Dear Friends,

As we wrap up the month, I hope that you and your family are happy and healthy. We have had an incredibly rainy July, and I hope you are finding ways to enjoy the indoors. 

As you all know, this rain has caused devastating floods across the United States. I have been keeping all of those affected in my thoughts and prayers, and I urge you to do the same. Flooding can happen anywhere, and it is important to be prepared. If you are not already, please subscribe to Alert Anne Arundel, our county’s emergency alert system. 

State and local officials have been working on this issue for several years to ensure Maryland’s safety and preparedness. Anne Arundel County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan is public record as well. 

I have been incredibly busy this month with legislative work groups, including Hospice and AHEAD (States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development), as well as constituent meetings.

July was also a big month for new legislation. July 1st was the implementation date for many bills that had passed through the General Assembly this past legislative session. See what bills were implemented on July 1st here. 

On July 10th, I visited Dr. Hakan Koymen and Jackie Sedgwick at Chesapeake Pediatric Dental Group at their Arundel Mills office. I was incredibly grateful to learn about the great work they are doing in our district regarding sedation dentistry for children. Learn more here. 

I was lucky enough to meet with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation this past month to discuss the oyster populations of our great state with D32 Delegate Mark Chang. They are doing an amazing job creating sanctuaries that ultimately increase the oyster populations and improve the bay! 

On Monday, July 21st, the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) released its first-ever Customer Experience (CX) Action Plan. This initiative was designed to improve the overall experience of public transit users across the entire system. The plan outlines improvements that will be implemented over the next year, with reliability, communication, accessibility, cleanliness, and safety as the top priorities. 

This plan was shaped through the input of thousands of riders, stakeholders, and advocates across the state of Maryland. Please see the above link for more information regarding this new initiative. Happy traveling! 

Along with heavy rain, storms may also bring damage to your property. The Maryland Insurance Administration has compiled resources for what to do before and after a natural disaster. Here are some quick tips, but please see the above links for more information. 

Quick Tips if you have damage after a storm: 

• Make sure your adjuster and insurer have your current phone number. 

• Make sure your address is visible from the street. You may need to post a sign with your address in the yard. 

• Try to be there when the adjuster visits and point out all damage. 

• Get multiple bids from contractors and compare them with the adjuster’s report before settling the claim. 

• Save proof that you paid the deductible on the claim. State law makes it illegal for contractors or roofers to offer to waive a deductible or to promise a rebate for your deductible. It also allows your insurer to request proof, such a receipt or canceled check, that you paid the deductible. Read more about contractor fraud by clicking here.

• In the event a federal disaster declaration is issued, Marylanders can apply for federal aid for damage not covered by insurance at DisasterAssistance.gov​.  

• Report price gouging. It’s illegal to charge excessive prices for building materials and necessities to take advantage of a disaster. You ca​n report suspected price gouging to the Office of the Attorney General or the Maryland Department of Labor. 

Safe disposal of unused or expired medication is not limited to National Drug Take Back Days. It is important to know that you can properly dispose of medication all year round. My Old Meds is a free website that helps locate a year-round medication disposal site in your area. Simply enter your zip code, and you will be provided with a safe disposal location. 

Maryland Benefits One Application:

Starting July 15th, Governor Moore introduced a new mobile-friendly tool to help eligible Marylanders apply for vital benefits. This application streamlines the process to apply for Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programming, and energy assistance.

This application is now available through Maryland Benefits, the State’s online benefits access platform (formerly known as MD THINK). Through the Moore Administration’s focus on benefit access and stabilization, this process should only take an individual about 28 minutes to complete.

To access the Maryland Benefits One Application, please visit Marylandbenefits.gov.

New Appointments in State Leadership: 

• Secretary Ed Rothstein, Department of Veteran and Military Families 
• Acting Secretary Samantha Biddle, Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) 
• Acting Secretary Betsy Fox Tolentino, Department of Juvenile Services 

The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) is inviting residents of Maryland to participate in a public survey to help update their needs assessment for vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorists). The survey link can be found here, and is open until midnight on August 7th. The survey features a digital map where participants can provide their experience and suggest improvements. The goal is to make Maryland’s roads safe for all users.  

The Maryland Higher Education Commission's Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit (SLDRTC) program provides $9 million in tax credits to Maryland residents filing their 2025 tax returns. The SLDRTC application is now OPEN, and the deadline to apply is September 15, 2025

To qualify, applicants must:

• Maintain Maryland residency for the 2025​ tax year

• File 2025 Maryland state income taxes

• Have initially incurred at least $20,000 in undergraduate and/or graduate student loan debt

• Have at least $5,000 in outstanding student loan debt at the time of applying for the tax credit

• Currently, they are making payments on their student loans

All eligible Maryland residents are welcome to apply for the SLDRTC program. Maryland State employees with student loan debt will receive priority.

For more information, please visit their website. 

My office remains open year-round to help you with issues and answer your questions. During the interim, my Chief of Staff, Nancy Lipin Crawford, and our new Legislative Aide, Abigail Bento, will be in the office on Tuesday and Wednesday and working remotely on Monday, Thursday, and Friday.

The interim is busy, there are community events, meetings, committee site visits, task force studies, and oversight committee meetings to attend.

Thank you, District 32, for allowing me to serve as your State Senator. I am looking forward to seeing you out and about in the community.

Sincerely,

Pamela Beidle

Senator, District 32, Maryland General Assembly

Click here to be directed to our Unemployment Insurance Assistance Form. 

Anne Arundel County Public Schools will serve free meals to children again this summer, beginning Monday, June 16. The meals are provided to children ages 2 to 18 regardless of family income level.

AACPS has served summer meals to children since 2003. The school district is reimbursed for meals by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Meals will be served at 22 open sites this summer, fewer than in prior years. The consolidation was done after an examination of post-COVID pandemic needs and a reduction in meal participation as well as implementation of steps to ensure that meal sites are accessible, efficient, and comply with federal regulations.

Summer Meals Menus:

• June 16-June 26

• June 30-July 10

• July 14-July 24

• July 28-August 7

• August 11-August 21

The following six sites will serve meals Monday through Thursday:

• Brock Bridge ES (Rural)

• High Point ES

• Lothian ES (Rural)

• MacArthur MS

• Tracey’s ES (Rural)

• Kim’s Karate, Glen Burnie

   

Additionally, AACPS will operate mobile meals delivery to 16 community sites. They are:

• North County: Heritage Hills, Pumphrey Center, Willows Apartments.

• West County: Orchards at Severn, Meade Village, Spring Meadows, Still Meadows.

• Annapolis: Admiral Farragut, Annapolis Gardens, Bywater, Congregation Kneseth Israel, Hilltop Village, Woodside Gardens.

• South County (all sites designated as rural): Boones Mobile Estates, Lyons Creek Estates, Maryland Manor.

Click here for information about serving times at rural sites.

Click here for information about serving times at community sites.

Per USDA regulations, meals at all sites except those designated as rural must be consumed on-site. Meals at rural sites may be taken away from the site to be consumed. Preregistration is required at rural sites and can be done on site.

Meals will also be served at 27 other sites with summer programming, but will only be served to students enrolled in programs at those sites.

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