Legislation Includes Fracking Ban, Legal Protections for Victims of Sexual Abuse
On 
Governor Larry Hogan was joined by Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller and Speaker of the House Mike Busch for a bill signing ceremony at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. Among the seven bills signed was HB 1325, which bans hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” in the State of Maryland.
The governor also signed HB 642 – Child Sexual Abuse – Civil Actions – Child Sexual Abuse – Statute of Limitations and Required Findings, sponsored by Delegate C.T. Wilson, which would extend the statute of limitations on civil actions arising out of an incident or incidents of sexual abuse that occurred while the victim was a minor.
The governor also signed the following bills into law:
SB 22 – Criminal Procedure – Criminal Injuries Compensation Board – Claimant Award Basis – Reducing the minimum eligibility threshold for an award of lost earnings or support from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; establishing eligibility for a specified award of up to 2 weeks of lost average weekly wages for a parent, child, or spouse of a victim who died as a direct result of a crime or delinquent act; and prohibiting a specified lost wage claim from exceeding $2,000.
SB 24 – Public Safety – Eyewitness Identification Policies – Repeal of Submission Requirement – Repealing requirements that each law enforcement agency in the State file a copy of its written policy relating to eyewitness identification with the Department of State Police and that the Department of State Police compile and allow public inspection of the policies.
SB 37 – Funds – Obsolete Provisions – Repeal – Repealing provisions of law establishing the Maryland Drug and Alcohol Grants Program Fund; repealing the authorization for the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention to establish specified grant programs; repealing specified provisions of law establishing the Law Enforcement Equipment fund; etc.
SB 182 – Baltimore City and Charles, Prince George’s, and Harford Counties – Recall of Former Judge for Temporary Assignment – Eligibility – Altering the eligibility requirements for recall of a former judge in Baltimore City, Charles County, Harford County, and Prince George’s County for temporary assignment.
HB 1632 – Public Health – Certificates of Birth – Births Outside an Institution – Requiring the attending clinician or a designee of the attending clinician to prepare a certificate of birth, secure specified signatures, and file the certificate within 5 calendar days after a birth occurs outside an institution with an attending clinician; requiring the attending clinician, within 5 calendar days after the birth, to provide the date of birth and specified information that is required on a certificate of birth; etc.
