Photo Credits: Shutterstock/By Mihai_Andritoiu
The 2022 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly ended on Monday, April 11, at midnight. Agudath Israel of Maryland is pleased to report on some of the highlights and results of the legislative session on the items of primary interest to the Orthodox Jewish Community.
“After the 2020 legislative session was cut short due to Covid, and the 2021 session was limited, it was great to actually be allowed back into the state building in Annapolis,” said Rabbi Ariel Sadwin, executive director, Agudath Israel of Maryland. “I’d like to salute the senators and delegates who comprise the Maryland General Assembly and their dedicated staffs for diligently doing the ‘work of the people’. Special mention to those who serve the districts of our community – who do so with great devotion, concern, and attentiveness.” Click here to watch Rabbi Sadwin’s full Sine Die report.
The BOOST scholarship program funds were renewed for its 6th year and funded at $10 million – the same funding as last year when it was increased by $3 million. As expected, the additional funds in last year’s budget proved extremely beneficial for the Jewish day school community. Last year’s Jewish day school BOOST tally came in at nearly $2.75 million – almost double the totals of previous years.
Agudath Israel of Maryland strongly promoted legislation (HB 415 / SB 401) put forth by Governor Hogan’s administration to make the BOOST program and its funding permanent (as opposed to its current status as an annual budget negotiation), but unfortunately the push to get that done while Gov. Hogan is still in office was not successful. Agudath Israel of Maryland hopes to continue the pursuit of a permanent scholarship program with the state’s next top executive next year.
The two security grant programs for entities deemed to be “at risk of a hate crime” were also funded in the state budget – $2 million dollars for schools and day care facilities and $5 million dollars for shuls and other non-profits, a $2 million dollar increase from its previous levels. Notable to these programs is the allowable use to hire security personnel.
Following up on last year’s measure to limit the continuous benefits of the state’s 529 contribution program, the legislature passed another bill (HB 444) which limits account holders to those above 18 years old. On a positive note, there was no attempt this year to strike nonpublic schools from 529 benefits as there was in previous sessions.
Agudath Israel of Maryland’s team strongly promoted a new funding program conceived by the OU’s Teach Coalition to provide a per-pupil allocation for school nurse costs. Despite receiving legislative assurances that the program would be funded, the two respective budget appropriating committees were led to believe that federal COVID recovery funds were available for this use. In truth, those funds are specific in their allowable uses and nursing/medical costs are not among those allowable uses.
Agudath Israel of Maryland will continue to work with our state and federal partners to ensure that the approximately $60 million already allocated to Maryland private schools from the latter two federal aid packages (EANS / GEER programs) will arrive in a timely fashion and be put to an effective and beneficial use.
Over the last several years there has been a robust increase in the general focus on child care programs statewide and nationwide (for example universal pre-K, etc.). During this time Agudath Israel of Maryland has worked on expanding the eligibility threshold and criteria of child care scholarships and assisted countless households in accessing them. There are now more facilities in our community than ever before that participate in the state’s early childhood program, and we are hopeful that it will continue to grow. As usual a number of bills passed during the session related to child care, one of which (HB 1100) is a $16 million allocation to provide incentives and bonuses to child care center personnel.
For the last several years Agudath Israel of Maryland has advocated against a bill in Annapolis that would end standard time and implement all-year daylight savings time. In past years, our opposition to it (primarily based on concerns of safety of school children and the challenges for morning minyan goers due to late sunrise in mid-winter) has been helpful in preventing its passing. This year the bill passed the state’s House of Delegate (HB 126), but the unexpected action on Capitol Hill in which the U.S. Senate unanimously passed all-year DST, led to the MD Senate taking no action on the bill. Efforts are underway with many members of the U.S. House to oppose any such corresponding House motion to make DST permanent.
The General Assembly took action to implement climate reform in Maryland (Senate Bill 528) requiring buildings to show a significant cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and complete reduction by 2045. The law provided exemptions to a number of different buildings where compliance would pose undue hardships. Agudath Israel of Maryland was extensively involved in seeking an exemption for houses of worship, similar to some other exempted facilities (which includes school buildings). Ultimately an amendment to the bill was made to exempt all buildings smaller than 35,000 square feet, thus exempting many houses of worship by default.
For resources for those seeking to apply for BOOST scholarships, those looking to utilize 529 tuition related benefits, or child care scholarships, as well as all of the security grant programs that shuls and other nonprofits may be able to access, go to www.AgudahMD.org.