Council committee issues favorable recommendations on several state bills, holds one for review
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Summary
The General Assembly Committee gave favorable recommendations on multiple state bills — including local good-cause eviction, the PATH Act and measures on small-business lending, school pedestrian awareness and insurance coverage for victims of domestic violence — and held a proposed senior tax credit for further review.
The General Assembly Committee on Feb. 17 reviewed a package of state bills and issued favorable recommendations on most items while tabling one for further review.
The committee voted to recommend SB 462 / HB 774 (local good-cause termination for certain landlords) with a recorded roll call of four 'aye' votes. Jordan Bellamy of Bellamy Gen Group summarized the bill's enumerated grounds for nonrenewal and holdover terminations and said the proposal applies to landlords who own six or more rental units statewide.
Members also recommended SB 138 / HB 84 (the PATH Act), which would permit courts to consider domestic violence, coercion and trauma as mitigating factors at sentencing or in sentence-modification proceedings; the committee recorded an abstention by Chair Waneka Fisher and three 'aye' votes.
Other committee outcomes included favorable recommendations on SB 920 / HB 798 (small business management fees for fund managers; support noted by the county executive), SB 526 / HB 486 (Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day; committee asked sponsors to add an annual SHA/school board/county meeting), HB 1107 (Healing Our Scars Act — insurance coverage for medically necessary restorative care for victims of domestic violence, with follow-up requested on the definition of "aesthetic services"), HB 502 (training for governing-body members of common-ownership communities, with questions about hours and cost), and HB 901 (recognition of external autism diagnoses while schools conduct evaluations).
The committee held SB 382 / HB 902 (Retired Maryland Tax Relief Act), a proposed state income tax credit for taxpayers aged 77 and older that Derek Green described as having income thresholds of $175,000 (single) and $250,000 (joint). County staff said the proposal would not affect local income taxes and asked for further analysis of how many seniors would meet those thresholds.
Office of the County Executive remarks were recorded on several items: Mr. Jackson said the administration was reviewing SB 462/HB 774 and did not take a formal position at the time, and on other bills (SB 920/HB 798, SB 526/HB 486, HB 1107, HB 502) the county signaled support or had no objection as noted in the record.
The committee accepted an additions package to the agenda, which included the HB 901 autism-recognition bill and a request to pursue enabling authority for deferral of impact fees; both items were reported favorable. Mr. Cooper presented the additions package.
All recorded roll calls and tallies are included in the committee record; where chair or members abstained the transcript shows the counts and the committee's action (favorable, hold). The committee adjourned following the school board briefing.
