EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1206*
HOUSE BILL 1206
C8 4lr2589
By: Delegates Kerr, Watson, Bagnall, Baker, Barnes, Bhandari, Bouchat, Boyce,
Chang, Clippinger, Crosby, Cullison, Ebersole, Embry, Fair, Feldmark,
Fisher, Foley, Forbes, Fraser–Hidalgo, Grossman, Guzzone, Healey, Hill,
Hinebaugh, Hornberger, Howard, S. Johnson, D. Jones, Kipke, Lehman,
J. Long, McComas, Miller, T. Morgan, Phillips, Pruski, Qi, Reilly, Roberson,
Rose, Rosenberg, Ruff, Ruth, Shetty, Simpson, Smith, Solomon, Stewart,
Terrasa, Toles, Tomlinson, Valderrama, Valentine, White Holland,
Williams, Wivell, and Ziegler
Introduced and read first time: February 8, 2024
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland–Ireland Trade Commission – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland–Ireland Trade Commission in the 3
Department of Commerce to study and make recommendations regarding certain 4
trade relations between Maryland and Ireland; and generally relating to the 5
Maryland–Ireland Trade Commission. 6
BY adding to 7
Article – Economic Development 8
Section 5–2501 through 5–2504 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 25. 9
Maryland–Ireland Trade Commission” 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 12
Preamble 13
WHEREAS, Over 9% of Maryland’s population is of Irish descent; and 14
WHEREAS, The ties that bind Ireland to Maryland are deep and lasting; and 15
WHEREAS, Irish heritage has been the fortunate lot of many great Marylanders; 16
and 17
2 HOUSE BILL 1206
WHEREAS, Ireland and Maryland are attempting to reinvent their economies for 1
success in the twenty–first century; and 2
WHEREAS, Marylanders have both historic and practical reasons to desire the 3
building of firmer commercial links with Ireland; now, therefore, 4
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 5
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 6
Article – Economic Development 7
SUBTITLE 25. MARYLAND–IRELAND TRADE COMMISSION. 8
5–2501. 9
IN THIS SUBTITLE, “COMMISSION” MEANS THE MARYLAND–IRELAND TRADE 10
COMMISSION. 11
5–2502. 12
(A) THERE IS A MARYLAND–IRELAND TRADE COMMISSION IN THE 13
DEPARTMENT . 14
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION IS TO STUD Y AND PROMOTE TRADE 15
BETWEEN MARYLAND AND IRELAND. 16
5–2503. 17
(A) THE COMMISSION CONSISTS O F THE FOLLOWING MEMB ERS: 18
(1) THE SECRETARY, OR THE SECRETARY’S DESIGNEE; 19
(2) THE SECRETARY OF STATE, OR THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S 20
DESIGNEE; 21
(3) TWO MEMBERS OF THE SENATE OF MARYLAND, APPOINTED BY 22
THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, WHO HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF ORGANIZ ATIONS THAT 23
PROMOTE IRISH AFFAIRS, OR CURRENT OR PAST I NVOLVEMENT IN ORGANI ZATIONS 24
THAT PROMOTE IRISH AFFAIRS, OR HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE WELL –BEING OF 25
TRADE RELATIONS BETW EEN MARYLAND AND IRELAND; 26
(4) TWO MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES, APPOINTED BY 27
THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, WHO HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF ORGANIZ ATIONS THAT 28
PROMOTE IRISH AFFAIRS, OR CURRENT OR PAST I NVOLVEMENT IN ORGANI ZATIONS 29 HOUSE BILL 1206 3
THAT PROMOTE IRISH AFFAIRS, OR HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE WELL –BEING OF 1
TRADE RELATIONS BETW EEN MARYLAND AND IRELAND; AND 2
(5) THE FOLLOWING MEMBER S, APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR, 3
WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE SENATE: 4
(I) ONE REPRESENTATIVE O F A PUBLIC INSTITUTI ON OF 5
HIGHER EDUCATION ; 6
(II) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND CHAMBER OF 7
COMMERCE OR ITS SUCCE SSOR ORGANIZATION ; AND 8
(III) TWO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE IRISH–AMERICAN 9
COMMUNITY , WHO MAY NOT BE OF TH E SAME POLITICAL PAR TY. 10
(B) THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION SHALL BE E LECTED 11
FROM AMONG THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION. 12
(C) A MEMBER OF THE BOARD: 13
(1) MAY NOT RECEIVE COMP ENSATION AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD; 14
BUT 15
(2) IS ENTITLED TO REIMB URSEMENT FOR EXPENSE S UNDER THE 16
STANDARD STATE TRAVEL REGULATIONS, AS PROVIDED IN THE STATE BUDGET . 17
(D) (1) THE TERM OF AN APPOIN TED MEMBER IS 4 YEARS. 18
(2) THE TERMS OF THE APPO INTED MEMBERS ARE ST AGGERED AS 19
REQUIRED BY THE TERM S PROVIDED FOR MEMBE RS ON OCTOBER 1, 2024. 20
(3) AT THE END OF A TERM , A MEMBER CONTINUES T O SERVE UNTIL 21
A SUCCESSOR IS APPOI NTED AND QUALIFIES . 22
(4) A MEMBER WHO IS APPOIN TED AFTER A TERM HAS BEGUN SERVES 23
ONLY FOR THE REST OF THE TERM UNTIL A SUC CESSOR IS APPOINTED AND 24
QUALIFIES. 25
(5) THE GOVERNOR MAY REMOVE A N APPOINTED MEMBER F OR 26
INCOMPETENCE , MISCONDUCT , OR FAILURE TO PE RFORM THE DUTIES OF THE 27
POSITION. 28
5–2504. 29 4 HOUSE BILL 1206
(A) THE COMMISSION SHALL STUD Y AND MAKE RECOMMEND ATIONS 1
REGARDING: 2
(1) ADVANCING BILATERAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT BETWEEN 3
MARYLAND AND IRELAND; 4
(2) INITIATING JOINT ACT ION ON POLICY ISSUES OF MUTUAL 5
INTEREST TO MARYLAND AND IRELAND; 6
(3) PROMOTING BUSINESS A ND ACADEMIC EXCHANGE S BETWEEN 7
MARYLAND AND IRELAND; 8
(4) ENCOURAGING MUTUAL E CONOMIC SUPPORT BETW EEN 9
MARYLAND AND IRELAND; 10
(5) ENCOURAGING MUTUAL I NVESTMENT IN THE INF RASTRUCTURE 11
OF MARYLAND AND IRELAND; AND 12
(6) OTHER ISSUES AS DETE RMINED BY THE COMMISSION. 13
(B) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2025, AND EACH DECEMBER 1 14
THEREAFTER , THE COMMISSION SHALL REPORT ITS FIN DINGS AND 15
RECOMMENDATIONS TO T HE GOVERNOR AND , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF 16
THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 17
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That : 18
(a) All initial appointments to the Maryland–Ireland Trade Commission shall be 19
made not later than February 1, 2025. 20
(b) The terms of the initial appointed members of the Maryland–Ireland Trade 21
Commission shall expire as follows: 22
(1) two members in 2025; and 23
(2) two members in 2026. 24
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 25
October 1, 2024. 26