The Howard County Delegation to Annapolis released a press notification this afternoon about the upcoming “testimony from the public on drafted local bills” on November 19th. Holy cow are there a lot of thing related to the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS). Here is what they released in the press announcement this afternoon:

Public Notice For Hearing on Local Bills

The Howard County Delegation of the Maryland General Assembly, chaired by Senator Clarence Lam and Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary, will hear testimony from the public on drafted local bills. No testimony on other issues will be permitted as a second hearing devoted to statewide bills will be scheduled.

Any individual may testify for up to 3 minutes, as long as they are signed up. Signup will begin at 6:00pm outside the Banneker Room and will close at 6:50pm. Advance sign up is not available. The Delegation encourages you to bring written copies of your testimony (preferably 15) to distribute to us, though it is not a requirement to speak. Please be aware that the Delegation Chairs can change the format of the meeting at their discretion. The hearing is scheduled as follows:

Tuesday, November 19, 2019 – 7:00 p.m.

Banneker Room, George Howard Building

3430 Courthouse Drive, Ellicott City, MD

The 2020 legislative session will begin on January 8, 2020

There will also be briefings to the Delegation by various interest groups before the hearing from 6:00pm – 7:00pm in the Banneker Room. These briefings will be open to the public.

(Home>About HoCo>State Delegation>2020 Session Proposed Local Legislation): . Please monitor this page regularly for the most recent updates. This list of proposed legislation and the order of presentation at the public hearing is subject to change as determined by the Delegation Chairs. Short descriptions of the local bills and a list of bond initiative requests are included below. Full text of the proposed Howard County bills can be accessed, as they become available from Bill Drafting, beginning Friday, November 8, 2019, at 6:00pm on the Howard County website https://www.howardcountymd.gov/About-HoCo/State-Delegation/2020-Session-Proposed-Local-Legislation . Please monitor this page regularly for the most recent updates. This list of proposed legislation and the order of presentation at the public hearing is subject to change as determined by the Delegation Chairs. Short descriptions of the local bills and a list of bond initiative requests are included below.

Bond Initiative Requests

Howard County Community Ecology Center, Ho. Co. 3-20

By: Howard County Delegation

Howard County Historic Carriage House Renovation, Ho. Co. 7-20

By: Howard County Delegation

Howard County 2nd Ellicott Quaker Schoolhouse, Ho. Co. 8-20

By: Howard County Delegation

Howard County Veterans Monument, Ho. Co. 10-20

By: Howard County Delegation Howard County The Arc of Howard County Roof Restoration, Ho. Co. 14-20

By: Howard County Delegation Howard County Winter Growth Generator, Ho. Co. 21-20

By: Howard County Delegation Howard County Ellicott City Sidewalks and Streetscapes, Ho. Co. 27-20

By: Howard County Delegation

Howard County Butterfly Building Design, Ho. Co. 28-20

By: Howard County Delegation Howard County Dairy Shrine, Ho. Co. 31-20

By: Howard County Delegation Howard County Living in Recovery Expansion, Ho. Co. 33-20

By: Howard County Delegation

Howard County Residential Sprinkler System, Ho. Co. 34-20

By: Howard County Delegation

Howard County Long Reach Head Start Center, Ho. Co. 35-20

By: Howard County Delegation

Howard County Maryland University of Integrative Health, Ho. Co. 36-20

By: Howard County Delegation

Howard County Enhancing Developmental Disability Services by Remodeling Gerwig, Ho. Co. 37-20

By: Howard County Delegation

Proposed Local Bills

Howard County – Board of Education – Redetermination of Geographic Attendance Areas, Ho. Co. 1-20

By : Senator Lam



FOR the purpose of requiring the Howard County Board of Education to annually calculate the program capacity of certain schools on or before a certain date; requiring the county board, if the student enrollment at the school is less than or greater than a certain percentage of utilization of the program capacity for that type of school, to either redetermine the geographic attendance area of a school on or before a certain date or to submit a certain report to the General Assembly and the Howard County Delegation to the General Assembly on or before a certain date; defining certain terms; and generally relating to the redetermination of geographic attendance areas of permanent school facilities in Howard County.

