Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HJ6 Compare Versions

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

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3	3	hj0006
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5	5	HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 6
6	6	E4, P1 5lr2452
7	7	HJ 3/24 – HRU CF SJ 4
8	8	By: Delegates Williams, Acevero, Boafo, Crutchfield, Fair, Feldmark, Fennell,
9	9	Holmes, Ivey, Kaufman, Kerr, J. Long, Martinez, McCaskill, Mireku–North,
10	10	Palakovich Carr, Phillips, Roberts, Rosenberg, Ruff, Ruth, Smith, Taveras,
11	11	Taylor, Wilkins, Wims, Woods, and Young
12	12	Introduced and read first time: January 31, 2025
13	13	Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
14	14
15	15	HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
16	16
17	17	A House Joint Resolution concerning 1
18	18
19	19	Use of Nuclear Weapons 2
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21	21	FOR the purpose of stating that the General Assembly joins certain other state legislative 3
22	22	bodies, counties, and municipalities in passing a Back from the Brink resolution on 4
23	23	reducing the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons; urging members of the State’s 5
24	24	Congressional Delegation to cosponsor a certain federal resolution related to the use 6
25	25	of nuclear weapons; and urging the U.S. President and the U.S. Senate to endorse 7
26	26	the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. 8
27	27
28	28	WHEREAS, Nuclear weapons are the most destructive weapons ever created by 9
29	29	mankind; and 10
30	30
31	31	WHEREAS, 90% of nuclear weapons are controlled by the U.S. and Russia, with the 11
32	32	rest being controlled by seven other countries: China, France, Israel, India, North Korea, 12
33	33	Pakistan, and the United Kingdom; and 13
34	34
35	35	WHEREAS, The use of even a small fraction of nuclear weapons, such as 100 14
36	36	Hiroshima–sized bombs, which are small bombs by modern standards, could put at least 15
37	37	5.5 million tons of soot into the atmosphere and cause climate disruption across the planet, 16
38	38	cutting food production and putting 250 million people at risk of starvation; and 17
39	39
40	40	WHEREAS, A large–scale nuclear war would kill hundreds of millions of people 18
41	41	directly, risk starvation for 5 billion people worldwide including in the U.S., and cause 19
42	42	unimaginable environmental damage and catastrophic climate disruption by dropping 20
43	43	temperatures across the planet to levels not seen since the Ice Age, causing the vast 21
44	44	majority of the human race to starve and possibly cause humans to become extinct as a 22
45	45	species; and 23
46	46	2 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 6
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48	48
49	49	WHEREAS, The U.S. and Russia rely on the assurances of deterrence, that nuclear 1
50	50	arsenals are never used, and yet there have been many close calls due to human or 2
51	51	mechanical error; and 3
52	52
53	53	WHEREAS, The U.S. President has the authority to unilaterally initiate the use of 4
54	54	nuclear weapons, and during times of crisis, individuals lower in the chain of command 5
55	55	might mistakenly do so; and 6
56	56
57	57	WHEREAS, The U.S. maintains nuclear missiles on hair–trigger alert, making them 7
58	58	capable of being launched within minutes and greatly increasing the risk of an unintended 8
59	59	or unauthorized launch, especially in current times when tensions are mounting between 9
60	60	nuclear powers and the U.S. maintains the right to initiate a nuclear launch; and 10
61	61
62	62	WHEREAS, The ongoing expenditure of $1.7 trillion over 30 years to enhance the 11
63	63	U.S. nuclear arsenal is fueling a global arms race; and 12
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65	65	WHEREAS, Despite the incredible expenditure on nuclear weapons, one in six 13
66	66	military families are food insecure; and 14
67	67
68	68	WHEREAS, Marylanders paid an estimated $2.1 billion in taxes in fiscal year 2024 15
69	69	for the nuclear weapons complex; and 16
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71	71	WHEREAS, Living in the shadow of Washington, D.C., Marylanders are especially 17
72	72	at risk if there is nuclear war, making it appropriate that the General Assembly of 18
73	73	Maryland urge the federal government to do everything possible to reduce the risk of 19
74	74	nuclear war starting by error or by intent; and 20
75	75
76	76	WHEREAS, Two m ajor conflicts in 2024 involving nations that possess nuclear 21
77	77	weapons make multilateral negotiations between nuclear nations more important now than 22
78	78	ever; and 23
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80	80	WHEREAS, In July 2017, the United Nations adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition 24
81	81	of Nuclear Weapons which makes it illegal for ratifying nations to develop, test, produce, 25
82	82	manufacture or otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile, transfer, use, or threaten the use 26
83	83	of nuclear weapons; and 27
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85	85	WHEREAS, As of September 24, 2024, 73 nations have ratified or acceded to the 28
86	86	Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; and 29
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88	88	WHEREAS, House Resolution 77 introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives 30
89	89	in the 118th Congress embraced the goals and provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition 31
90	90	of Nuclear Weapons, as well as the five policies of Back from the Brink to: (1) actively 32
91	91	pursue a multilateral verifiable agreement among nuclear armed states to eliminate their 33
92	92	nuclear arsenals; (2) renounce the option of using nuclear weapons first; (3) end the 34
93	93	President’s sole authority to launch a nuclear attack; (4) take nuclear weapons off 35
94	94	hair–trigger alert; and (5) cancel current plans to replace or modernize its nuclear arsenal; 36
95	95	now, therefore, be it 37 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 6 3
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99	99	RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the General 1
100	100	Assembly of Maryland joins the seven state legislative bodies in Rhode Island, Maine, 2
101	101	Oregon, California, and over 75 municipalities and counties, including Baltimore County, 3
102	102	Frederick County, Washington, D.C., Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County, in 4
103	103	passing a Back from the Brink resolution; and be it further 5
104	104
105	105	RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of Maryland urges members of the 6
106	106	Maryland Congressional Delegation to cosponsor a new resolution in the 119th Congress 7
107	107	that embraces the goals and provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons 8
108	108	and the Back from the Brink resolution; and be it further 9
109	109
110	110	RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of Maryland urges the U.S. President and 10
111	111	the U.S. Senate to endorse the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; and be it 11
112	112	further 12
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114	114	RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded by the Department of 13
115	115	Legislative Services to the Honorable Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland; the Honorable 14
116	116	William C. Ferguson, IV, President of the Senate of Maryland; the Honorable Adrienne A. 15
117	117	Jones, Speaker of the House of Delegates; and the Maryland Congressional Delegation; and 16
118	118	be it further 17
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120	120	RESOLVED, That certified copies of this Joint Resolution be sent by the Secretary 18
121	121	of State to: the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, 19
122	122	1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20500; the Honorable JD Vance, Vice 20
123	123	President of the United States, President of the United States Senate, Suite S–212, United 21
124	124	States Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable Charles E. Grassley, 22
125	125	President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, 135 Hart Senate Office Building, 23
126	126	Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable John R. Thune, United States Senate Majority 24
127	127	Leader, 511 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable Chuck 25
128	128	Schumer, United States Senate Minority Leader, 322 Hart Senate Office Building, 26
129	129	Washington, D.C. 20510; the Honorable James Michael Johnson, Speaker of the United 27
130	130	States House of Representatives, Suite H–232, United States Capitol Building, 28
131	131	Washington, D.C. 20510; and the Honorable Hakeem Jeffries, United States House of 29
132	132	Representatives Minority Leader, 2433 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 30
133	133	20515. 31
134	134