Senator Eckardt Weekly Wrap Up

This Week In Annapolis We have officially reached the end of the 2019 legislative session, with only one day remaining to get as many good bills passed as possible. I want to thank everyone who has helped this session by coming to Annapolis to testify, calling and emailing your legislators to share your opinion, and those who have made a point to follow legislation that impacts our District and State. SB 946 – State Prescription Drug Benefits – Retiree Benefits – Revisions passed both the House and the Senate for enrollment on April 3rd. This legislation creates three programs to limit out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for State Retirees who began services before July 1, 2011 as well as their families. While this legislation may appear particularly detailed, the Department of Budget and Management will be setting up communication with all impacted and guaranteeing that all valued retirees understand their benefits and how to receive them. On April 4th, Governor Hogan vetoed HB 298 – Oysters – Tributary-Scale Sanctuaries – Protection and Restoration. This establishes in statute a network of five oyster sanctuaries (in Harris Creek, the Little Choptank River, the St. Mary’s River, and the Manokin River). On April 5th, the House of Delegates voted 96-43 to override the veto but the Senate has not yet taken it up. I have spoken out many times this session regarding this legislation and will support the Governor’s veto. Moving forward, it is imperative that we include the voices of our watermen in restoration discussions. SB 786 – Public Safety – Rifles and Shotguns – Secondary Transactions was discussed on the Senate floor on April 5th. This legislation addresses background checks for long guns purchased on the secondary market. While the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee amended this legislation to make it less restrictive than the House had sent it over, my colleagues and I are still working to guarantee second amendment rights are not infringed. The capital budget was finalized this week, providing State funding for key programs in District 37: American Legion Blake-Blackston Post No. 77: $50,000 Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum – New Library and Exhibit Building: $250,000 Delmarva Community Services – Chesapeake Grove Senior Housing and Intergenerational Center: $200,000 Dorchester Center for the Arts: $80,000 Maces Lane Community Center: $100,000 Peninsula Regional Medical Center: $800,000 Richardson Maritime Museum: $20,000 Salisbury Elks Lodge No. 817: $95,000 YMCA of Chesapeake – St. Michael’s YMCA/Senior Center: $250,000 SB 1051 – Natural Resources – Oysters – Public Fishery Pilot Program  On April 5th, I presented SB 1051 to the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee. This emergency legislation, which, I believe, is a good faith attempt to bridge the effort to engage the public fisheries watermen in the process of restoration and sustainability of the oyster industry. I believe all parties want a healthy and productive Bay and want the best that science and experience have to offer to work together for future sustainability. We all know and have experienced the intense conflict over the oyster industry that persist even now in our quest to broker sound solutions while respecting the changes before us. In an effort to improve the Bay with restoration through sanctuaries combined with climate change, pollution, and disease, overfishing results. The bill I presented is the result of suggestions from the watermen, from multi-year discussions with DNR, in response to the OysterFutures process, and the previously passed sanctuary bill. For generations, watermen have lived, worked, and played on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay and they would like for their children and families to do the same, should they so choose. The number of watermen is declining and, financially, this year will be difficult. They are frustrated but, at the same time, are valuable assets in the larger Bay restoration effort. As the bills mentioned before have passed, another two years will go by without any meaningful engagement with the watermen. I am hoping to use SB 1051 and the pilot presented to bring together all involved, consider all parties, and help to provide some relief for the watermen. If we all truly believe that restoration is the goal and the watermen have a part in the process, then let us involve them in that process.  My Bills This Week On April 2nd, SB 178 – Outpatient Mental Health Centers – Medical Directors – Telehealth passed both the Senate and the House of Delegates unanimously. This legislation is now completed and will be going to Governor Hogan for a signature. SB 178 will require regulations governing behavioral health programs to include a provision authorizing a behavioral health program to satisfy any regulatory requirement that the medical director be on site through the use of telehealth by the director. On the fourth of April, I had two bills pass through the House of Delegates: SB 111 – Dorchester County – Alcoholic Beverages – Class A Licenses and SB 524 – Maryland Medical Assistance Program – Telemedicine – Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners and Psychiatrists. SB 111 is a local Dorchester County bill that will authorize the Board of License Commissioners for Dorchester County to issue a Class A beer, wine and liquor license for premises licensed under a Class B or Class D license. SB 524 will include psychiatric nurse practitioners that are providing Assertive Community Treatment or mobile treatment services to certain Maryland Medical Assistance Program recipients in the types of providers eligible to receive reimbursement for health care services that are delivered through telemedicine and provided to Program recipients. Also on April 4th, I presented SB 944 – Behavioral Health Programs – Outpatient Mental Health Centers – Medical Directors to the House Health and Government Operations Committee. This legislation would allow for a psychiatric nurse practitioner to serve as a medical director of an outpatient mental health center. This legislation has already been reported favorably by the Committee and is waiting to be presented before the House of Delegates for a vote. SB 634 – Electric Cooperatives – Powers – Conducting or Communications Facilities was completed and passed both Houses on April 5th. This bill authorizes an electric cooperative to lease existing fiber to last-mile providers and will facilitate internet access in our rural areas. It is the result of a two-year Task Force on Rural Internet, Broadband, Wireless, and Cellular Service; thank you to all who were involved in this process for the focus and persistence to get this measure passed.