Howard County – Residential Property and New Home Construction Advertisements – School District Information, Ho. Co. 2-20

By: Delegate Ebersole



FOR the purpose of providing for the purpose of certain provisions of law; prohibiting a certain real estate broker, associate real estate broker, or real estate salesperson from including the name of a certain school district in an advertisement for the sale or rental of certain residential property in Howard County; providing that certain provisions of law do not prohibit a certain real estate broker, associate real estate broker, or real estate salesperson from including the name of a certain school district in a certain written communication; requiring the State Real Estate Commission to enforce certain provisions of law; prohibiting a registered home builder or a registered home builder sales representative from including the name of a certain school district in a certain advertisement for the construction of a new home in Howard County; providing that certain provisions of law do not prohibit including the name of a certain school district in a certain written communication; requiring the Home Builder and Home Builder Sales Representative Registration Unit to enforce certain provisions of law; defining a certain term; and generally relating to school district information in advertisements for residential property and new homes in Howard County.

Howard County – School District Boundary Changes and Sales of Residential Real Property – Notices, Ho. Co. 4-20

By: Senator Lam



FOR the purpose of requiring a contract for the sale of single family residential real property in Howard County to contain a certain notice concerning school district boundary changes; authorizing a purchaser to rescind a certain contract within a certain period of time after receipt of a certain notice; entitling a purchaser to the return of certain deposits under certain circumstances; providing for the application of certain provisions of this Act; and generally relating to notices of school district boundary changes in Howard County.



Howard County – Board of Education Budget – Equity Category, Ho. Co. 5-20

By: Senator Guzzone, Delegate Feldmark

Legislation still in Bill Drafting.



Howard County – Board of Education – Reporting on Demographics and Reduction of Academic Disparities, Ho. Co. 6-20

By: Delegate Hill



FOR the purpose of requiring the Howard County Board of Education, on or before a certain date each year, to submit a report to the Howard County Delegation to the General Assembly detailing certain demographic information on the students in each public school in the county; requiring the report, beginning with a report submitted on or before a certain date and every 2 years thereafter, to include recommendations on how the Howard County Delegation and the General Assembly could assist the county board in certain efforts to reduce academic disparities in public schools in the county and a description of certain actions taken and plans to reduce academic disparities in public schools in the county; and generally relating to reporting by the Howard County Board of Education.

Howard County – Affordable Housing, Ho. Co. 11-20

By: Delegate Atterbeary Legislation still in Bill Drafting.

Howard County – Public School Program Capacity – School Board and Planning Commission, Ho. Co. 13-20

By: Delegate Atterbeary



FOR the purpose of requiring the Howard County Board of Education, beginning in a certain school year, to annually calculate the program capacity of each public primary and secondary school in the county and to prohibit a public primary or secondary school in the county from enrolling a number of students that is greater than a certain percentage of the school’s program capacity; authorizing the county planning commission in Howard County to reject a certain real estate project if a certain school in a certain area is projected to have student enrollment greater than a certain percentage of the school’s program capacity after the project is complete; defining a certain term; and generally relating to public school program capacity in Howard County.

Howard County – Ethics – Limit on Developer Contributions, Ho. Co. 15-20

By: Delegate Miller



FOR the purpose of repealing existing provisions of law related to developer contributions in Howard County; prohibiting an applicant or applicant’s agent from making a payment to a member of the Howard County Council, the Howard County Executive, or a slate that includes a member of the County Council or the County Executive during the pendency of a certain application; prohibiting a member of the Howard County Council from voting or participating in a proceeding on a certain application if certain payments were received during a certain period; requiring an applicant to file an affidavit disclosing certain information related to payments involving a member of the County Council; requiring an agent of an applicant to file an affidavit under certain circumstances; repealing certain definitions; and generally relating to public ethics and Howard County. Howard County – Alcoholic Beverages – Class D Beer, Wine, and Liquor Licenses, Ho. Co. 18-20 By: Senator Lam



FOR the purpose of altering, in Howard County, certain attestations required for the issuance and renewal of certain Class D beer, wine, and liquor licenses; and generally relating to alcoholic beverages in Howard County.



