Maryland 2022 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB1213 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb1213
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 1213
8	8	D5 EMERGENCY BILL 2lr2267
9	9
10	10	By: Delegates Metzgar and McComas
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 11, 2022
12	12	Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Human Services – Commission on Fatherhood 2
19	19	(Fatherhood Protection Act) 3
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of establishing the Commission on Fatherhood in the Department of 4
22	22	Human Services to study and make recommendations relating to the status of 5
23	23	fatherhood in the State; and generally relating to the Commission on Fatherhood. 6
24	24
25	25	BY adding to 7
26	26	Article – Human Services 8
27	27	Section 2–601 through 2–606 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 6. Commission 9
28	28	on Fatherhood” 10
29	29	Annotated Code of Maryland 11
30	30	(2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 12
31	31
32	32	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
33	33	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
34	34
35	35	Article – Human Services 15
36	36
37	37	SUBTITLE 6. COMMISSION ON FATHERHOOD . 16
38	38
39	39	2–601. 17
40	40
41	41	IN THIS SUBTITLE , “COMMISSION” MEANS THE COMMISSION ON 18
42	42	FATHERHOOD . 19
43	43
44	44	2–602. 20
45	45
46	46	THERE IS A COMMISSION ON FATHERHOOD IN THE DEPARTMENT . 21
47	47	2 HOUSE BILL 1213
48	48
49	49
50	50	2–603. 1
51	51
52	52	(A) THE COMMISSION CONSISTS O F 25 MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE 2
53	53	GOVERNOR WITH THE ADV ICE AND CONSENT OF T HE SENATE. 3
54	54
55	55	(B) (1) OF THE 25 MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION: 4
56	56
57	57	(I) 12 SHALL BE APPOINTED F ROM AMONG APPLICANTS WHO 5
58	58	HAVE BEEN NOMINATED AND RECOMMENDED FOR APPOINTMENT BY 6
59	59	ORGANIZATIONS LOCATE D IN THE STATE WHOSE MISSIONS INCLUDE A FOCUS ON 7
60	60	FATHERHOOD OR SUPPOR TING FATHERS; AND 8
61	61
62	62	(II) 13 SHALL BE APPOINTED F ROM AMONG MEMBERS OF THE 9
63	63	GENERAL PUBLIC APPLYING ON THEIR OW N BEHALF. 10
64	64
65	65	(2) IN SELECTING MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC APPLYING ON T HEIR 11
66	66	OWN BEHALF , THE GOVERNOR SHALL GIVE P RIORITY TO APPLICANT S WHO HAVE 12
67	67	ADVOCATED , VOLUNTEERED , OR OTHERWISE WORKED TO PROMOTE FATHERS A ND 13
68	68	FATHERHOOD FOR AT LE AST 18 MONTHS. 14
69	69
70	70	(3) IN SELECTING APPLICAN TS, THE GOVERNOR SHALL , TO THE 15
71	71	EXTENT PRACTICABLE , NOMINATE MEMBERS WHO SE RESIDENCIES REFLE CT THE 16
72	72	FULL GEOGRAPHIC DIVE RSITY OF THE STATE. 17
73	73
74	74	(C) IN ADDITION TO THE ME MBERS APPOINTED UNDE R SUBSECTION (B) OF 18
75	75	THIS SECTION, THE SECRETARY AND THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH, OR THEIR 19
76	76	DESIGNEES, MAY PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMISSION AS EX OFFI CIO NONVOTING 20
77	77	MEMBERS. 21
78	78
79	79	(D) (1) THE TERM OF A MEMBER IS 4 YEARS. 22
80	80
81	81	(2) A MEMBER MAY NOT SERVE FOR MORE THAN TWO CO NSECUTIVE 23
82	82	TERMS. 24
83	83
84	84	(3) AT THE END OF A TERM , A MEMBER CONTINUES T O SERVE UNTIL 25
85	85	A SUCCESSOR IS APPOI NTED AND QUALIFIES . 26
86	86
87	87	(4) A MEMBER WHO IS APPOIN TED AFTER A TERM HAS BEGUN SHALL 27
88	88	SERVE FOR THE REMAIN DER OF THE TERM OR U NTIL A SUCCESSOR IS APPOINTED 28
89	89	AND QUALIFIES. 29
90	90
91	91	(E) A MEMBER WHO FAILS TO ATT END AT LEAST 50% OF THE REGULARLY 30
92	92	SCHEDULED MEETINGS O F THE COMMISSION DURING ANY 12–MONTH PERIOD 31 HOUSE BILL 1213 3
93	93
94	94
95	95	SHALL BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE RESIGNED . 1
96	96
