ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Governor Wes Moore held the first official bill signing of his administration Tuesday, hours after the Maryland General Assembly wrapped up their 2023 legislative session.
Among the highlights was the Fair Wage Act, which mandates all employers to increase the minimum hourly wage to $15 by January 1, 2024.
The Child Victims Act was another piece of legislation Moore signed.
It eliminates Maryland's statute of limitations for filing a civil lawsuit as it relates to child sexual abuse allegations.
The bill was signed Just one week after the Maryland Attorney General issued a 456 investigative report into alleged sexual abuse within in the Archdiocese.
Another highlight is the Family Prosperity Act, which makes permanent the expansion of Maryland's earned income and child tax credits.
Specifically the law removes the $530 cap for adults without children, while expanding the child tax credit for parents with children six and under earning $15,000 or less.
Assisted Living Programs in the state will now become more regulated thanks to lawmakers.
The newly passed legislation mainly focuses on unlicensed assisted living facilities, which experience higher rates of reported abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Under this new law the State Attorney General’s Office can investigate and prosecute assisted living facilities for operating without a license.
Up to this point the state granted unlicensed facilities a 30-day grace period to apply for one, creating a substantial loophole.
In the event the facility was denied a license, the previous law allowed the business to transfer residents and switch ownership.
"This law closes this dangerous loophole that has left residents of these facilities vulnerable to repeated cycles of abuse and neglect," said Attorney General Anthony Brown. "Despite over 1,500 licensed Assisted Living Facilities in Maryland, the State has significant unmet needs for affordable assisted living care. Unlicensed assisted living facilities have filled that gap. Yet the absence of regulatory oversight in unlicensed facilities has created serious and widespread risk that these unlicensed facilities become hotbeds for abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable victims who are unable to protect themselves."
The Governor also signed a law aimed at cigarette sales.
This newly passed bill requires tobacco wholesalers to submit monthly manufacturer and brand reports to the Maryland Comptroller.
The purpose is to reduce the State's chance of losing out on millions of dollars under the 1998 Master Tobacco Settlement Agreement, that requires industry leaders to pay states billions annually in perpetuity, all while imposing restrictions on cigarette sales and marketing.
All together, Moore signed nearly 100 bills into law.
Meanwhile there are hundreds of other bills that Moore could sign at a later date.
They include House Bill 0547, which passed at the very last minute despite heavy Republican opposition.
If signed into law, a police officer would not be able to stop a car or person and then conduct a search over the odor of marijuana.
Then there is House Bill 333 tied in with Senate Bill 404, which could reimburse patients who were charged by hospitals for incurred medical debt. The bill also increases security and privacy protections for when it comes to sharing health data.
Lawmakers also passed a bill requiring $500 to remain in bank accounts of those who've been sued over debt collections.
Other debt related legislation would prohibit colleges from withholding transcripts over unpaid student debt.
Another bill not yet signed would ban price-gouging, especially during a state of emergency.
Once in effect businesses would be prohibited from marking items up more than 15 percent from what they sold for prior to the emergency.
Maryland temporarily established a similar policy on during COVID-19, resulting in over 900 price-gouging complaints, according to the Attorney General's Office.
A couple other law enforcement related bills are also awaiting a signature from the Governor.
One gives Maryland's Attorney General authority to bring criminal charges against police officers in cases involving death or serious injury.
The other would allow first time offenders 18 and older who are caught illegally carrying a firearm to be sentenced to five years in jail.
Judges and prosecutors however would still have discretion when imposing a sentence. The legislation was backed by Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates.
Another law passed when signed would require law enforcement agencies and hospitals to preserve sexual assault evidence kits for 75 years. Additionally, anyone taking custody of a kit would need to enter its status and location into a new state run tracking system.
Finally, the General Assembly passed a pair of gun control bills.
Senate Bill 1 carries tight restrictions on where citizens can possess a gun in public even with a valid carrier permit.
The following are places prohibited in the legislation.
The bill also places restrictions on carrying on privately owned property.
Then there is House Bill 824 which modifies qualifications for obtaining a handgun permit.
Here are some of the new requirements proposed to get a permit.
The bill also modifies and expands laws for those leaving a gun accessible to an unsupervised child younger than age 16.
This legislative package comes after the U.S. Supreme Courtruled last summer that "proper cause" was not required when applying for a concealed carry permit.
Last but not least, Senate Bill 760 would require businesses hiring private armed security to be licensed and insured. Security guards they hire would also be subject to more stringent background checks.
The bill's passage follows multiple shootings over the last several months involving security guards.
Overall the General Assembly passed more than 800 bills. For more on this year's session, click here.
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