MD Legislative Session Ends With Gov. Hogan Signing 79 Bills Into Law

BALTIMORE, MD — Maryland's legislative session ended Tuesday with Gov. Larry Hogan signing 79 bills into law that the General Assembly passed over the last 90 days.

During a news conference, he called the session one of the "most successful" that he's experienced in his eight years as governor.

“We haven’t always agreed 100 percent of the time, but I really do want to thank the legislators on both sides of the aisle for working together with us in a bipartisan way, not just in this most recent legislative session, but over the past eight years, and it’s greatly appreciated," Hogan said.

“For eight years we’ve sent a very clear message that unlike just down the road in Washington, where there seems to be more divisiveness and dysfunction, that we actually can come together in a bipartisan way to change things for the better," he continued.

VIDEO: Gov. Hogan signs 79 bills into law:

Sitting next to Hogan during a news conference, Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones acknowledged the bipartisan work from both state Democrats and Republicans.

"Year after year, we do our best to make our life better for Maryland residents, particularly now after a two-year pandemic where we were challenged to help people recover and stabilize our economy," Jones said. "We met the challenge head on and responded to Marylanders' immediate needs and some immediate threats to our values and way of life."

Ferguson called the 2022 legislative session a "historic success," highlighting some of the General Assembly's accomplishments, including new laws that aim to reduce violence and enhance safety, establish a system for paid medical and family leave, as well as expand reproductive health care access.

VIDEO: General Assembly celebrates the end of the legislative session:

"We had an obligation to work together as a team on behalf of Marylanders to ensure that they had the best possible opportunity with their health care, safety and the building of our state's economy. We sit here today having accomplished a vast majority of those important priorities we had sought to accomplish," Ferguson said.

According to the governor's office, some of the bills passed into law this legislative session include:

• Largest Tax Cut Package In State History, Tax Relief For Retirees. This session delivered nearly $2 billion in tax relief for Marylanders—including the Retirement Tax Elimination Act—bringing the total tax, toll, and fee relief under the Hogan administration to nearly $4.7 billion.
• New Congressional Maps. In the culmination of a years-long fight for nonpartisan redistricting, Hogan enacted a new congressional map, putting an end to what he calls "the worst gerrymandering in the country."
• Balanced and Fiscally Responsible Budget. The governor enacted a balanced and fiscally responsible budget that strengthens the state’s Rainy Day Fund to unprecedented levels.
• Re-Fund The Police. The expanded $500 million Re-Fund The Police Initiative will help recruit and retain more quality officers, increase diversity and expand community policing efforts, improve training to teach better de-escalation techniques, and provide body cams and other technology and equipment upgrades for state and local police departments all across Maryland.
• Record Funding For Schools, School Choice, And School Construction. The governor’s budgets deliver record funding for K-12 education, school construction, and the BOOST program, which provides scholarships for low-income students from areas with underperforming schools to attend non-public schools.
• More Jobs For Marylanders. The More Jobs For Marylanders Act 3.0 extends the administration’s signature economic initiative that provides tax incentives to new and existing manufacturers that locate or expand in Maryland and create new manufacturing jobs, and to non-manufacturers that locate or expand in Maryland Opportunity Zones.
• Maryland Cancer Moonshot Initiative. The new Maryland Cancer Moonshot Initiative aims to expand and accelerate cancer detection, screening, prevention, treatment, and research in the state—including the first-ever comprehensive cancer center in Prince George’s County.
• Rural Maryland Economic Development Fund. The $50 million grant fund is designed to boost economic development activity, stimulate private sector investment, and grow jobs in the state’s rural regions.

To view the full list of bills signed by Hogan, Ferguson and Jones, click here.