2016 Bills Supported/Followed by AAUW MD - How Did We Do?

Bill Title: Equal Pay for Equal Work HB1003/SB481 --PASSED Legislative Sponsor(s): Senator Susan Lee/Del. Lead Group: Working Families Summary: This bill would close various loopholes to address the fact that women in Maryland earn, on average just 85 cents for every dollar earned by men in comparable jobs, including the closing of the 'Employer Defense' loophole, and also prohibiting retaliation against sharing salary information.

Bill Title: Employment Law- Fair Scheduling Wages and Benefits HB1175/SB664- Not Passed Legislative Sponsor(s): Senator Joanne Benson/ Del. Lead Group: Maryland Working Families Summary : This bill will reform Maryland law to guarantee predictable schedules so workers can plan ahead to meet their responsibilities on and off the job; it also allows employees to be compensated for their time and flexibility. This critical legislation will incentivize employers to build stable, predictable, family-friendly schedules and prevents employers from destabilizing the lives of the lowest paid and most vulnerable workers and their families – more often than not, women.

Bill Title: Earned Safe and Sick Leave HB580/SB472 Legislative Sponsor(s): Senator Catherine Pugh/Del. --Passed House, Died in Senate Lead Group: Job Opportunities Task Force Summary: Working women are more likely to have significant caregiving responsibilities yet women- dominated industries are among the least likely to offer paid sick days. The proposed legislation requires employers to allow workers to earn a certain number of annual paid sick and safe days. The “safe time” component of the legislation requires employers to allow survivors of domestic abuse or sexual assault to use their accrued paid sick leave to care for their health after these incidents or to seek legal protections or new housing.

Bill Title: Rape Survivor Family Protection Act- HB646/SB593 Passed House Not Senate (The bill also made it through the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, but died after poison pill amendments were added) Legislative Sponsor(s): Senator Jamie Raskin/Del. Kathleen Dumais Lead Group: Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault Summary: 5% of rape victims of reproductive age (age 12-45) became pregnant as a result of rape, with the majority of pregnancies in adolescents. This bill would create a legal process for rape victims to terminate the parental rights of rapists when a child is conceived as result of rape. Victims would be required to meet a clear and convincing standard of evidence. This is the same standard used for other termination of parental rights cases – no more, no less. (An editorial in the Washington Post urged the General Assembly to pass the Rape Survivor Family Protection Act)

Bill Title: Criminal Law - Stalking & Harassment (Misuse of Electronic Communication or Interactive Computer Service, Revenge Porn) HB155/SB278 -- PASSED Legislative Sponsor(s): Senator Susan Lee/Del. Kathleen Dumais Lead Group: Governor's Family Violence Council; MD States Attorneys Association Summary: Prosecutors indicate the way stalking is defined makes it virtually impossible to obtain convictions. Updating and revising the laws of stalking, harassment and misuse of electronic communication will assist in holding perpetrators of these acts accountable criminally and increase safety for victims of domestic violence. Intentional infliction of emotional distress was added to the stalking law. Note that, because stalking is a basis for peace and protective orders, this change will also expand access to civil protection.

Bill title: Peace Orders – Stalking & Harassment – SB346/HB314 – Support – PASSED Legislative Sponsors: Senator Victor Ramirez/Delegate A companion to the criminal stalking bill, this will expand access to peace orders to encompass different types of harassment, including revenge porn and visual surveillance.

Bill Title: Post Secondary Education Child Support Post Age of Majority HB0677/SB1100 Legislative Sponsor(s): Sponsored by: Senator Lisa Gladden/Del. Terri Hill -- Unfavorable Report Lead Group: Howard Co. AAUW Summary: The annual cost of attending a College/University ranges from an average of $9K for in-state tuition to $46K for private college room, board and tuition. This can result in the largest debt anyone will incur aside from a home mortgage, yet child support ends at age eighteen, just when these costs begin. The non-custodial parent is not required to provide any assistance at all. Typically, the parent with primary custody (women 80% of the time) does the best she can, often incurring huge debts herself with negative consequences to her credit rating and her ability to save for her future retirement. She may take on additional jobs, taking more time away from the children. Alternatively, the child could be saddled with this huge debt upon college graduation. Multiply this by the number of children in the family. This is a proposal to modify the Maryland laws on child support to extend child support in order to require that both parents share in the cost of full time college/university. This has been successfully implemented in the state of Missouri (statute 452.340.5 and .6) which can be used as a model for Maryland to follow.

