2018 LEGISLATION

Click here for Complete list of bills sponsored in 2018, from the Maryland General Assembly website.

Delegate Lafferty was the lead sponsor of the following 2018 legislation:

Department of Housing and Community Development - Baltimore Regional Neighborhood Initiative Program - Application Requirement.
Repealing the requirement that an application to the Department of Housing and Community Development for funds under the Baltimore Regional Neighborhood Initiative Program contain a local government resolution of support or letter of support; and providing for the prospective application of the Act.

Community Development Program Act of 2018.
Establishing the Community Development Program in the Department of Housing and Community Development; establishing the Community Development Board in the Department; establishing the Community Development Fund to provide financial assistance to community development projects and community development organizations around the State; requiring the Board to report on the activities of the Fund to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 31 each year; providing for the construction of the Act; etc.

Vehicle Laws - Injury or Death of Vulnerable Road User - Penalties.
Prohibiting a person from causing the serious physical injury or death of a vulnerable road user as a result of the person operating a vehicle in a careless or distracted manner or in violation of certain provisions of the Maryland Vehicle Law; establishing certain penalties for a violation of the Act; defining the term "vulnerable road user"; etc.

Income Tax - Corporate Returns - Disclosure of Settlement Payments to Governmental Units.
Requiring certain corporations to attach to the Maryland income tax return a certain statement identifying certain settlement payments to governmental units under certain circumstances; requiring that certain statements be treated as confidential taxpayer information; requiring the Comptroller to collect and compile certain information and to submit, on or before March 1 each year, a certain annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly; and applying the Act to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2018.

Environment – Sale or Transfer of Home With On–Site Sewage Disposal System – Nitrogen Removal Technology Requirement.
Requiring a homeowner of a certain home located in the State in the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area to ensure the home's on-site sewage disposal system utilizes or will be upgraded to utilize nitrogen removal technology before the home is sold or transferred.

Landlord and Tenant - Prohibited Lease Provisions - Late Fees for Tenants Receiving Government Benefits.
Prohibiting a landlord from including a certain provision in a residential lease that provides for a penalty for the late payment of rent if the tenant receives a government benefit under certain circumstances; and defining the term "government benefit".

On-Site Sewage Disposal Systems - Best Available Technology for Nitrogen Removal - Requirement.
Expanding certain prohibitions on the installation and replacement of certain on-site sewage disposal systems unless the on-site sewage disposal system utilizes certain nitrogen removal technology to apply to certain property on which an on-site sewage disposal system is located or planned within 1,000 feet of a blue-line stream located in the watershed of a nitrogen-impaired body of water; etc.

Transportation - Complete Streets Policy - Adoption.
Requiring certain modal administrations of the Department of Transportation to adopt a complete streets policy that provides information for the implementation of design features that accommodate and facilitate safe and convenient access and mobility to facilities by all users; specifying the requirements of a complete streets policy and recognizing that facilities differ and user needs should be balanced to ensure community enhancement; providing exceptions to certain requirements under certain circumstances; etc.

Maryland Smart Growth Investment Fund.
Requiring the Governor to include in the annual budget bill for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 an appropriation of $3,750,000 for the Maryland Smart Growth Investment Fund; providing that the Governor is not required to include the appropriation in the fiscal year 2020 annual budget bill if on March 1, 2019, the Fund balance is less than $25,000,000 and in the fiscal year 2021 annual budget bill if on July 1, 2019, the Fund balance is less than $25,000,000; etc.

Vehicle Laws - Injury or Death of Vulnerable Individual - Penalties.
careless or distracted manner or in violation of certain provisions of the Maryland Vehicle Law; establishing that a person convicted of a violation of the Act is subject to a fine of up to $2,000 and must appear in court and may not prepay the fine; establishing additional penalties of participation in a motor vehicle safety course and up to 150 hours of community service; etc.

Property Tax - Liability for Payment of Tax on Leased Property.
Providing that a lien that is the result of unpaid property tax of the lessee of certain interests in property of certain governmental entities does attach, under certain circumstances, to certain property; etc.

Assisted Housing Preservation Act - Assisted Projects, Protected Actions, and Duties of the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Applying provisions of the Assisted Housing Preservation Act to an owner of an assisted project that pays or intends to pay in full as of the maturity date certain mortgage financing; applying certain provisions to an owner of an assisted project on the termination or expiration of a certain State subsidy; requiring the Department of Housing and Community Development to convene a meeting by December 31, 2018 of for-profit and nonprofit stakeholders to assist in developing a plan to preserve units in affordable housing; etc.

State Highway Administration - Access to State Highways - Consideration of Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Public Transportation Activity
Requiring a certain person to submit certain information related to pedestrian, bicycle, and public transportation activity to the State Highway Administration when submitting a certain development plan or traffic impact study to the Administration or applying for a permit to access certain State highways.

