Final Action On Bills: Updates On Legislation Covered Earlier This Session

Here are updates on the General Assembly’s action on bills we covered earlier in the session.

OPEN MEETINGS: A bill increasing penalties for violations of the Open Meetings Act has passed both houses of the General Assembly after being watered down in committee and will become law on October 1 if signed by the governor. The General Assembly also passed legislation requiring that employees of public bodies take training courses on the Open Meetings Act.

OBAMACARE: The Maryland Health Progress Act, a law that would finish the state’s implementation of national health reform, was passed by both houses of the General Assembly and will take effect on June 1.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM: The Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2013, which upped contribution limits and imposed steeper fines for violations of campaign finance laws, passed both the Maryland Senate and the House of Delegates. Much of the law doesn’t go into effect until the next election cycle, but it did change the filing deadline for next year’s election from April 9 to Feb. 25.
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