*hj0006*
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 6
E4, P1 5lr2452
HJ 3/24 – HRU CF SJ 4
By: Delegates Williams, Acevero, Boafo, Crutchfield, Fair, Feldmark, Fennell,
Holmes, Ivey, Kaufman, Kerr, J. Long, Martinez, McCaskill, Mireku–North,
Palakovich Carr, Phillips, Roberts, Rosenberg, Ruff, Ruth, Smith, Taveras,
Taylor, Wilkins, Wims, Woods, and Young
Introduced and read first time: January 31, 2025
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
A House Joint Resolution concerning 1
Use of Nuclear Weapons 2
FOR the purpose of stating that the General Assembly joins certain other state legislative 3
bodies, counties, and municipalities in passing a Back from the Brink resolution on 4
reducing the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons; urging members of the State’s 5
Congressional Delegation to cosponsor a certain federal resolution related to the use 6
of nuclear weapons; and urging the U.S. President and the U.S. Senate to endorse 7
the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. 8
WHEREAS, Nuclear weapons are the most destructive weapons ever created by 9
mankind; and 10
WHEREAS, 90% of nuclear weapons are controlled by the U.S. and Russia, with the 11
rest being controlled by seven other countries: China, France, Israel, India, North Korea, 12
Pakistan, and the United Kingdom; and 13
WHEREAS, The use of even a small fraction of nuclear weapons, such as 100 14
Hiroshima–sized bombs, which are small bombs by modern standards, could put at least 15
5.5 million tons of soot into the atmosphere and cause climate disruption across the planet, 16
cutting food production and putting 250 million people at risk of starvation; and 17
WHEREAS, A large–scale nuclear war would kill hundreds of millions of people 18
directly, risk starvation for 5 billion people worldwide including in the U.S., and cause 19
unimaginable environmental damage and catastrophic climate disruption by dropping 20
temperatures across the planet to levels not seen since the Ice Age, causing the vast 21
majority of the human race to starve and possibly cause humans to become extinct as a 22
species; and 23
2 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 6
WHEREAS, The U.S. and Russia rely on the assurances of deterrence, that nuclear 1
arsenals are never used, and yet there have been many close calls due to human or 2
mechanical error; and 3
WHEREAS, The U.S. President has the authority to unilaterally initiate the use of 4
nuclear weapons, and during times of crisis, individuals lower in the chain of command 5
might mistakenly do so; and 6
WHEREAS, The U.S. maintains nuclear missiles on hair–trigger alert, making them 7
capable of being launched within minutes and greatly increasing the risk of an unintended 8
or unauthorized launch, especially in current times when tensions are mounting between 9
nuclear powers and the U.S. maintains the right to initiate a nuclear launch; and 10
WHEREAS, The ongoing expenditure of $1.7 trillion over 30 years to enhance the 11
U.S. nuclear arsenal is fueling a global arms race; and 12
WHEREAS, Despite the incredible expenditure on nuclear weapons, one in six 13
military families are food insecure; and 14
WHEREAS, Marylanders paid an estimated $2.1 billion in taxes in fiscal year 2024 15
for the nuclear weapons complex; and 16
WHEREAS, Living in the shadow of Washington, D.C., Marylanders are especially 17
at risk if there is nuclear war, making it appropriate that the General Assembly of 18
Maryland urge the federal government to do everything possible to reduce the risk of 19
nuclear war starting by error or by intent; and 20
WHEREAS, Two m ajor conflicts in 2024 involving nations that possess nuclear 21
weapons make multilateral negotiations between nuclear nations more important now than 22
ever; and 23
WHEREAS, In July 2017, the United Nations adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition 24
of Nuclear Weapons which makes it illegal for ratifying nations to develop, test, produce, 25
manufacture or otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile, transfer, use, or threaten the use 26
of nuclear weapons; and 27
WHEREAS, As of September 24, 2024, 73 nations have ratified or acceded to the 28
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; and 29
WHEREAS, House Resolution 77 introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives 30
in the 118th Congress embraced the goals and provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition 31
of Nuclear Weapons, as well as the five policies of Back from the Brink to: (1) actively 32
pursue a multilateral verifiable agreement among nuclear armed states to eliminate their 33
nuclear arsenals; (2) renounce the option of using nuclear weapons first; (3) end the 34
President’s sole authority to launch a nuclear attack; (4) take nuclear weapons off 35
hair–trigger alert; and (5) cancel current plans to replace or modernize its nuclear arsenal; 36
now, therefore, be it 37 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 6 3
RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the General 1
Assembly of Maryland joins the seven state legislative bodies in Rhode Island, Maine, 2
Oregon, California, and over 75 municipalities and counties, including Baltimore County, 3
Frederick County, Washington, D.C., Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County, in 4
passing a Back from the Brink resolution; and be it further 5
RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of Maryland urges members of the 6
Maryland Congressional Delegation to cosponsor a new resolution in the 119th Congress 7
that embraces the goals and provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons 8
and the Back from the Brink resolution; and be it further 9
RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of Maryland urges the U.S. President and 10
the U.S. Senate to endorse the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; and be it 11
further 12
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded by the Department of 13
Legislative Services to the Honorable Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland; the Honorable 14
William C. Ferguson, IV, President of the Senate of Maryland; the Honorable Adrienne A. 15
Jones, Speaker of the House of Delegates; and the Maryland Congressional Delegation; and 16
be it further 17
RESOLVED, That certified copies of this Joint Resolution be sent by the Secretary 18
of State to: the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, 19
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20500; the Honorable JD Vance, Vice 20
President of the United States, President of the United States Senate, Suite S–212, United 21
States Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable Charles E. Grassley, 22
President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, 135 Hart Senate Office Building, 23
Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable John R. Thune, United States Senate Majority 24
Leader, 511 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable Chuck 25
Schumer, United States Senate Minority Leader, 322 Hart Senate Office Building, 26
Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable James Michael Johnson, Speaker of the United 27
States House of Representatives, Suite H–232, United States Capitol Building, 28
Washington, D.C. 20510; and the Honorable Hakeem Jeffries, United States House of 29
Representatives Minority Leader, 2433 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 30
20515. 31