M C E A

Bills of Interest to State Employees

For a synopsis of the bill, click on the bill number to access the Maryland General Assembly web site at http://mlis.state.md.us. Then, to review the bill's language, click on the underlined bill number at the top of the new page. Bills that passed the General Assembly and were not vetoed by the Governor will go into effect on their effective date.

| Pension Bills | Personnel Bills | Legislative Resources |

Key 2007 Legislation (as of April 10, 2007)

MCEA has listed key bills impacting State and other public employees. To follow the progress of the bills, the assigned committee, and hearing date, click on the bill number to access the Maryland General Assembly web site at http://mlis.state.md.us. Then, to review the bill's language, click on the bill number at the top of the new page.

Pension and Retirement (as of April 10, 2007)

Passed General Assembly

HB 311/SB 243, Transfer of Service Credit.
HB 432, IIU/LEOPS. Permits Internal Investigative Unit Investigators to become members of the Law Enforcement Officers Pension System.
HB 1249, CORS-Pretrial Detention and Patuxent. Exempts retirees of CORS from benefit reductions if they are reemployed for less than four years on a contractual basis as Correctional Officers with the Pretrial Detention Services or Patuxent Institution.
HB 1406 / SB 304, Military Service. Requires military service credit granted to members of the retirement and pension system for military service that interrupts members be applied to their retirement allowances at the accrual rate in effect at the time of their retiremen.
SB 515, System Changes. Allows members of the State Retirement and Pension System to purchase service credit for leaves of absence within 60 days of the expiration of the leave of absence; eliminates pro-rated payments of optional retirement allowances to retirees whose beneficiaries predecease them; provides that appointed and elected officials who are already members of a State or local retirement or pension system are not required to join the Employees' Pension System; etc.
SB 583, Governmental Units. Requires participating governmental units who elect to participate in the alternate contributory pension selection to pay the liabilities associated with the alternate contributory pension selection for specified employees; clarifies that membership in the Employees' Pension System or the Teachers' Pension System ends under circumstances; etc.

Dead Bills

HB 170, Military Service. Reduces the number of years of creditable service from 10 to five years that a member of the State Retirement and Pension System is required to accrue in order to be eligible to receive military service credit. Heard Feb. 6, Appropriations.
HB 218 . Repeals certain limitations for State Retirement and Pension System members and former members to receive military credit. HB 218 unfavorable report, Appropriations. Companion SB 381 heard March 8, Budget and Taxation.
HB 402, Case Managers/CORS. Adds Correctional Case Managers to the 20-year Correctional Officers Retirement System (CORS). Appropriations, unfavorable report.
HB 467, CORS Disability. Exempts retirees of CORS from certain earnings limitations and re-employment restrictions. Passed House, heard Budget and Taxation March 30.
HB 453, CORS Formula. Changes the formula for calculating a service retirement allows of members of CORS to the sum of 1.8 percent of the member's average final compensation multiplied by the number of creditable service the member accrued at a rank equal to or lower than Sergeant, and 2.5 percent of the member's average final compensation multiplied by the number of years of creditable service the member accrued at a rank equal to or higher than Lieutenant. Appropriations, unfavorable report.
HB 831/SB 493, P&P/CORS. Makes Parole and Probation Agents and Field Supervisors eligible to join CORS. HB 831 Appropriations, unfavorable report. SB 493 unfavorable report, Budget and Taxation.
HB 835/ SB 470, MTA Pension. Provides that members of the Employees' Retirement System and the State Contributory Employees' Pension System may transfer service credit to the Maryland Transit Authority Pension Plan. HB 835 and SB 470 unfavorable reports.
HB 955, Service Credit. Provides that members of the Employees' Pension System may purchase service credit at any time prior to retirement on an installment basis. HB 955 unfavorable report, Appropriations. SB 334 heard March 22, Budget and Taxation.
HB 911/SB 665, CORS Formula. Changes for the formula for the Correctional Officers Retirement System. Unfavorable reports.
HB 984, DROP. Establishes a Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) for members of CORS. Appropriations, unfavorable report.
HB 1280, Retirees COLA. Increases retirees' COLA to 6 percent. Appropriations, unfavorable report.
SB 334, Service Credit. Provides that members of the Employees' Pension System may purchase service credit at any time prior to retirement on an installment basis. SB 334 heard March 22, Budget and Taxation. Companion HB 955 unfavorable report, Appropriations.
SB 336, CORS-Laundry Officers. Moves Correctional Laundry Officers into CORS. Unfavorable report, Budget and Taxation.
SB 345, DROP/CORS. Establishes a DROP program members of CORS who have at least 25 years of eligible service. Unfavorable report, Budget and Taxation.
SB 381. Repeals certain limitations for State Retirement and Pension System members and former members to receive military credit. SB 381 heard March 8, Budget and Taxation. Companion HB 218 unfavorable report, Appropriations.
SB 574/ HB 840, CORS. Permits Correctional Laundry Officers, and certain employees of the Maryland Correctional Enterprise, formerly State Use Industries (MCE Officer, Officer Trainee, Plant Supervisor, Plant Manager and Regional Manager). Unfavorable reports.
SB 652, Death Benefits. Provides that surviving spouses or children who are under 18 years old of deceased retirees of the Correctional Officers' Retirement System are eligible to receive a specified death benefit; and alters the formula for computing the retirement allowance of CORS members. Unfavorable report, Budget and Taxation.

