Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB1055 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	hb1055
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 1055
8	8	D5 EMERGENCY BILL 5lr2073
9	9
10	10	By: Delegates Fair, Acevero, Allen, Charkoudian, Ebersole, Embry, Foley, Kaiser,
11	11	Kaufman, Palakovich Carr, Pasteur, Simpson, Spiegel, Woods, and Young
12	12	Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2025
13	13	Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
14	14
15	15	A BILL ENTITLED
16	16
17	17	AN ACT concerning 1
18	18
19	19	Commission on Nondiscrimination – Establishment 2
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of establishing the Commission on Nondiscrimination to monitor and 3
22	22	study nondiscrimination laws and regulations and the impacts of the actions of the 4
23	23	federal government on those laws and regulations and to recommend legislation to 5
24	24	address any deficiencies in nondiscrimination protections in Maryland; and 6
25	25	generally relating to the Commission on Nondiscrimination. 7
26	26
27	27	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 8
28	28	That: 9
29	29
30	30	(a) In this section, “Commission” means the Commission on Nondiscrimination. 10
31	31
32	32	(b) There is a Commission on Nondiscrimination. 11
33	33
34	34	(c) The Commission consists of the following members: 12
35	35
36	36	(1) two members of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 13
37	37	the Senate; 14
38	38
39	39	(2) two members of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of 15
40	40	the House; 16
41	41
42	42	(3) one representative of the Executive Branch, appointed by the Governor; 17
43	43
44	44	(4) one representative of the Judicial Branch, appointed by the Chief 18
45	45	Justice of the Supreme Court of Maryland; 19
46	46
47	47	(5) the Executive Director of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, or 20
48	48	the Executive Director’s designee; 21 2 HOUSE BILL 1055
49	49
50	50
51	51
52	52	(6) two representatives of the Office of the Attorney General, at least one 1
53	53	of whom must work in the Civil Rights Division, appointed by the Attorney General; and 2
54	54
55	55	(7) the following members, appointed jointly by the President of the Senate 3
56	56	and the Speaker of the House: 4
57	57
58	58	(i) three representatives of local human rights commissions, one 5
59	59	each from the Eastern, Central, and Western regions of the State; 6
60	60
61	61	(ii) two representatives of the Maryland State Bar Association, one 7
62	62	of whom represents plaintiffs and one of whom represents defendants in discrimination 8
63	63	cases; and 9
64	64
65	65	(iii) three representatives of legal advocacy groups in the State that 10
66	66	focus on civil rights and discrimination. 11
67	67
68	68	(d) The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House shall designate a 12
69	69	member who is a Senator and a member who is a Delegate, respectively, to serve as cochairs 13
70	70	of the Commission. 14
71	71
72	72	(e) The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights and the Civil Rights Division of the 15
73	73	Office of the Attorney General shall provide staff for the Commission. 16
74	74
75	75	(f) A member of the Commission: 17
76	76
77	77	(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Commission; but 18
78	78
79	79	(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 19
80	80	Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 20
81	81
82	82	(g) The Commission shall: 21
83	83
84	84	(1) study how the State can: 22
85	85
86	86	(i) realize the principle of equality under the law; 23
87	87
88	88	(ii) afford greater protections against unequal or unfair treatment 24
89	89	under State and local law; 25
90	90
91	91	(iii) eliminate discrimination against individuals on the basis of the 26
92	92	individual’s race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual 27
93	93	orientation, gender identity, military status, disability, or other protected class in law that 28
94	94	is not specifically enumerated in this item; and 29
95	95
96	96	(iv) ensure that individuals listed in item (iii) of this item have 30
97	97	effective remedies for discrimination under the law; 31 HOUSE BILL 1055 3
98	98
99	99
100	100
101	101	(2) monitor and study the impacts of the potential and actual actions of the 1
102	102	federal government on civil rights and nondiscrimination enforcement at the federal, State, 2
103	103	and local levels; 3
104	104
105	105	(3) identify gaps, inconsistencies, or deficiencies in the current State and 4
106	106	local frameworks for civil rights and nondiscrimination enforcement, including: 5
107	107
108	108	(i) nondiscrimination laws or regulations without specific 6
109	109	enforcement mechanisms in the State; 7
110	110
111	111	(ii) overburdened courts and administrative agencies; 8
112	112
113	113	(iii) funding issues; 9
114	114
115	115	(iv) inconsistent protections for groups between different 10
116	116	nondiscrimination provisions; 11
117	117
118	118	(v) groups facing discrimination that lack protections or have gaps 12
119	119	in protections under the law; 13
120	120
121	121	(vi) subjects or situations where individuals do not currently have 14
122	122	discrimination protections under the law; and 15
123	123
124	124	(vii) nondiscrimination laws or regulations that do not have an 16
125	125	associated private right of action; and 17
126	126
127	127	(4) recommend legislation to address any adverse impacts and potential 18
128	128	gaps, inconsistencies, or deficiencies in civil rights and nondiscrimination laws or 19
129	129	regulations. 20
130	130
131	131	(h) The Commission may: 21
132	132
133	133	(1) hold public meetings across the State to carry out the duties of the 22
134	134	Commission; and 23
135	135
136	136	(2) convene workgroups to solicit input from stakeholders. 24
137	137
138	138	(i) On or before December 15 each year, the Commission shall submit a report on 25
139	139	its findings and recommendations, including any legislative proposals, to the Governor and, 26
140	140	in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly. 27
141	141
142	142	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 28
143	143	measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 29
144	144	been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three–fifths of all the members elected to 30
145	145	each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 31
146	146	enacted. It shall remain effective through June 30, 2029, and, at the end of June 30, 2029, 32 4 HOUSE BILL 1055
147	147
148	148
149	149	this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 1
150	150	of no further force and effect. 2