Bill Title: Family and Medical Leave Act Insurance Program HB740/SB485 -- Passed Legislative Sponsor(s): Senator Catherine Pugh/Del. : Lead Group: NARAL Pro Choice MD Summary: Task Force to study a Family and Medical leave insurance program, which would operate, similar to unemployment insurance and social security.

Bill Title: Expansion of Maryland Vacating Convictions Law for Survivors of Human Trafficking HB623/SB866 -- No Vote in Committee Legislative Sponsor(s): Senator Susan Lee/Del. Kathleen Dumais LEAD GROUP: Human Trafficking Project @University of Baltimore Summary: This bill expands the relief available to survivors of human trafficking who have been arrested and convicted for crimes they were forced to commit by their traffickers. In addition to expanding the types of crimes eligible for vacatur, the bill also explicitly extends the relief to survivors of labor trafficking, who were previously ineligible for this form of relief. This change will allow all survivors of trafficking to more easily heal from the trauma of their victimization by reducing the stigma and collateral consequences associated with having a criminal record that stems from a history of trafficking.

Bill Title: Safe Harbor Policy – Youth Victims of Trafficking – HB786/SB683 – Support – PASSED Legislative Sponsors: Senator Susan Lee? Del. Marice Morales. Summary: Extends the term of a Work Group to study the issue of Safe Harbor Policy and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking; MCASA has a designated seat on this Work Group.

Other Legislation of Interest

Bill Title: Family Law - Domestic Violence - Definition of Abuse. SB 960/HB 1396 - Unfavorable Report Legislative Sponsor(s): Senator Susan Lee/Del Kathleen Dumais Lead Group: MCASA Summary: Authorizing a person to file a motion to vacate a judgment for specified convictions if the person's participation in the underlying offense was a result of the person having been a victim of human trafficking or related extortion; repealing a requirement that the State's Attorney sign a specified motion; requiring a person to provide a copy of a specified motion to the State's Attorney; authorizing the State's Attorney to respond to a specified motion; etc.

Bill Title: Elementary & Secondary Schools – HB72 – Support – PASSED Legislative Sponsor(s): Senator Craig Zucker/Del. Summary This bill, often referred to as Erin’s Law, will mandate age-appropriate sexual assault and abuse awareness and prevention work in elementary and secondary schools. This bill will help prevent sexual abuse of children and youth, and will also help prevent college sexual assault by helping to educate young people about healthy relationships before they attend college. This bill is referred to as “Erin’s Law” to honor and acknowledge Erin Merryn, the brave survivor who has led this effort nationwide. MCASA offers a free on-line training for educators and counselors who wish to learn more about child sexual abuse, visit http://www.mcasatrainings.org/csa-online-training/

Bill Title: Failure to Report Child Abuse – Licensing Boards – HB245/SB310 – Support – PASSED Legislative Sponsor(s): Senator Jamie Raskin/Del. Kathleen Dumais Summary: This bill requires multidisciplinary teams investigating child abuse to inform professional licensing boards when a professional fails to report child abuse or neglect as required by mandatory reporting law.

Bill title: National Human Trafficking Hotline Notice – Adult Entertainment Establishments – SB1084 – Support – No Vote in Committee Legislative Sponsor: Senator Susan Lee. Summary: Requiring adult entertainment establishments to post information about the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Bill title: Contraceptive Equity Act – HB1005/SB848 – Support – PASSED Legislative Sponsor(s): Senator Delores Kelley/Del. Ariana Kelly Summary: Improving access to contraception, including emergency contraception, by eliminating co-pays, pre- authorization requirements, and improving other aspects of insurance coverage.

Bill Title: Criminal Law – Extortion – Immigration Status – SB178/HB493 – Support – PASSED Legislative Sponsors: Senator Susan Lee/ Del. Marice Morales. Summary: This bill prohibits extortion by threatening to reveal immigration status, a tactic used in both domestic violence and human sex trafficking cases. Lead sponsors: