Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB358 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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		-	Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
6		-	Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
7		-	amendment.
8	5		sb0358
9	6
10	7		SENATE BILL 358
11	8		F5 5lr1702
12		-	CF ~~HB 678~~
	9	+	CF 5lr1959
13	10		By: Senator King
14	11		Introduced and read first time: January 16, 2025
15	12		Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
16		-	Reassigned: Budget and Taxation, January 20, 2025
17		-	Committee Report: Favorable
18		-	Senate action: Adopted
19		-	Read second time: February 7, 2025
20	13
21		-	~~CHAPTER ______~~
	14	+	A BILL ENTITLED
22	15
23	16		AN ACT concerning 1
24	17
25	18		Maryland Deaf Culture Digital Library – Funding and Budget Submission 2
26	19
27	20		FOR the purpose of requiring the Governor to include in the annual budget bill an 3
28	21		appropriation to the Maryland Deaf Culture Digital Library; requiring the Deaf 4
29	22		Culture Digital Library to submit its annual operating budget to the State Library 5
30	23		Agency on or before a certain date each year; and generally relating to the Maryland 6
31	24		Deaf Culture Digital Library. 7
32	25
33	26		BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
34	27		Article – Education 9
35	28		Section 23–109 10
36	29		Annotated Code of Maryland 11
37	30		(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
38	31
39	32		SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
40	33		That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
41	34
42	35		Article – Education 15
43	36
44	37		23–109. 16
45	38
46	39		(a) The State Library Agency shall establish the Deaf Culture Digital Library as 17
47	40		the primary information center on deaf resources for library customers and staff in the 18
48		-	State. 19 2 SENATE BILL 358
	41	+	State. 19
	42	+
	43	+	(b) The Deaf Culture Digital Library shall: 20
	44	+
	45	+	(1) Conduct a needs assessment to identify gaps in library services for deaf 21
	46	+	patrons and to implement strategies to fill the gaps and better coordinate library services 22
	47	+	for the deaf; 23
	48	+	2 SENATE BILL 358
	49	+
	50	+
	51	+	(2) In coordination with the Governor’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of 1
	52	+	Hearing, develop and provide sensitivity training for State and county library staff to help 2
	53	+	them better understand deaf patrons and their needs; 3
	54	+
	55	+	(3) Develop a website that will allow for information sharing and 4
	56	+	coordination between the Deaf Culture Digital Library and county library systems; 5
	57	+
	58	+	(4) In coordination with the State Library Agency, develop deaf–related 6
	59	+	programs and materials and share them with county library systems and other libraries in 7
	60	+	the State; 8
	61	+
	62	+	(5) Develop partnerships and strategic alliances with other entities, 9
	63	+	including: 10
	64	+
	65	+	(i) The Governor’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; 11
	66	+
	67	+	(ii) County library systems; 12
	68	+
	69	+	(iii) The State Library Agency; 13
	70	+
	71	+	(iv) Veterans’ groups; 14
	72	+
	73	+	(v) State and local arts councils; 15
	74	+
	75	+	(vi) Senior citizens organizations; and 16
	76	+
	77	+	(vii) Deaf and hard of hearing organizations, including: 17
	78	+
	79	+	1. The National Association of the Deaf; 18
	80	+
	81	+	2. The Hearing Loss Association of America; and 19
	82	+
	83	+	3. The Maryland Association of the Deaf; 20
	84	+
	85	+	(6) Encourage partnerships and collaborations with information service 21
	86	+	providers to help provide virtual access to information and research; 22
	87	+
	88	+	(7) Form a Deaf Culture Digital Library Advisory Board to provide advice 23
	89	+	on initiatives that further advance the mission and goals of the Deaf Culture Digital 24
	90	+	Library and the majority of whose members are deaf or hard of hearing and selected from 25
	91	+	the following entities: 26
	92	+
	93	+	(i) County library systems; 27
	94	+
	95	+	(ii) The State Library Agency; 28
	96	+
	97	+	(iii) The Governor’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; 29 SENATE BILL 358 3
49	98
50	99
51	100
52		-	(b) ~~The~~ Deaf ~~Culture Digital Library shall:~~ 1
	101	+	(iv) Statewide deaf and hard of hearing organizations; and 1
53	102
54		-	(1) Conduct a needs assessment to identify gaps in library services for deaf 2
55		-	patrons and to implement strategies to fill the gaps and better coordinate library services 3
56		-	for the deaf; 4
