END OF SESSION LETTER

MARYLAND DELEGATE DENISE ROBERTS -- 2024 End of Session Letter

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Dear Neighbor:

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As we bring the 446th Legislative Session of the Maryland General Assembly to a close, I'm
deeply grateful for the chance to represent District 25. Amidst the whirlwind of legislative
efforts, I'm excited to share the significant progress we've made together and the promising path
ahead for our community.

Throughout this session, our dedicated team—Senator Nick Charles, Delegates Karen Toles,
Kent Roberson, and myself—has relentlessly championed the interests and welfare of District
25. With a shared vision and unwavering dedication, we've tackled a range of pressing issues that
resonate deeply within our community. While not every bill found its way through the legislative
process this session, we are proud of the many impactful measures we were able to pass and
support, focusing on community safety, education, criminal justice, and women's health.

 

Highlights from some of the noteworthy accomplishments that have emerged from our
collaborative efforts include the following:
 

 

1. Enhanced Public Safety: Through strategic legislation, we have endeavored to reduce crime rates and enhance public safety measures within our neighborhoods.

2. Investment in Education and Resources: We have secured vital funding to support visually impaired students and fortify the resources available to our state schools, ensuring equitable access to education and knowledge.

3. Consumer Protections: Recognizing the importance of consumer rights, we have enacted legislation to safeguard against price gouging on event ticket sales, providing peace of mind to our residents.

4. Women’s Health: By securing bond initiatives, University of Maryland Capital Region Hospital in Largo, focusing on the nutritional needs of expectant mothers.

5. Humanitarian Measures: We have championed initiatives aimed at ensuring the well-being of our most vulnerable, including protocols for conducting timely wellness checks and improving the foster care system by providing essential luggage for children in transition.

6. Support for Small Businesses: Recognizing the vital role of small businesses in our local economy, we have expanded opportunities for growth and prosperity by increasing participation goals in procurement contracts.
    

2024 Legislative Enactments: Selection of Passed Measures

HB1076/SB1091: Education - Blind and Visually Impaired Students - Textbook Equity
Establishing requirements for each county board of education regarding provision of the
instructional materials that will be used in the upcoming school year for students with
individualized education programs and to coordinate with the Instructional Resources Center to
provide the materials in a specialized format to blind or visually impaired students; requiring,
beginning January 1, 2025, certain textbook publishers to provide an electronic file of pupil
edition textbooks at the same time the publisher provides the textbooks; etc. Bill sponsored by
Delegate Denise Roberts (Senator Ron Watson cross file)
 

HB1503: Election Law - Campaign Finance Activities - State Treasurer
Prohibiting, during a regular session of the General Assembly, the State Treasurer and a person
acting on behalf of the State Treasurer, as to a candidate for federal, State, or local office or
certain campaign finance entities, from receiving a contribution, conducting a fund-raising event,
soliciting a contribution, or depositing or using any contribution of money that was not deposited
prior to the session. Bill sponsored by Delegate Denise Roberts

SB 1014: State Procurement - Procurement Forecast and Outreach 
Maryland is home to over 102,000 Black-owned businesses. Black-owned businesses generate
$6.8 billion annually, contributing a generous amount of money to Maryland’s state economy.
Maryland also ranks 7th in the nation for the largest number of minority-owned businesses.
However, the State of Maryland has never met its 29% aspirational goal of contracting MBEs
since they have set the goal. SB 1014 aids small and minority-owned businesses by requiring
units to publish annual procurement forecasts on a strict schedule, monitor which contracts were
successfully awarded with and without being forecasted, and increase outreach efforts from units
to MBEs. This is a data-driven approach to move the State procurement system closer to its goal.
Bill sponsored by Senator Nick Charles. 

