Senator Sarah Elfreth’s Legislation

During my first three years as your Senator, I am proud to have worked across the aisle to pass legislation that reflects the values of our community - from supporting libraries to championing public safety to protecting the Chesapeake Bay - all with bipartisan support. Here are the 39 bills I sponsored that have been enacted into law:

Protecting Our Environment

Senate Bill 457 – Local Government – Resilience Authorities – Authorization: Enables counties to create bonding authorities to fund resilience projects to help combat climate change (e.g. projects related to sea level rise, nuisance flooding erosion), such as the City Dock redevelopment in Annapolis.

Senate Bill 227 - Water Pollution - Stormwater Management Regulations and Watershed Implementations Plans - Review and Update: Currently, the State's guidance to localities on stormwater management relies on decades-old precipitation data and outdated standards. This legislation requires both immediate and regular updates to that data as well as to our Watershed Implementation Plans to ensure we are properly mitigating the effects of increased rain events and flooding. 

Senate Bill 830 – Natural Resources – Fisheries Management Plans – Oysters​: This bill represents a true compromise that brought watermen, environmental groups, and a bipartisan group of legislators to the table. It is the best example of stakeholder-led, consensus-driven legislation we can put forward to solve a generations-old challenge to save one of Maryland’s greatest natural resources: the Eastern Oyster. Senate Bill 830 will take the politics out of oyster restoration by using a professional facilitator and consensus-building tactics to bring watermen and scientists to the table and determine a Fisheries Management Plan that benefits everyone and restores one of our greatest natural resources. 

Senate Bill 324 - Environment and Natural Resources - Complaints, Inspections, and Enforcement - Information Maintenance and Reporting: Ensures that the Department of Environment and the Department of Natural Resources are transparent in the data they share with the public concerning violations of environmental and conservation laws. This will enable environmental advocates and Marylanders to better advocate for the health and safety of our communities. 

Senate Bill 420 – Public Safety – Firefighting Foam and PFA Chemicals: Prohibits the use of environmentally hazardous PFA foam in firefighting training exercises and requires MDE to study the chemical in Maryland. PFAs have been found to cause tremendous health problems across the nation – from Michigan to Assateague Island – this bill is a first step into protecting Marylanders from health hazards these chemicals pose. 

Senate Bill 808 – Natural Resources – Fisheries Management – Oysters: A small corrective bill that updates the reporting dates and public meetings for the new consensus-based fisheries management plan for oysters.

Senate Bill 219 – State Boat Act – Abandoned or Sunken Vessels – Removal: Expands the Natural Resource Police’s authority to seize and remove abandoned vessels before they cause hazardous conditions.

Economic Development and Supporting Local Businesses

Senate Bill 493 - Small Business Development Center Network Fund - Minimum Appropriation: The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides counseling and training to small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout Maryland. This legislation increased our State’s investment into this incredible program to ensure more small businesses have the support they need to succeed.

Senate Bill 99 – Public Safety – Buildings Used for Agritourism​: Enabled Anne Arundel County to update permitting requirements in order to help local farmers tap into agritourism opportunities, diversify their revenues, and stimulate the local economy.

Senate Bill 163 – Anne Arundel County – Alcoholic Beverages – Board Meetings: Brought additional accountability and transparency to the Anne Arundel County Alcohol Board by requiring the publishing of agendas in advance, live streaming meetings, and publishing minutes online.

Senate Bill 778 - Regional Institution Strategic Enterprise Zone Program - Alterations: Maryland’s underutilized RISE Zone Program helps incentivize small businesses and start-ups in areas surrounding Maryland's colleges and universities. This legislation ensures that the program is achieving its fullest potential and helping to jumpstart our innovation economy. 

Senate Bill 503 – Annapolis Class C Club License Public Event Adjustment: Enabling legislation that allows the City of Annapolis to permit social clubs to hold up to 12 public events a year.

Senate Bill 745 - Health Occupations - State Board of Massage Therapy Examiners - Revisions: Modernized State code by replacing out-of-date and stigmatizing language like "massage parlors" so that massage therapy establishments are recognized as licensed, regulated health care and wellness businesses. This bill also ensures criminal background checks are completed in a transparent and regular manner and updates licensing certification requirements so that they are aligned across the state. 

