Dear Friends,

Tuesday was the last of Governor Moore’s bill signings and I’m proud to share that all 14 of my bills have now been signed into law. This year, I championed legislation to strengthen Maryland’s health care system—expanding access to telehealth, supporting pediatric patients, and protecting our health care workforce. We also advanced important consumer protections, improved firefighter health benefits, regulated virtual currency kiosks, and took meaningful steps to enhance public safety.

Here are the six bills that were signed on Tuesday:

• SB373: State Personnel - BWI Airport Fire and Rescue Department - Collective Bargaining and Arbitration Processes

• SB374: Counties - Cancer Screening for Professional Firefighters - Required Coverage (James "Jimmy" Malone Act)

• SB407: State Board of Nursing - Advanced Practice Nursing Licensure and Specialty Certification - Reciprocity Discussions (Maryland Border States Advanced Practice Nursing Act)

• SB423: Maryland Medical Practice Act and Maryland Physician Assistants Act - Revisions

• SB474: Health Insurance - Adverse Decisions - Notices, Reporting, and Examinations

• SB776: Workgroup to Study the Rise in Adverse Decisions in the State Health Care System - Establishment

This week, I’m attending the Statewide Summit on Behavioral Health. This two-day summit brings together state and local leaders to discuss ways to improve how the criminal justice system responds to behavioral health needs. This is an important conversation concerning topics such as  crisis intervention, competency, diversion, community behavioral health, re-entry, trauma, and more.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new green space at their Annapolis headquarters. As the Senate appointee to the Trust’s Board, it’s an honor to support this initiative and play a small part in bringing it to life. Thank you to the President of the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Dr. Jana Davis for your leadership, and to the entire team for turning this vision into reality. I was also glad to celebrate this achievement with Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth, as we worked together to help secure funding for the project.

My office has heard from numerous federal employees expressing concerns about job security and the potential defunding of essential services they provide. In addition, many constituents have voiced worries about funding and their rights.

To assist those affected by these challenges, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth has also compiled a comprehensive resource guide, which will be especially valuable to federal workers, immigrant families, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community during this period of uncertainty. Click here to view the guide.

Governor Moore has also launched the Maryland Public Servants Resource Website, which serves as a centralized hub for programs and resources to support Maryland’s federal employees and contractors impacted by federal workforce layoffs, firings, and changes to federal funding. 

The website provides resources for impacted federal workers, including information on unemployment insurance, job search and career support, legal resources, and an index of key rules and regulations that govern the federal employment process. 

The site includes resources for Unemployment Insurance, Career Support, Health Coverage, Legal Resources and more.

• MD Labor Resource Website - This website provides information on resources like unemployment insurance benefits, career guidance, and reemployment support.
• FAQs for Federal Employees - Unemployment Insurance -Resource for Federal civilian employees who become unemployed due to no fault of their own can apply for Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).
• Regular Unemployment Insurance Overview - Other workers impacted by federal actions - such as employees who worked for a private sector employer that contracted with the federal government - may be eligible to apply for regular unemployment insurance.
• Virtual Workshop - A virtual workshop designed specifically for former federal employees, federal contractors, and other workers impacted by federal government transition is available on Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. See workshop details (información del taller en español) and email FedWorker.Transition@maryland.gov to sign up.

The website will be updated regularly as additional information becomes available.

The Comptroller of Maryland - Frozen Federal Funds Reporting. Recent federal actions have resulted in the freezing and/or revocation of federal loans and grants to some nonprofit organizations. The Comptroller of Maryland has been closely monitoring this situation, particularly given the potential impact on Maryland’s economy, workforce, and communities. To assist us in assessing the scope and impact of these funding cuts, we invite you to share information with us if you have had problems accessing federal funding.

The Maryland Department of Labor (MD Labor) has prepared resources to support Maryland workers impacted by the federal government transition, including employees of the federal government and federal government contractors.

• Resource pages
  The MD Labor resource page provides information about unemployment insurance benefits and reemployment support, linking to our FAQs, application portals, and most-requested flyers for rapid access to key information. Governor Moore’s Resources for Impacted Workers page also provides legal resources, information on federal employment rules and regulations, and county programs and resources.
• Unemployment insurance FAQs
  Federal civilian employees who become unemployed due to no fault of their own can apply for Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE). See our Unemployment Insurance FAQs for Federal Workers. Other workers impacted by federal actions—such as employees who worked for a private sector employer that contracted with the federal government—may be eligible to apply for regular unemployment insurance. See the Regular Unemployment Insurance Overview flyer for details. Individuals who are found eligible can receive up to $430 in weekly benefits (pre-tax).
  