Personnel (as of April 10, 2007)

Passed the General Assembly

HB 162/SB 2, At-Will Employment. Requires the Secretary of Budget and Management to designate positions in State government as special appointment positions; requires the Secretary to provide information on special appointments; provides that personnel actions regarding special appointments be made under specified circumstances; extends current provisions to require certain appointees to be given a written job description and an annual performance evaluation; etc.
HB 970, Rosewood Center. Requires the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to develop a plan for Rosewood Hospital Center residents of services that are appropriate for their needs and make recommendations on state employees. The original version requested a transition plan due to the proposed closure of Rosewood..
HB 971/ SB 572 Collective Bargaining, University Employee Contact Information. Requires the University System of Maryland system institutions, Morgan State University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, and Baltimore City Community College provide to the exclusive representatives the names, home and work phone numbers, and home and work address of employees.
HB 1207, Sexual Contact. Prohibits sexual contact with inmates and clients in juvenile facilities.
SB 69, Task Force to Study Prison Violence. At the sponsorship of Del. Christopher Shank, the bill was amended to include a representative from MCEA on the panel.

Dead Bills

HB 52, Sheriffs (MCEA bill). Increases the number of assistant sheriffs, deputy sheriff majors, deputy sheriff captains, deputy sheriff lieutenants, deputy sheriff sergeants, and deputy sheriffs that the Baltimore City Sheriff is authorized to appoint. Heard Feb. 6, Environmental Matters.
HB 129/SB 311, Service Fees. Allows bargaining agents to negotiate service fees. HB 129 heard Feb. 6, SB 311 no hearing scheduled.
HB 586, Contractual Health Benefits. Requires the Department of Budget and Management to include contractual employees as those categories of state employees to receive health benefits. Appropriations, unfavorable report.
HB 766, Whistleblower Protection. Prohibits an agent of a supervisor, appointing authority, or head of a principal unit from taking, threatening to take, or refusing to take personnel actions against an employee who takes actions; provides that a violation of provisions is a misdemeanor; establishes a penalty; prohibits specified actions from being taken against an employee; authorizes an employee to provide a copy of complaints or grievances to any person after a certain time; etc. Unfavorable report, Appropriations.
HB 799/SB 621, Youth Mentoring. Allows qualified state employees up to eight hours of compensatory time per month to mentor youth under a bona fide mentoring program. Heard SB 621 March 1, Finance.
SB 48, Medical Certification. Authorizes a medical technician who performed a test at the request of a medical doctor to sign the certificate of illness or disability. Heard Jan. 31, Finance.
SB 659, Sheriffs, Personnel and Salaries (MCEA bills). Heard Feb. 14 Judicial Proceedings. Withdrawn.
SB 722, Sheriffs, Compensation. Sets minimum salaries for Baltimore City Sheriffs to the equivalent of a Baltimore City Police Officer. Passed Senate third reading. Assigned to House Rules.

To keep abreast of legislative action (hearing dates, new bills, votes, etc.), visit the Maryland General Assembly's Web site at http://mlis.state.md.us or MCEA's Web site at www.mcea.org.