Improving Education and Libraries

Senate Bill 719 – University System of Maryland Board of Regents Transparency and Oversight​: When the Board makes missteps that lead to a breakdown in that public trust, as it did last fall, the General Assembly has an obligation to step in. This bill requires more accountability and transparency from the Board in governing our higher education system by implementing a wide array of reforms, including: requiring the vote totals and motions to be provided in publicly available meeting minutes, requiring the livestreaming of the Board meetings, requiring the ability for public comment in the meetings, requiring the Chair of the Board to be confirmed by the Senate, and more. 

Senate Bill 886 - Transfer with Success Act: Ensures that our community college students are able to transfer as many credits as possible to an in-state university by requiring essential coordination amongst all our post-secondary institutions. 

Senate Bill 524 – Building Lifelong Library Learners Act: The biggest library bill in decades – SB 524 will help create life-long learners and make Maryland the first state in the nation to go fine-free for children and teens. It also significantly increases the State’s operating and capital support of Maryland’s libraries.

Senate Bill 458 – Higher Education – Nonresident Tuition – Exemption for Active Duty Spouses and Dependents: This bill allows the spouses and children of active duty military members to pay in-state tuition at Maryland colleges and universities. 

Senate Bill 1022 - Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland – Tuition Waiver – Student Members: This legislation allows Student Regents on the University System of Maryland’s Board of Regents to be eligible for a tuition waiter to ensure that they can properly advocate for the thousands of students they represent.

COVID-19 Response

Senate Bill 66 – Digital Connectivity Act of 2021: Creates the Office of Statewide Broadband (similar to 27 other states) and ensures that every Marylander has access to high-speed internet by 2026. The Office will conduct a thorough audit of access, affordability, and speed, work with community partners and local governments, and deploy $300 million in recent Federal stimulus money to help jumpstart this initiative. Simply put: this legislation provides a desperately needed statewide approach to digital connectivity and is essential for education, telehealth, and our economy. 

Senate Bill 642 - State Retirement and Pension System - COVID-19-Related Death Benefits: Maryland's public employees have been on the frontlines of service during this pandemic. This legislation provides line-of-duty death benefits to State employees in the unfortunate scenario that they pass away from COVID-19 while in service to our State. 

Senate Bill 887 - Property Tax Credit - Business Entities - State of Emergency: The small businesses that make up the backbone of our communities are struggling in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This legislation enables municipalities and counties to implement tax credits for small businesses during States of Emergency. 

Supporting our District’s Priorities

Senate Joint Resolution 2 – Freedom of the Press Day​: The resolution honors the victims of The Capital Gazette shooting, and all of those who continue to ensure that our fundamental first amendment right is protected by declaring June 28th “Freedom of the Press Day” in Maryland.

Senate Bill 427 - Public Schools - Provision of Menstrual Hygiene Products - Requirements: Menstrual equity has always been an important issue - but it’s been made more critical as we see two economies emerge from this pandemic. Like many folks in our community, I spent the last year lending a hand at food distribution lines across the District and saw firsthand that, after protein and diapers, menstrual products were in high demand. That’s because these products are often the last thing a family can afford when experiencing poverty. This legislation will address period poverty head-on by requiring and funding each public school to provide, at no charge to students, menstrual hygiene products via dispensers in the restrooms at the school. 

Senate Bill 156 – Mandatory Appropriation to the City of Annapolis​: The City of Annapolis is proud to host the State capital and other state governmental agencies; however because of that, Annapolis incurs costs that other small municipalities are not subject to. Championed by Speaker Mike Busch and Delegate Alice Cain, this bill requires the State to increase its Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) to the City of Annapolis to $750,000 a year to help pay for the essential fire and police services needed to protect our State agencies. Annapolis will be able to access this additional funding next fiscal year. 

Senate Bill 323 - Maryland Arts and Cultural Capital Grant Program: Creates a competitive grant to support smaller arts and cultural organizations, such as Maryland Hall, to provide millions of dollars of critical capital funding. 

