By Jordyn Jones
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
With Democratic legislative leaders watching, Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday signed into law 66 bills.
Photo by the Governor’s Office
Hogan, a Republican, was flanked by Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrianne Jones as a handful of carefully spaced onlookers all followed COVID-19 protocol. He stressed his pleasure with the accomplishments of the session.
“This has truly been the most successful and bipartisan session since I became governor,” Hogan said. “Together, we are sending a clear message to Marylanders that we can work in a bipartisan fashion and deliver real results.”
Among the bills were ground-breaking efforts to expand telehealth, increase access to reliable internet, provide compensation for the wrongfully convicted, and reconstruct the Maryland Environmental Services leadership.
The Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2021 allows healthcare providers to be compensated for their telework efforts by insurance carriers. Also enacted on Tuesday was the Mental Health Services Phone Call program. This would allow Marylanders to opt-in to a mental health phone call line. Call center workers will call and check in on the registered individuals and connect them to medical professionals if necessary.
To ensure wide access to high-speed internet, Hogan enacted The Digital Connectivity Act of 2021. This act creates the Office of Statewide Broadband, which will oversee a new Digital Inclusion and Connectivity fund that will provide grants to local governments and nonprofits to increase access to internet. The funds also will assist with building infrastructure, officials said.
The Walter Lomax Act was signed too. This act requires the Board of Public Works to compensate individuals who have been convicted or sentenced wrongfully. The bill is named for a man who served 39 years for a crime he did not commit but was not compensated until six years after he had been fully exonerated.
The Maryland Environmental Service Reform Act of 2021 will reshape how the MES operates, officials said. The bill alters how board members are chosen and members’ standard of conduct while monitoring MES spending habits.
A new position of Diversity Officer will be appointed by the Executive Office, officials said. Other bills include new training programs and policies for board meetings.