  Workers should apply for UI benefits in the jurisdiction of their "duty station." This means, for example, that if you are a Marylander who is laid off from a federal job based in Virginia, you should apply for benefits in Virginia. Here are direct links to apply for UI benefits in Maryland; Washington, DC; and Virginia.
• Unemployment insurance phone line
  To apply for unemployment, workers can file online or call 667-207-6520 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Federal workers should select option #9.
• Virtual workshop for impacted workers
  A virtual workshop designed specifically for former federal employees, federal contractors, and other workers impacted by federal government transition is available on Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. See workshop details (información del taller en español) and email FedWorker.Transition@maryland.gov to sign up.
• Support in finding a new job
  MD Labor offers résumé workshops, individualized career guidance, mock interviews, career and skills assessment, effective job search strategies, support in coping with job loss and job transition, networking support, reemployment workshops, and more. These resources are provided through 33 American Job Centers (AJCs) and our specialized Professional Outplacement Assistance Center (POAC). See our resource guide (guía de recursos en español) for details. See our FAQ page for answers to common questions from workers transitioning from federal employment to new opportunities.

Sincerely,

Pamela Beidle

Senator, District 32, Maryland General Assembly

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

If you missed a recent meeting and would like to see a recording of the meeting and/or offer comments (if within the comment period) visit the Office of Planning and Zoning's Community Meetings website. 

The Maryland State Highway Administration is implementing its next phase of Operation Clean Sweep - a statewide effort to remove litter from Maryland roads.

This week, crews are performing litter removal along highly traveled State-maintained roadways.

The maintenance work may require shoulder or temporary lane closures; drivers are reminded to remain alert, and to reduce speeds when approaching these operations.

The State Highway Administration conducts Operation Clean Sweep Maryland before the high-travel holidays, such as Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day and the holiday season.  

The goal is to keep Maryland looking beautiful and encourage folks to partner with us by putting trash where it belongs – in a trash can. Remember, dumping trash and debris on roadsides is illegal. 

Click here to learn more about SHA’s statewide litter removal efforts. Customers can help by reporting litter on State roads by clicking here, or by calling the SHA District 5 Office at 410-841-1000 or 1-800-331-5603.

The Office of People’s Counsel (OPC) announced the signing of new legislation by Governor Wes Moore that aims to protect Maryland utility customers.

The pace of utility distribution rate increases could slow following the Maryland General Assembly’s successful efforts to pass legislation that became law with Governor Wes Moore’s signature today. The Office of People’s Counsel strongly supported several of the measures, including provisions addressing multiyear rate plans, gas infrastructure, and data centers.

“We applaud the General Assembly for advancing legislation with the potential to save utility customers from unnecessary rate increases in the coming years,” Maryland People’s Counsel David S. Lapp said. “The legislation has the potential to save customers tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars over time.”

These measures now move to the Public Service Commission, where proceedings to implement the legislation will determine the ultimate impacts on customer rates, and OPC will play an important advocacy role advancing residential utility customer interests.

Measures that could provide relief to customers include:

• Conditions on the further use of multiyear rate plans (MRPs). The Public Service Commission is prohibited from approving new multiyear rate plans unless the plan demonstrates “customer benefits,” and utilities are barred from additional rate increases to compensate the utility for increases beyond the initially approved rates. BGE has pending before the Commission a request for an additional $152 million increase in rates to compensate it for excess spending in the third year of its first MRP (2023) that would be on top of its $277 million increase, while Pepco has a $30 million increase pending on top of its $52 million increase. Although the legislation does not apply to these pending requests, it would bar utilities from making similar requests in the future.
• Gas pipeline replacement work. Modifications to the Maryland law allowing accelerated cost recovery for gas replacement infrastructure—the Strategic Infrastructure Development and Enhancement Plan (STRIDE) law—will require utilities to evaluate cost-effective alternatives to pipe replacement work, prioritize risk reduction, and provide advance notice to customers before any replacement work starts.
• Gas infrastructure investments. Investor-owned utilities may only recover costs of gas infrastructure investments if they demonstrate customer benefits of the investment and that the company has assessed cost effective options that can defer, reduce, or eliminate the need for the investments.
• Data center tariffs. Utilities will be required to file “tariffs”—essentially rules—that control the costs of connecting customers with electric loads of 100 megawatts or more, such as hyperscale data centers, to the electric system. The rules are intended to protect residential customers from risks and costs associated with connecting large customers to the electric system. For example, the rules must include requirements that address cancellations of data center projects that could leave customers on the hook for investments necessary to connect the proposed data center.
• Corporate costs. Investor-owned utilities are no longer allowed to recover costs associated with membership in industry trade associations—which may advocate against the interests of ratepayers—or the use of private planes.

The gas spending measures have the potential to reduce massive gas system investments that have been driving up gas rates for many Maryland customers—for example, driving Baltimore Gas and Electric rates up threefold over a little more than a decade. This year, Maryland’s three largest gas utilities will spend approximately $750 million on gas infrastructure.

To view the full release, click here. 

The Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation is teaming up with the Better Block and neighbors to create a temporary transformation of the plaza into a more welcoming and usable space for the public. On June 6-7th, we will demonstrate the temporary transformation with a two-day festival showcasing local businesses and entertainment as well as a refreshed plaza. But we need your help! 

We need your help in building, painting, unboxing, and putting together the community events. Over these volunteer workshops, we will be exploring placemaking and learning how quality public space can affect a community! All ages are welcome. Please sign up using this LINK for as many volunteer workshops as you like, and we will see you in Glen Burnie!

Additional information about the Glen Burnie Better Plaza can be found here: https://www.betterblock.org/glenburnie

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