Maryland 2024 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HJ3 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
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3	3	hj0003
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5	5	HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 3
6	6	E4, P1 4lr2711
7	7	CF SJ 2
8	8	By: Delegates Williams, Acevero, Fair, Fennell, Ivey, Kaufman, Martinez,
9	9	McCaskill, Palakovich Carr, Phillips, Ruff, Ruth, Smith, Taveras, Taylor,
10	10	Turner, Vogel, Wilkins, and Young
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 31, 2024
12	12	Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
13	13
14	14	HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
15	15
16	16	A House Joint Resolution concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Use of Nuclear Weapons 2
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20	20	FOR the purpose of stating that the General Assembly joins certain other state legislative 3
21	21	bodies, counties, and municipalities in passing a Back from the Brink resolution on 4
22	22	reducing the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons; urging members of the State’s 5
23	23	Congressional Delegation who have not yet done so to cosponsor a certain federal 6
24	24	resolution related to the use of nuclear weapons; and urging the U.S. President and 7
25	25	the U.S. Senate to endorse the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. 8
26	26
27	27	WHEREAS, Nuclear weapons are the most destructive weapons ever created by 9
28	28	mankind; and 10
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30	30	WHEREAS, 90% of nuclear weapons are controlled by the U.S. and Russia, with the 11
31	31	rest being controlled by seven other countries: China, France, Israel, India, North Korea, 12
32	32	Pakistan, and the United Kingdom; and 13
33	33
34	34	WHEREAS, The use of even a small fraction of nuclear weapons, such as 100 14
35	35	Hiroshima–sized bombs, which are small bombs by modern standards, could put at least 15
36	36	5.5 million tons of soot into the atmosphere and cause climate disruption across the planet, 16
37	37	cutting food production and putting 250 million people at risk of starvation; and 17
38	38
39	39	WHEREAS, A large–scale nuclear war would kill hundreds of millions of people 18
40	40	directly, risk starvation for 5 billion people worldwide including in the U.S., and cause 19
41	41	unimaginable environmental damage and catastrophic climate disruption by dropping 20
42	42	temperatures across the planet to levels not seen since the Ice Age, causing the vast 21
43	43	majority of the human race to starve and possibly cause humans to become extinct as a 22
44	44	species; and 23
45	45	2 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 3
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47	47
48	48	WHEREAS, The U.S. and Russia rely on the assurances of deterrence, that nuclear 1
49	49	arsenals are never used, and yet there have been many close calls due to human or 2
50	50	mechanical error; and 3
51	51
52	52	WHEREAS, The U.S. President has the authority to unilaterally initiate the use of 4
53	53	nuclear weapons, and during times of crisis, individuals lower in the chain of command 5
54	54	might mistakenly do so; and 6
55	55
56	56	WHEREAS, The U.S. maintains nuclear missiles on hair–trigger alert, making them 7
57	57	capable of being launched within minutes and greatly increasing the risk of unintended or 8
58	58	unauthorized launch especially in current times when tensions are mounting between 9
59	59	nuclear powers and the U.S. maintains the right to initiate a nuclear launch; and 10
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61	61	WHEREAS, The on–going expenditure of $1.7 trillion over 30 years to enhance the 11
62	62	U.S. nuclear arsenal is fueling a global arms race; and 12
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64	64	WHEREAS, Despite the incredible expenditure on nuclear weapons, one in six 13
65	65	military families are food insecure; and 14
66	66
67	67	WHEREAS, Marylanders paid an estimated $2 billion in taxes in fiscal year 2023 for 15
68	68	the nuclear weapons complex; and 16
69	69
70	70	WHEREAS, Living in the shadow of Washington, D.C., Marylanders are especially 17
71	71	at risk if there is nuclear war, making it appropriate that the General Assembly of 18
72	72	Maryland urge the federal government to do everything possible to reduce the risk of 19
73	73	nuclear war starting by error or by intent; and 20
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75	75	WHEREAS, Two major conflicts in 2023 involving nations that possess nuclear 21
76	76	weapons make multilateral negotiations between nuclear nations more important now than 22
77	77	ever; and 23
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79	79	WHEREAS, In July 2017, the United Nations adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition 24
80	80	of Nuclear Weapons which makes it illegal for ratifying nations to develop, test, produce, 25
81	81	manufacture or otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile, transfer, use, or threaten the use 26
82	82	of nuclear weapons; and 27
83	83
84	84	WHEREAS, As of August 6, 2023, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons 28
85	85	has been ratified by 69 nations; and 29
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87	87	WHEREAS, House Resolution 77 introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives 30
88	88	embraces the goals and provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, as 31
89	89	well as the five policies of Back from the Brink to: (1) actively pursue a multilateral 32
90	90	verifiable agreement among nuclear armed states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals; (2) 33
91	91	renounce the option of using nuclear weapons first; (3) end the President’s sole authority 34
92	92	to launch a nuclear attack; (4) take nuclear weapons off hair–trigger alert; and (5) cancel 35
93	93	current plans to replace or modernize its nuclear arsenal; now, therefore, be it 36
94	94	HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 3 3
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97	97	RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the General 1
98	98	Assembly of Maryland joins the seven state legislative bodies, including the Senates of 2
99	99	Rhode Island, Maine, Oregon, California, and over 75 municipalities and counties, 3
100	100	including Baltimore County, Frederick County, Washington, D.C., Montgomery County, 4
101	101	and Prince George’s County, in passing a Back from the Brink resolution; and be it further 5
102	102
103	103	RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of Maryland urges members of the 6
104	104	Maryland Congressional Delegation who have not yet done so to cosponsor House 7
105	105	Resolution 77, which embraces the goals and provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of 8
106	106	Nuclear Weapons and the Back from the Brink resolution; and be it further 9
107	107
108	108	RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of Maryland urges the U.S. President and 10
109	109	the U.S. Senate to endorse the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; and be it 11
110	110	further 12
111	111
112	112	RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded by the Department of 13
113	113	Legislative Services to the Honorable Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland; the Honorable 14
114	114	William C. Ferguson, IV, President of the Senate of Maryland; the Honorable Adrienne A. 15
115	115	Jones, Speaker of the House of Delegates; and the Maryland Congressional Delegation; and 16
116	116	be it further 17
117	117
118	118	RESOLVED, That certified copies of this Joint Resolution be sent by the Secretary 18
119	119	of State to: the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States of America, 1600 19
120	120	Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20500; the Honorable Kamala Harris, Vice 20
121	121	President of the United States, President of the United States Senate, Suite S–212, United 21
122	122	States Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable Patricia Murray, 22
123	123	President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, 154 Russell Senate Office Building, 23
124	124	Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable Chuck Schumer, United States Senate Majority 24
125	125	Leader, 322 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable Addison 25
126	126	Mitchell McConnell III, United States Senate Minority Leader, 317 Russell Senate Office 26
127	127	Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable James Michael Johnson, Speaker of the 27
128	128	United States House of Representatives, Suite H–232, United States Capitol Building, 28
129	129	Washington, D.C. 20510; and the Honorable Hakeem Jeffries, United States House of 29
130	130	Representatives Minority Leader, 2433 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 30
131	131	20515. 31