Gally Public Affairs

May 16 -- Annapolis, MD -- Maryland Governor Wes Moore had his last bill signing for the 2024 regular session today and once again we had a bunch of bills become laws and a bunch of clients leave the State House very happy. Among today's success stories were: SB 11 -- Pushes the state toward automated expungement for most criminal offenses when the person is otherwise legally entitled. The bill requires the Department of Corrections to obtain the necessary hardware and software to create a program that automatically expunges charges when all requirements have been met. Right now in most cases people have to endure a complicated and lengthy process to get the expungement even after they have met the legal requirements. Because of that many thousands of Marylanders still have charges on their record that are eligible for expungement preventing them from getting second chances in employment and other areas of life. Future legislation will be needed to fully implement the automated expungement process. (Clean Slate Initiative) SB 244/HB238 -- Adds Vaping ino the Clean Indoor Air Act, protecting workers and the public from second hand discharge of known and unkown carcinogens and chemicals. Vaping will now be prohibited in all enclosed workplaces and public places. (American Heart Association HB 411/SB 408 -- Requires the Maryland Department of Health to report, on or before December 1, 2024, December 1, 2025, and December 1, 2026, to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Health and Government Operations Committee on current opioid overdose reversal drugs approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration and, for any approved opioid overdose reversal drug, whether the Department has added the drug to a standing order and, if not, the reasons why the drug has not been added. (Indivior, Inc.) HB 1092/SB 649 -- Provides additional training for 911 operators on how to coach people to provide CPR out in the field and pays for that training from the state's 911 fund. Training includes novel techniques that have proven effective and are believed to have saved lives in Charles County and other Maryland Counties. (AHA) SB 362 -- The Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act includes a $1.75 per pack increase in the price of cigarettes and a corresponding tax increase for vaping products and smokeless tobacco. The new revenue will be used to fund the Blueprint For Maryland's Future, a dramatic increase in K-12 education funding. (AHA)

May 9, 2024 -- Governor Wes Moore signed a bunch of bills today that we had the great priviledge of working on. We were proud to stand with our clients! Some of those bills included: SB 1056 -- Strengthens the state enforcement program that ensures stores aren't selling tobacco and nicotine products to people 21 and under. The new law requires more compliance checks from county health departments that will be funded by increased license fees and fines for those who don't comply. (American Heart Association is the client.) HB 990 -- Gives the state Department of Environment authority to regulate the greenhouse gas emissions of manufacturers in the state of Maryland. Manufacturers had previously been exempt from state greehouse gas regulations that apply to other sectors of the economy. (Maryland League of Conservation Voters) SB 1074/HB 991 -- Establishes a regulatory program in the Maryland Department of Agriculture to combat the amount of disgusting sludge that is laid out on fields in certain parts of the state. This sludge, largely the result of mass food processing, is terrible for the environment and smells awful. There were supporters from all over the state who wanted to stem the flow of this noxious product from their neighborhoods. (Chesapeake Bay Foundation HB 864 -- Revamps and enlarges a statewide program whereby power companies help homeowners achieve better energy-efficiency. Each electric company and large gas company must develop and implement programs and services to encourage and promote the efficient use and conservation of energy, demand response, and beneficial electrification by consumers, electric companies and gas companies. (Earthjustice)

April 25, 2024 -- Today Governor Moore singed the Bailey Bullock Act into law. This new law, proposed by our client, the American Heart Association, requires public and private schools in Maryland to have venue-specific emergency action plans for cardiac events that may occur in their athletic facilities. Big thanks to Del. Jessica Feldmark and Sen. Ben Brooks for sponsoring the bill. And to the Ways and Means and Energy, Environment and Education committees for pushing the bill through. There were a handful of people who lost friends or loved ones in attendance and that really made the day poigniant. One of those in attendance was Bo Kimble (pictured below with Eric Gally) whose college basketball teammate Hank Gathers died of cardiac arrest on March 4, 1990 while playing for Loyola Marymount University. Hank Gathers was a stud basketball player -- already a college superstar and destined for NBA greatness. Until that day when millions saw him hit the floor, spasm and never come back to life. Kimble and his teammates played on in Gathers' honor and made it to the Final 8 that year in the NCAA tournament. Kimble went on to play 3 years in the NBA but has never forgotten his good friend and teammate. So here he was, 34 years later, working to make sure what happened to Hank doesn't happen to others. Bailey Bullock's mom, Patrice, testified in both committee hearings and was here today to see the bill become law. Her strength was truly an inspiration for us all. When you spend the day with people like this, it reminds us why we do what we do.