Tax Assessments, Driver’s Licenses, Ag Centers, HAZMAT Benefits; Focus of Latest Legislative Wave

The entirety of Harford County’s delegation to the Maryland General Assembly has signed on to co-sponsor a bill aimed at reviewing state property tax assessment procedures, the assessment appeals process, and producing a report on those findings by 2011.

House Bill 204, which is sponsored by Del. Wayne Norman and co-sponsored by the remainder of the Harford delegation – Dels. Rick Impallaria, Mary-Dulany James, J.B. Jennings, Susan McComas, Pat McDonough, Dan Riley, and Donna Stifler, would establish “a Task Force to Review Property Tax Assessment Procedure and the Assessment Appeals Process; establishing the composition of the Task Force; requiring the Governor to designate the chair of the Task Force; providing for the staffing for the Task Force; prohibiting a member of the Task Force from receiving specified compensation; requiring that the Task Force issue a report by January 1, 2011; and providing for the termination of the Act.”

Another bill sponsored by Norman, and co-sponsored by a host of delegates including all of Harford’s representatives – except Impallaria – would provide for the renewal of driver’s licenses for non-Marylanders who work for the Armed Forces.

House Bill 201 would require the Motor Vehicle Administration to “renew the driver’s license of an individual who does not have a Maryland residence address if the individual provides documentation acceptable to the Administration indicating that the individual resides outside the United States and is, or is the spouse or dependent of, a contractor who performs work for the armed forces of the United States and if the individual meets specified other requirements.”
Sen. Barry Glassman has sponsored legislation that would allow counties to create “agricultural exposition centers” on land bought through Program Open Space.

Senate Bill 233, which is co-sponsored by Sens. Andy Harris and Nancy Jacobs, authorizes “each subdivision to construct and operate an agricultural exposition center on land that was acquired by the subdivision with Program Open Space funding; and authorizing the sale of specified agricultural products at each agricultural exposition center.”

The agricultural exposition center legislation has been cross-filed by Del. James in the House of Delegates as Bill 220.

Glassman has also introduced a pair of unrelated bills which would provide death benefit and funeral expenses for local HAZMAT responders and prohibit the sale of “novelty lighters.”

Senate Bill 247 would provide that “individuals employed as hazardous material response team employees for local government agencies are eligible for death benefits and funeral expenses under specified circumstances; and authorizing local government agencies that employ a hazardous material response team employee to place in reserve each fiscal year the amount needed to pay for one death benefit and funeral benefit for a hazardous material response team employee per year if a death benefit or funeral benefit is to be paid.

Senate Bill 226 would prohibit a person from “selling at retail, offering for sale at retail, or distributing for retail sale in the State a novelty lighter; establishing a penalty for a violation of the Act; providing for the application of the Act; and defining the term ‘novelty lighter’.”