operation, allows for them to appoint up 3 deputy directors, allows them to do virtual meetings, changes the 10 day of voting requirements for, in person elections," Delegate Solomon said when moving the measure. A roll call recorded unanimous support among the delegates recorded in the transcript and the bill passed on the committee floor.

Senate Bill 767 would authorize deputy sheriffs and correctional deputies in Calvert County to engage in collective bargaining if they choose. "767 is a bill to authorize, Deputy Sheriffs and Correctional Deputies in Calvert County to, collectively bargain if they so choose," Delegate Sullivan said while moving the bill. The bill passed with a mix of yes and no votes. Recorded no votes in the transcript include Delegate Grace, Delegate McComas, Delegate Beauchamp, Delegate Stonko (also transcribed as Stonker/Stonko) and Delegate Mangione; other delegates recorded their support during the roll call.

After individual roll calls, a committee member moved to place the remainder of the bills on the meeting's consent calendar (identified in the transcript as items running from 02/2008 through 10/2005). The motion to put those measures on the consent calendar was approved by voice vote; individual tallies were not recorded in the transcript excerpt.

Later in the session the committee recorded a motion not to concur in House Bill 504. A member moved not to concur; the committee approved the motion by voice vote. The transcript records the motion and the chair's announcement, "Ayes have it," but does not provide a roll-call tally in the excerpt.

The transcript did not specify fiscal notes, effective dates or next-step scheduling for the measures in the recorded excerpts. Committee members and staff did not record amendments to SB200 or SB231 in the provided segment; SB231 was described as making specific administrative changes to the Public Employee Relations Board, including permitting up to three deputy directors and virtual meetings, and altering a 10-day in-person voting requirement.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in the transcript excerpt): - Senate Bill 200 — Renaming of supplemental retirement plans. Outcome: Passed (roll-call; all recorded delegates voted yes). Recorded yes votes include: Vice Chair Chang; Delegates Shetty, Watson, Solomon, Grice, Ivy, Jones, McCaskill, McComas, Spiegel, Beauchamp, Schindler, Stonker, Mangione, Wallach, Heimbaugh, Asaparro, Metzger, Utelson, Edelson, Harris and Forbes. - Senate Bill 231 — Public Employee Relations Board departmental bill (allows up to three deputy directors; virtual meetings; changes 10-day in-person voting requirement). Outcome: Passed (roll-call; unanimous among recorded delegates). - Senate Bill 767 — Authorizes collective bargaining for deputy sheriffs and correctional deputies in Calvert County. Outcome: Passed (roll-call; several recorded no votes: Delegates Grace, McComas, Beauchamp, Stonko and Mangione). - Consent calendar motion — Move remaining listed bills (transcript identifies a range 02/2008 through 10/2005) to the consent calendar. Outcome: Approved by voice vote; individual tallies not specified in the transcript excerpt. - Motion not to concur in House Bill 504 — Outcome: Approved by voice vote; individual tallies not specified in the transcript excerpt.

The committee did not record further detail about amendments, fiscal impact statements or the committee's next scheduling decisions in the provided transcript segment.