97	97	(F) A MAJORITY OF THE MEMB ERS PRESENT AT THE M EETING SHALL 2
98	98	CONSTITUTE A QUORUM . 3
99	99
100	100	(G) (1) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE 4
101	101	COMMISSION SHALL DETE RMINE THE TIMES , PLACES, AND FREQUENCY OF ITS 5
102	102	MEETINGS. 6
103	103
104	104	(2) THE COMMISSION SHALL MEET AT LEAST SIX TIMES E ACH YEAR. 7
105	105
106	106	(H) A MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION: 8
107	107
108	108	(1) MAY NOT RECEIVE COMP ENSATION AS A MEMBER OF T HE 9
109	109	COMMISSION; BUT 10
110	110
111	111	(2) IS ENTITLED TO REIMB URSEMENT FOR EXPENSE S UNDER THE 11
112	112	STANDARD STATE TRAVEL REGULATIONS, AS PROVIDED IN THE STATE BUDGET . 12
113	113
114	114	2–604. 13
115	115
116	116	(A) THE COMMISSION ANNUALLY S HALL ELECT THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR 14
117	117	OF THE COMMISSION. 15
118	118
119	119	(B) THE COMMISSION MAY APPOIN T ANY OFFICERS THAT IT CONSIDERS 16
120	120	NECESSARY. 17
121	121
122	122	2–605. 18
123	123
124	124	(A) THE SECRETARY SHALL APPOI NT AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE 19
125	125	COMMISSION. 20
126	126
127	127	(B) THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHALL BE A M ERIT EMPLOYEE OF THE 21
128	128	DEPARTMENT . 22
129	129
130	130	(C) THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS ENTITLED TO: 23
131	131
132	132	(1) COMPENSATION IN ACCO RDANCE WITH THE STATE BUDGET ; AND 24
133	133
134	134	(2) REIMBURSEMENT FOR EX PENSES UNDER THE STANDARD STATE 25
135	135	TRAVEL REGULATIONS, AS PROVIDED IN THE STATE BUDGET . 26
136	136
137	137	2–606. 27 4 HOUSE BILL 1213
138	138
139	139
140	140
141	141	(A) (1) THE COMMISSION SHALL : 1
142	142
143	143	(I) STUDY AND REVIEW THE STATUS OF FATHERHOOD IN THE 2
144	144	STATE; 3
145	145
146	146	(II) STRENGTHEN HOME LIFE BY DIRECTING ATTENTI ON TO 4
147	147	CRITICAL PROBLEMS CO NFRONTING MEN AS HUS BANDS AND FATHERS; 5
148	148
149	149	(III) RECOMMEND METHODS OF OVERCOMING ATTITUDES 6
150	150	DENIGRATING FATHERHO OD; 7
151	151
152	152	(IV) RECOMMEND ALTERNATIV ES TO FAMILY LAW OUT COMES 8
153	153	THAT HARM THE ABILIT Y OF MEN TO OFFER LOVING SUPPORT IVE HOMES FOR THEIR 9
154	154	CHILDREN; 10
155	155
156	156	(V) HIGHLIGHT OUTSTANDIN G EXAMPLES OF FATHER S AND 11
157	157	THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE; AND 12
158	158
159	159	(VI) INFORM THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE BRANCHES OF 13
160	160	STATE GOVERNMENT ON CURRENT ISSUES THAT IMPACT FATHERS , INCLUDING BY 14
161	161	OFFERING TESTIMONY O N PROPOSED REGULATION S AND LEGISLATION . 15
162	162
163	163	(2) THE COMMISSION MAY DEVELOP SURVEYS AND APPOINT 16
164	164	ADVISORY COMMITTEES IN FIELDS INCLUDING EDUCA TION, SOCIAL SERVICES , 17
165	165	LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT , LAW ENFORCEMENT , HEALTH AND SAFETY , LEGAL 18
166	166	RIGHTS, FAMILY RELATIONS , HUMAN RELATIONS , AND VOLUNTEER SERVIC ES. 19
167	167
168	168	(3) THE COMMISSION MAY NOT AD OPT REGULATIONS . 20
169	169
170	170	(B) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 EACH YEAR, THE COMMISSION SHALL 21
171	171	SUBMIT A REPORT ON I TS FINDINGS AND RECO MMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR 22
172	172	AND, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE 23
173	173	GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE ACTIV ITIES OF THE COMMISSION. 24
174	174
175	175	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER EN ACTED, That this Act is an emergency 25
176	176	measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 26
177	177	been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three–fifths of all the members elected to 27
178	178	each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 28
179	179	enacted. 29
180	180