	103	+	(v) Other organizations as agreed on by the Governor’s Office of the 2
	104	+	Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the State Library Agency; and 3
57	105
58		-	(2) ~~In coordination with the Governor’s Office~~ of the ~~Deaf and Hard of 5~~
59		-	~~Hearing~~, ~~develop~~ and ~~provide sensitivity training for State and county library staff~~ to ~~help 6~~
60		-	~~them better understand~~ deaf ~~patrons and their needs;~~ 7
	106	+	(8) Establish a Deaf Culture Digital Library “Friends of the Library” group 4
	107	+	composed of individuals who are strongly committed, well–positioned, and able to promote 5
	108	+	community involvement, advocacy, and funding for the Deaf Culture Digital Library. 6
61	109
62		-	(3) ~~Develop a website that will allow for information sharing and 8~~
63		-	~~coordination between the Deaf Culture Digital~~ Library ~~and county library systems; 9~~
	110	+	(c) The lead employee or coordinator who manages the Deaf Culture Digital 7
	111	+	Library shall be: 8
64	112
65		-	(4) In coordination with the State Library Agency, develop deaf–related 10
66		-	programs and materials and share them with county library systems and other libraries in 11
67		-	the State; 12
	113	+	(1) A deaf or hard of hearing individual; and 9
68	114
69		-	(5) ~~Develop partnerships~~ and ~~strategic alliances with other entities,~~ 13
70		-	~~including: 14~~
	115	+	(2) Knowledgeable and experienced concerning issues affecting deaf and 10
	116	+	hard of hearing individuals. 11
71	117
72		-	(i) The Governor’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; 15
	118	+	(D) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , THE 12
	119	+	GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN APPROPRIA TION OF 13
	120	+	$450,000 TO THE DEAF CULTURE DIGITAL LIBRARY. 14
73	121
74		-	(ii) County library systems; 16
	122	+	(E) THE DEAF CULTURE DIGITAL LIBRARY SHALL SUBMIT ITS ANNUAL 15
	123	+	OPERATING BUDGET TO THE STATE LIBRARY AGENCY ON OR BEFORE JUNE 1 EACH 16
	124	+	YEAR. 17
75	125
76		-	(iii) The State Library Agency; 17
77		-
78		-	(iv) Veterans’ groups; 18
79		-
80		-	(v) State and local arts councils; 19
81		-
82		-	(vi) Senior citizens organizations; and 20
83		-
84		-	(vii) Deaf and hard of hearing organizations, including: 21
85		-
86		-	1. The National Association of the Deaf; 22
87		-
88		-	2. The Hearing Loss Association of America; and 23
89		-
90		-	3. The Maryland Association of the Deaf; 24
91		-
92		-	(6) Encourage partnerships and collaborations with information service 25
93		-	providers to help provide virtual access to information and research; 26
94		-
95		-	(7) Form a Deaf Culture Digital Library Advisory Board to provide advice 27
96		-	on initiatives that further advance the mission and goals of the Deaf Culture Digital 28 SENATE BILL 358 3
97		-
98		-
99		-	Library and the majority of whose members are deaf or hard of hearing and selected from 1
100		-	the following entities: 2
101		-
102		-	(i) County library systems; 3
103		-
104		-	(ii) The State Library Agency; 4
105		-
106		-	(iii) The Governor’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; 5
107		-
108		-	(iv) Statewide deaf and hard of hearing organizations; and 6
109		-
110		-	(v) Other organizations as agreed on by the Governor’s Office of the 7
111		-	Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the State Library Agency; and 8
112		-
113		-	(8) Establish a Deaf Culture Digital Library “Friends of the Library” group 9
114		-	composed of individuals who are strongly committed, well–positioned, and able to promote 10
115		-	community involvement, advocacy, and funding for the Deaf Culture Digital Library. 11
116		-
117		-	(c) The lead employee or coordinator who manages the Deaf Culture Digital 12
118		-	Library shall be: 13
119		-
120		-	(1) A deaf or hard of hearing individual; and 14
121		-
122		-	(2) Knowledgeable and experienced concerning issues affecting deaf and 15
123		-	hard of hearing individuals. 16
124		-
125		-	(D) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , THE 17
126		-	GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN APPROPRIA TION OF 18
127		-	$450,000 TO THE DEAF CULTURE DIGITAL LIBRARY. 19
128		-
129		-	(E) THE DEAF CULTURE DIGITAL LIBRARY SHALL SUBMIT ITS ANNUAL 20
130		-	OPERATING BUDGET TO THE STATE LIBRARY AGENCY ON OR BEFORE JUNE 1 EACH 21
131		-	YEAR. 22
132		-
133		-	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 23
134		-	1, 2025. 24
	126	+	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 18
	127	+	1, 2025. 19
135	128