ANNAPOLIS – Bills including the following have begun moving through the Maryland House of Delegates and State Senate.

SB 288 Talbot County - Board of Education - Election of Officers, which alters the election date for the Talbot County Board of Education’s Officers, passed unanimously through the Senate and will now move to the House.

Last week, I had two bill hearings:

SB 853 Maryland Real Property Transfer-on-Death Act seeks to provide an alternative solution to situations where someone passes away without a will, allowing for real property to transfer to a beneficiary automatically upon death.

SB 855 Business Regulation - Home Improvement Contracts - Deposits by Financial Institutions authorizes a person to receive a deposit of more than one-third of a home improvement contract price before (or at) the time of the contract execution if the full amount of the deposit is financed by a financial institution.

Budget and Taxation Highlights

It was a busy week for the Budget and Taxation Committee and its subcommittees last week, and I wanted to highlight a few bills I supported that I believe will have a positive impact.

SB 59 Maryland Transportation Authority - Options for the Payment of Tolls and Civil Penalties will allow for a range of options to pay for toll transactions and penalties, and will require the Maryland Transportation Authority to offer an installment plan agreement.

SB 391 Economic Development - More Jobs for Marylanders Program - Extension and Alterations extends the More Jobs for Marylanders Program for an additional five years.

SB 598 Income Tax - Work Opportunity Tax Credit creates a nonrefundable credit against the State income tax for up to 100% of the Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit claimed by an employer.

SB 814 Public Safety - Resilient Maryland Revolving Loan Fund - Alterations authorizes the issue of low- and no-interest loans to local governments for the purpose of offering loan funds to private property owners for hazard mitigation projects.

I also represented the Budget and Taxation Committee during two jointly assigned bills that were heard in the Finance Committee, SB 692 Cannabis Legalization and Reparations for the War on Drugs Act and SB 833 Cannabis - Legalization and Regulation.

Joint Committee on Pensions

As a member of the Joint Committee on Pensions, which includes members of both the Senate and the House, I received a briefing of the state’s divestment of assets in relation to Russia. This briefing was important as the plummeting value of Russian holdings creates a risk for the financial health of the pensions system, as well as how retaining these investments might impact the Ukrainian-American community in Maryland. This meeting shared current divestment efforts and plans for further divestment.

Constituent meetings

Last week, our office met with a variety of constituents, departments and organizations to have conversations about legislation that could positively impact the Eastern Shore and Maryland. Some groups we met with include the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Maryland Center for History and Culture, Goodwill of Chesapeake, the Eastern Shore Behavioral Health Coalition and more.

Water Assistance Program

The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) is available statewide and provides Maryland households with financial relief toward water and/or wastewater bills. Eligible households may receive up to $2,000. LIHWAP funding is limited, and applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

You can apply for LIHWAP assistance online using the consumer portal at mymdthink.maryland.gov. If you are unable to apply online, you may request an application be mailed to you through the service hotline at 1-800-332-6347 or by calling your local Department of Social Services or Office of Home Energy Programs office. A printable paper application can be found at dhs.maryland.gov/office-of-home- energy-programs/low-income-household-water- assistance-program.

Economic Recovery Program

When the COVID-19 pandemic surged — and it became evident that business shutdowns and restrictions could cripple the economy — economic development and tourism practitioners in Caroline, Dorchester and Talbot counties were invited to the table as jurisdictions grappled with a response. The Eastern Shore Economic Recovery Project grew out of these newly formed partnerships and was spurred by the need for information to make speedy, data-driven decisions.

Led by the Mid-Shore Regional Council and the Tri-County Council of the Lower Eastern Shore, the group worked with Salisbury University’s Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative to develop and release a website housing dashboards that point to the economic health of the region.

Partners on this project are:

• Mid-Shore Regional Council
• Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland
• Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative
• BEACON
• Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board
• Lower Shore Workforce Alliance
• Caroline County Economic Development Office
• Dorchester County Economic Development Office
• Talbot County Department of Economic Development and Tourism

Chesapeake Bay Trust

The Chesapeake Bay Trust, supported predominantly by the Chesapeake license plate program, invites you to join us in congratulating recent grant winners in your district. Every year, the trust receives many high-quality grant applications from nonprofit organizations, schools, universities and local governments.

These grantees invest a great deal of time and energy in the development and implementation of a wide range of projects. They include small K-12 environmental education student field experiences to large-scale habitat restoration efforts and stormwater management practices.

The following project(s) in our district recently received funding from the trust:

Preservation Trust of Wicomico Inc, Salisbury, for the clearing of a nature trail to commemorate Buffalo Soldier history, $5,000.

Maryland Forests Association Inc., Linkwood, for an agroforestry planting and interpretive trail in the existing forest at Mt. Pleasant Acres Farm that is part of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad, $4,502.

ShoreRivers, Easton, for a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience embedded in Queen Anne’s County Public Schools second-grade curriculum and focused on the importance of pollinators, $39,826.

Medicare COVID-19 Home Test Kit Coverage Availability

Everyone enrolled in Maryland Medicaid can now get up to four free over-the-counter COVID-19 home test kits every 30 days. Not all test kits are covered. Test kits that you buy or pay for on your own are not covered - see your pharmacist to get your covered test kits.

Eastern Shore Delegation Meetings

Meetings of the Eastern Shore Delegation occur each Friday, beginning at 9 a.m. Legislators discuss a variety of issues and legislation pertinent to the Eastern Shore. These meetings can be viewed on the General Assembly website under the Meetings tab.

2022-2023 Senatorial Scholarship Application

Our office’s Senatorial Scholarship is currently accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year. Please reach out to our office at adelaide.eckardt@senate.state.md.us to receive the scholarship application packet.

If you have previously applied to the scholarship, it will automatically renew for a total of four years after applying.