Governor Hogan has announced that four more bills that were sponsored by Senator Bailey that passed during the 2021 Legislative Session will become law.
Senate Bill 946 – Historic St. Mary’s City Fort to 400 Commission establishes the Historic St. Mary’s City Fort to 400 Commission. This Commission will be directed to plan and conduct observances commemorating the 400th anniversary of Maryland’s founding in 2034. As Maryland’s first settlement, Historic St. Mary’s City will be at the center of these celebrations. This is not only a high honor and responsibility, but also an economic opportunity for the area where the various stakeholders will be granted the responsibility to also ensure preservation efforts and maintain the historical significance of St. Mary’s City. It is important to note that this Commission will be focused not only on the statewide celebration and the observances held at St. Mary’s City, but also on ensuring that we use this opportunity to the fullest to ensure the continued economic viability of Historic St. Mary’s City and the surrounding area so that this rich history can be shared and enjoyed by many generations to come.
Senate Bill 861 – St. Mary’s County – Public Facilities Bond authorizes the St. Mary’s County Commissioners to borrow money to finance the construction, improvement, or development of public facilities in St. Mary’s County.
Senate Bill 324 – Environment and Natural Resources – Complaints, Inspections, and Enforcement – Information Maintenance and Reporting ensures more transparency regarding how information about Maryland’s natural resources and environmental laws are disseminated. Senator Bailey co-sponsored this bill and testified in support at the bill hearing.
House Bill 83 – Public and Nonpublic Schools – Electric Retractable Room Partitions – Operation Requirements creates safety standards for the use of electric retractable room partitions in Maryland schools. The bill states that a school employee may not operate an electric retractable room partition in a school building unless one of three conditions are met. This bill was introduced in response to incidents in other states where improper operation of these partitions has killed or seriously injured students. Senator Bailey introduced the Senate version of this bill, Senate Bill 104, which included the language that ultimately was passed by the General Assembly.