HB0300: Family Law - Marriage Ceremony - Designation of Deputy Clerk
Transferring, from the county administrative judge of the circuit court for the county to the clerk
of the circuit court for the county, the authority to designate a deputy clerk to perform a marriage
ceremony. Bill sponsored by Delegate Karen Toles

HB814: Juvenile Law – Reform Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform and Emerging and Best
Practices
Altering certain provisions relating to the commission on Juvenile Justice Reform and Best
Practices of the juvenile court over a child of a certain age alleged to have committed a certain
offense, altering certain provisions relating to the taking of a child into custody by law
enforcement officer, expanding certain provisions of law relating to the entry onto certain school
or other property by, and the education of, certain sex offender registrants; etc. Bill sponsored by
Speaker Adriene Jones and Delegate Luke Clippinger

HB 1051/SB 1059: Maryland Maternal Health Act of 2024
In Maryland, Black women are four times as likely to die because of childbirth. Between 2014
and 2016, birthing Black women in the United States were three to four times (243%) more
likely to succumb to a pregnancy‐related death than their white counterparts. HB 1051/SB 1059
requires the creation of an electronic prenatal risk assessment (PRA) form to connect to local
health departments as well as mandates birthing facilities to complete Postpartum Infant and
Maternal Referral (PIMR) forms. Additionally, this legislation obliges the participation of
birthing facilities in the Severe Maternal Morbidity (SMM) Surveillance and Review Program
and creates a Maryland Report Card for Birthing Facility Maternity Care for each hospital in the
State. Bill sponsored by Delegate Jennifer White Holland (Senator Arthur Ellis cross file).
 

SB0539: Commercial Law – Consumer Protection – Sale and Resale of Tickets
Requiring the listing for a ticket and each step of a transaction to purchase a ticket to disclose
certain information, including the total price of the ticket; repealing the exceptions to the
prohibition against a reseller selling or offering to sell speculative tickets; prohibiting a
secondary ticket exchange from providing a marketplace for the resale of a ticket that violates
the Act; and requiring a ticket issuer, secondary ticket exchange, or reseller to provide a refund
under certain conditions. Bill sponsored by Senator Dawn Giles, Senator Brian Feldman,
Senator Pamela Beidle and Senator Arthur Ellis

The District 25 team would like to thank Maryland’s State Treasurer, Dereck E. Davis, for his
leadership in securing funding for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission's Sewer Basin
Reconstruction Program in Broad C. His commitment to vital initiatives like this greatly benefits
our community. Additionally, his efforts secured $12,567,000 for a grant to Prince George’s
Community College, supporting the construction of the new 75,970 NASF Dr. Charlene Mickens
Dukes Student Center. Furthermore, we applaud his work in securing $5 million for the
Department of Natural Resources to construct a new Marlow Heights Community Center,
enhancing community facilities. His leadership and advocacy are deeply appreciated, and we
look forward to continuing to work together to address the needs of our district.

As we reflect on these accomplishments, it is imperative that we remain steadfast in our
commitment to community engagement and dialogue. To this end, I am thrilled to announce that
we will be hosting a series of "chat and chew" sessions throughout our community in the coming
months. These sessions will serve as a platform for robust discussions on the legislative matters
that affect us all, offering an opportunity to delve deeper into the intricacies of these policies and
their implications for our community's future.

I extend a heartfelt invitation to each and every one of you to join us in these enriching
conversations. Your insights, perspectives, and voices are invaluable as we navigate the path
forward together. Please reach out via email to receive updates on the dates, times, and locations
of these gatherings.

In closing, I wish to express my deepest gratitude for the unwavering support and trust you have
placed in me as your State Delegate. It is a privilege and an honor to serve this remarkable
community, and I am committed to continuing our journey towards progress and prosperity, hand
in hand.

Should you have any questions, concerns, or ideas you wish to share, please do not hesitate to
reach out. Your input is not only welcomed but essential in shaping the future we aspire to create
together.

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In Service,

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Delegate Denise Roberts
Ways and Means Committee
25th Legislative District
www.DeniseForMaryland.com
Lowe House Office Building

Room 204
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401

Office: 301-858-3707