Maryland 2022 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB764 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
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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	sb0764
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7	7	SENATE BILL 764
8	8	J1, O4 2lr1784
9	9	CF 2lr1780
10	10	By: Senator Sydnor
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2022
12	12	Assigned to: Finance
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
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18	18	Childhood Exposure to Violence – Health and Social Impacts – Public 2
19	19	Awareness Campaign Workgroup 3
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21	21	FOR the purpose of establishing the Childhood Exposure to Violence Public Awareness 4
22	22	Campaign Workgroup to develop a public awareness and pr evention campaign 5
23	23	relating to the health and social impacts of children exposed to violence; and 6
24	24	generally relating to the Childhood Exposure to Violence Public Awareness 7
25	25	Campaign Workgroup. 8
26	26
27	27	Preamble 9
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29	29	WHEREAS, Exposure to violence of any kind inflicts trauma on witnesses, especially 10
30	30	on children; and 11
31	31
32	32	WHEREAS, A 2009 U.S. Department of Justice study showed that more than 60% 12
33	33	of the children surveyed were exposed to violence within the past year either directly or 13
34	34	indirectly; and 14
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36	36	WHEREAS, Children’s exposure to violence, whether as victims or witnesses, is often 15
37	37	associated with long–term health and social impacts, including physical, psychological, and 16
38	38	emotional harm, and further, such exposure puts them at a higher risk of engaging in 17
39	39	criminal behavior later in life and becoming part of a cycle of violence; and 18
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41	41	WHEREAS, Childhood exposure to violent crimes costs American society $496 billion 19
42	42	a year; and 20
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44	44	WHEREAS, Early identification of children who have witnessed violence and early 21
45	45	response to those events are critical to decreasing poor health and social outcomes from 22
46	46	those experiences; and 23
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48	48	WHEREAS, Public education about the impact of witnessing violence and about 24 2 SENATE BILL 764
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51	51	effective interventions and preventative measures is lacking because violence occurs 1
52	52	without warning in any setting and yet is often difficult to predict, thus putting children at 2
53	53	risk for witnessing it in any setting; and 3
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55	55	WHEREAS, Maryland needs a coordinated and comprehensive campaign to educate 4
56	56	the public on the need to prevent situations that expose children to violence and on tools to 5
57	57	respond once violence has occurred in the presence of a child; now, therefore, 6
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59	59	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 7
60	60	That: 8
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62	62	(a) There is a Childhood Exposure to Violence Public Awareness Campaign 9
63	63	Workgroup. 10
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65	65	(b) The Workgroup consists of: 11
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67	67	(1) the following members, appointed by the Secretary of Health: 12
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69	69	(i) two individuals who witnessed violence as a child or have a 13
70	70	family member who witnessed violence as a child; 14
71	71
72	72	(ii) two representatives of hospitals; 15
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74	74	(iii) one State–licensed emergency medicine physician; 16
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76	76	(iv) one State–licensed primary care physician; 17
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78	78	(v) one State–licensed pediatrician; 18
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80	80	(vi) one State–licensed mental health provider; 19
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82	82	(vii) one representative of a local health department; 20
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84	84	(viii) one representative from the Maryland Department of Health; 21
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86	86	(ix) two violence intervention community health workers; 22
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88	88	(x) one representative of a Boys and Girls Club in the State; and 23
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90	90	(xi) one individual with expertise in public communication; 24
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92	92	(2) the following members, appointed by the Secretary of Education: 25
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94	94	(i) one representative of the State Department of Education; and 26
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96	96	(ii) one teacher who works in the State; 27
97	97	SENATE BILL 764 3
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100	100	(3) one representative of the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, 1
101	101	and Victim Services, designated by the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Crime 2
102	102	Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services; and 3
103	103
104	104	(4) one representative of an accredited child advocacy center, designated 4
105	105	by the Maryland Children’s Alliance. 5
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107	107	(c) The Workgroup shall elect the chair of the Workgroup by a majority vote at 6
108	108	the first meeting. 7
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110	110	(d) The Maryland Department of Health shall provide staff for the Workgroup. 8
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112	112	(e) A member of the Workgroup: 9
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114	114	(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Workgroup; but 10
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116	116	(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 11
117	117	Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 12
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119	119	(f) The Workgroup shall: 13
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121	121	(1) develop a public awareness and prevention campaign on child exposure 14
122	122	to violence that includes: 15
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124	124	(i) the types of violence that pose risks to children; 16
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126	126	(ii) the types of responses that children experience from being 17
127	127	exposed to violence; 18
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129	129	(iii) the health and social risks associated with children being 19
130	130	exposed to violence; 20
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132	132	(iv) the signs and symptoms of trauma and health and social impacts 21
133	133	associated with children being exposed to violence; and 22
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135	135	(v) appropriate responses to learning that a child has been exposed 23
136	136	to violence; 24
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138	138	(2) identify, review, and evaluate resources that can be used to educate the 25
139	139	public on child exposure to violence; and 26
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141	141	(3) identify cost–effective methods for the Maryland Department of Health 27
142	142	to disseminate information to the public about the health and social impacts of children 28
143	143	being exposed to violence and actions to take to address the occurrence of such events. 29
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145	145	(g) On or before December 1, 2022, the Workgroup shall report on its findings and 30
146	146	recommendations for the public awareness and prevention campaign to the Senate Finance 31 4 SENATE BILL 764
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148	148
149	149	Committee and the House Health and Government Operations Committee, in accordance 1
150	150	with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article. 2
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152	152	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 3
153	153	1, 2022. It shall remain effective for a period of 1 year and 1 month and, at the end of June 4
154	154	30, 2023, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be 5
155	155	abrogated and of no further force and effect. 6
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