Legislation

During the legislative session, the Maryland Governor’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is responsible for monitoring various bills that are introduced in the state legislature and may be of interest to Deaf and hard of hearing Marylanders. The office also ensures that the community remains informed of updates on hearings and votes on pending legislation. While the Governor’s Office does not endorse specific bills, Deaf and hard of hearing Marylanders are encouraged to get involved, be informed, and make their concerns known to their elected officials.

If you wish to learn who your elected officials are, please click “Who Are Your Elected Officials“. Or, copy and paste http://mdelect.net/) and follow the instructions. The election officials identified in the website include both State and Federal elected officials. If you wish to save information for documentation, or further reference, please download this form and fill it out for you to keep.

How Our Laws Are Made

To understand more about the legislative process and how a bill becomes a law, please review How a Bill Becomes Law. The office also has a video series of the legislative process in ASL on Facebook and YouTube.

This flowchart on the Maryland General Assembly may help you understand its structure. It will be helpful to also explore the Maryland General Assembly’s website and learn about the dates of interest for the 2020 session.

2022 Legislative Session

Below are some bills that the office is currently monitoring. To find out the current status of each bill and its scheduled hearings, click on the bill’s link for more information:

• HB 37: Education – Educational Interpreter – Certification Requirements
• SB 370: Education – Educational Interpreter – Certification Requirements
• HB 155: State Board of Examiners for Audiologists, Hearing Aid Dispensers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Music Therapists – Revisions
• SB 103: State Board of Examiners for Audiologists, Hearing Aid Dispensers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Music Therapists – Revisions
• HB 374: Maryland School for the Deaf – Professional Personnel and Staff – Service Designation, Assignment, and Placement in a Collective Bargaining Unit
• SB 955: Maryland School for the Deaf – Professional Personnel and Staff – Service Designation, Assignment, and Placement in a Collective Bargaining Unit
• SB 93: Tax Credits – Employment of Individuals with Disabilities
• SB 177: Uninsured Employers’ Fund – Payments to Former Employees of Bethlehem Steel Corporation
• HB 612: Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing – Responsibilities and Reporting
• SB 748: Maryland Sign Language Interpreting Act
• HB 1107: Maryland Sign Language Interpreting Act
• HB 1238: Place of Public Accommodation – Motion Picture Houses – Captioning