Saving Taxpayer Dollars and Creating a More Transparent Government

Senate Bill 779 - Maryland 529 Program - Board Authority and State Contribution - Alterations: Addresses significant loopholes in Maryland's 529 plan by combatting significant waste, fraud, and abuse. The bill secures the program's integrity, ensures that Maryland’s program is still the most generous in the nation, and will save the State $3 million dollars annually. 

Senate Bill 30 - Board of Public Works Budget Reduction Clarification Act:Clarifies that the Board of Public Works can only reduce a department or agency's budget by 25% in any given year and requires the Board to publicize proposed cuts further in advance to ensure transparency. The legislation ensures that difficult budget decisions are made responsibly, with enough time for public input, and without eliminating programs or changing policy. 

Senate Bill 529 - Anne Arundel County – Hotel Tax Alterations – Distribution of Revenue: Brings greater transparency and accountability to Visit Annapolis by requiring annual audits and greater oversight by the General Assembly, Anne Arundel County Council, and Annapolis City Council. The bill also directs hotel tax revenue to public art and affordable housing in Annapolis. 

Senate Bill 505 – Environmental Violations Reporting Requirements​: 2018 was the rainiest year on record, and with the ever-increasing amount of development it is critical that sediment erosion violations are being properly tracked. This bill requires the Maryland Department of the Environment to collect and publish user-friendly data on environmental violations. 

Creating Safer Communities

Senate Bill 396 – Legal Representation Fund for Title IX Proceedings​: 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men will experience sexual assault while in college. This bill creates a modest fund for college students to be able to use to pay for attorneys and other related fees during Title IX proceedings in college, so all students are able to pursue justice. 

Senate Bill 569 – Rape Kit Testing Grant Fund​: According to the National Institute of Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, approximately one in five women and one in seventy-one men have experienced a completed or attempted rape. Despite the prevalence of this crime, the vast majority of perpetrators are never arrested or prosecuted, due to the thousands of untested rape kits in Maryland. This bill creates a grant fund to distribute money to local police jurisdictions to ensure the proper testing of rape kits. 

Senate Bill 161 – Crimes – Hate Crimes – Use of an Item or Symbol to Threaten or Intimidate: This bill updates Maryland’s hate crimes law to include placing hate symbols, such as nooses and swastikas, on properties without the owner’s consent.

Senate Bill 43 - Criminal Law - Law Enforcement Officers - Prohibition on Sexual Activity: Expands the law prohibiting law enforcement officers from having sexual activity with inmates to include any person in their custody, any person they interact with during the course of an investigation, or any one requesting assistance from the law enforcement officer. 

Addressing Inequities

Senate Bill 674 - Environment - Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities - Reform: The State's Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities has the potential to serve as a data-driven and community- oriented group focused on delivering strong policy recommendations on environmental justice. This legislation expands the membership to include those who come from underserved communities, revises the mission, and equips the Commission with the tools necessary to do its critical work.

Senate Bill 777 - Public Health - Maryland Prenatal and Infant Care Grant Program Fund: Accessible, quality prenatal care ensures healthy moms, healthy pregnancies, and healthy babies. Yet too many Maryland mothers lack access to this essential preventative care, resulting in unacceptably high rates of infant and maternal mortality. This legislation will secure millions of dollars for critical prenatal care for expecting mothers across the State. 

Senate Bill 288 – Housing Authority City of Annapolis Standards: Cross-filed with Delegate Henson and Cain in the House, this bill prohibits the City of Annapolis from holding public housing to lower inspection and licensing Standards than private housing. Everyone in our community deserves to live in safe, healthy and dignified housing.

Other Important Pieces of Legislation

Senate Bill  283 - Student and Military Voter Empowerment Act: Makes it easier for both college students and active-duty military members to vote by: allowing military members to sign necessary voting forms with their common access card; requiring the Board of Elections to seek input from large residential institutions (such as colleges and retirement communities) when selecting voting sites; and, requiring colleges to develop a student vote plan to foster civic engagement. 

Senate Bill 761 - State Retirement and Pension System - Executive Directors - Membership and Vesting: In response to the retirement of the former Maryland State Retirement and Pension System (MSRPS) Executive Director, this legislation authorized the incoming MSRPS Executive Director to be immediately vested in our Pension System so we could attract the best possible candidate.