Howard County – Education – Report on Deferred Maintenance, Ho. Co. 19-20

By: Delegate Atterbeary



FOR the purpose of authorizing the County Council of Howard County to impose a certain excise tax; requiring the County Council of Howard County to specify the types of buildings subject to a certain excise tax; authorizing the County Council of Howard County to impose different tax rates on certain construction; requiring the excise tax to be deposited into a certain fund to be used only for a certain purpose; requiring the Howard County Board of Education to submit a certain report on or before a certain date to the County Council of Howard County, the Howard County Executive, and members of the Howard County Delegation to the General Assembly; requiring the County Council of Howard County and the Howard County Executive to submit a certain report on or before a certain date to the Howard County Delegation to the General Assembly addressing certain recommendations made by the Howard County Board of Education; providing for the termination of certain provisions of this Act; and generally relating to deferred maintenance in the Howard County Public School System.



Income Tax – Subtraction Modification – Rental Subsidy Under the Howard County “Live Where You Work Program”, Ho. Co. 20-20

By: Senator Lam FOR the purpose of allowing a subtraction modification under the Maryland income tax for the value of a subsidy for rental expenses received by a resident of Howard County under a certain program of the Downtown Columbia Plan; providing for the application of this Act; and generally relating to a subtraction under the Maryland income tax for the value of certain rental subsidies.

Howard County – Public Campaign Financing – Board of Education, Ho. Co. 22-20

By: Senator Lam



FOR the purpose of authorizing the governing body of Howard County to establish, by law, a system of public campaign financing for elected members of the county board of education; making conforming changes; making a technical correction; and generally relating to public campaign financing in Howard County.



Howard County – Public Schools – Reporting of Student Data, Ho. Co. 23-20

By: Delegate Feldmark



FOR the purpose of requiring each public school in Howard County, on or before a certain date and each year thereafter, to submit a certain report to the Howard County Board of Education providing certain student data; requiring that a certain report present certain data in a certain manner; requiring the county board, on or before a certain date and each year thereafter, to submit a certain report to the State Board of Education, the Howard County Executive, the Howard County Council, and the Howard County Delegation to the General Assembly; and generally relating to reporting student data from public schools in Howard County.



Howard County – Transfer Tax – Rate Increase Authorization, Ho. Co. 26-20

By: Delegate Feldmark



Legislation still in Bill Drafting.



Howard County Alcoholic Beverages – On-Premises Consumption Waiver, Ho. Co. 30-20

By: Senator Lam



FOR the purpose of allowing the Board of License Commissioners for Howard County to waive certain prohibitions pertaining to the consumption of alcoholic beverages in public and the possession of open containers within the Historic District of Ellicott City; requiring that an applicant apply to the Board for the waiver; permitting the Board to adopt regulations to carry out the waiver and application thereof; establishing a fee for a certain application; and generally relating to alcoholic beverages in Howard County.

Howard County – Alcoholic Beverages – Alcoholic Beverages Inspectors, Ho. Co. 32-20

By: Senator Lam



FOR the purpose of permitting certain citations in Howard County to be served by the inspector employed by the Board of License Commissioners; authorizing a certain alcoholic beverages inspector to issue a citation in the County; requiring the inspector to complete a training program in the use of arrest authority and pertinent police procedures; prohibiting an inspector in the County from carrying a firearm in the performance of the inspector’s duties; and generally relating to alcoholic beverages in Howard County.

Howard County – Alcoholic Beverages Licenses – Limit to Number of Licenses Per District, Ho. Co. 38-20

By: Senator Guzzone



Legislation still in Bill Drafting.

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Holy cow the number of bills related to HCPSS. I am starting to wonder why we elect members to the Howard County Board of Education? Apparently the State Delegation is going to try and take over this system (that is what the number of bills coming forward this year tells me).

Maybe I am looking at it the wrong way. If so…let me know why?

Not sure of my plans that evening…but dang I want to show up and hear what is said…because it could have a significant impact on our county in the future.

I have a lot more comments on the bills listed above (not related to HCPSS)…but my initial thoughts were all about the number of bills related to HCPSS. I now wonder how many Howard County Board of Education members will show up for this session? I would expect many at this point…but maybe not…this is their wheelhouse…but they are also consumed with redistricting…so not sure right now.

Have thoughts…let me know in the comments.

Scott E