Environmental Violations - Reporting Requirements.
Requiring certain jurisdictions to report to the Department of the Environment on certain information relating to the number of cases alleging violations of certain laws, regulations, ordinances, and permits on or before January 1 each year; and requiring the Department to report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before March 1 each year.

Land Use - Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreements - Enhanced Public Benefits.
Requiring a development rights and responsibilities agreement to include a description of a certain enhanced public benefit; and defining "enhanced public benefit" as an improvement that benefits the public and exceeds the improvements a person would be required to provide under local planning, zoning, and environmental laws.

On–Site Sewage Disposal Systems – Watershed Implementation Plan and Bay Restoration Fund Disbursements and Financial Assistance.
Authorizing a certain reduction in nitrogen from a certain upgrade to an on-site sewage disposal system to count toward a nitrogen load reduction required in a certain watershed implementation plan under certain circumstances; authorizing a certain reduction in nitrogen from a certain pump out of an on-site sewage disposal system to count toward a nitrogen loan reduction required in a certain watershed implementation plan under certain circumstances; authorizing certain fee revenue to be used for certain homeowners' assistance; etc.

Creation of a State Debt - Baltimore County - Maryland Equine Education Center.
Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $250,000, the proceeds to be used as a grant to the Board of Trustees of Goucher College for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Maryland Equine Education Center, located in Baltimore County; providing for disbursement of the loan proceeds, subject to a requirement that the grantee provide and expend a matching fund; etc.

Election Law - Fund-Raising and Donations in Connection With a Campaign - Prohibition on Firearms.
Prohibiting candidates and certain persons associated with candidates from receiving certain contributions through, conducting fund-raising events using, and soliciting certain contributions through the sale of prohibited firearms; prohibiting candidates and certain persons associated with candidates from giving away or donating prohibited firearms in connection with a campaign; authorizing the State Board of Elections to impose a civil penalty for a violation of the Act by a campaign finance entity; etc.

2017 LEGISLATION

Click here for Complete list of bills sponsored in 2017, from the Maryland General Assembly website.

Delegate Lafferty was the lead sponsor of the following 2017 legislation:

Baltimore County - Elections for Judges of the Orphans' Court - Procedures.
Providing that specified provisions of law govern the nomination and election of judges of the orphans' court in Baltimore County; authorizing a candidate for judge of the orphans' court in Baltimore County to file and appear on primary election ballots; requiring that the three candidates of each principal political party receiving the largest number of votes in the primary election appear on the general election ballot; prohibiting the political affiliation of candidates from being included on the general election ballot; etc.

Home Act of 2017.
Stating that the Act seeks to deconcentrate poverty by providing opportunities for tenants utilizing public subsidies to live in neighborhoods other than the neighborhoods in which they are currently and disproportionately residing; expanding the housing policy of the state to include fair housing regardless of source of income; requiring the owner of an apartment complex to rent or make available 15% of the units to persons receiving housing assistance vouchers; prohibiting specified discrimination based on source of income; etc.

Task Force to Study Bicycle Safety on Maryland Highways.
Establishing the Task Force to Study Bicycle Safety on Maryland Highways; providing for the composition, chair, and staffing of the Task Force; requiring the Task Force to study and make recommendations on specified issues related to bicycle safety on highways in the State; requiring the Task Force to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2017; etc.

Real Property - Residential Foreclosures - Filing Fees.
Increasing, from $300 to $500, the filing fee that must accompany an order to docket or a complaint to foreclose a mortgage or deed of trust on residential property and that is distributed to the Housing Counseling and Foreclosure Mediation Fund.

Housing - Workforce Housing Grant Program - Mandatory Funding.
Requiring the Governor to appropriate at least $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 to the Workforce Housing Fund to be restricted to projects in designated sustainable communities; and adding the Workforce Housing Grant Program to a specified list of programs that are required to give State funding priority to a sustainable community.

Environment - Testing for Lead in Drinking Water - Public and Nonpublic Schools.
Requiring the Department of the Environment, in consultation with the State Department of Education, the Department of General Services, and Maryland Occupational Safety and Health, to adopt regulations, under specified circumstances, to require periodic testing for the presence of lead in drinking water outlets in occupied public or nonpublic school buildings; requiring the Department of the Environment, before adopting regulations, to gather specified information regarding the establishment of lead-free school environments; etc.

Environment - On-Site Sewage Disposal Systems - Best Available Technology for Nitrogen Removal - Prohibition.
Prohibiting a person from installing, or having installed, on property a person owns in the State in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Atlantic Coastal Bays watershed, or the watershed of a nitrogen-impaired body of water, an on-site sewage disposal system to service a newly constructed building, unless the on-site sewage disposal system utilizes specified nitrogen removal technology; and repealing specified obsolete provisions of law.

Economic Development - One Maryland Tax Credit - Expansion.
Expanding the eligibility requirements for the One Maryland Economic Development Tax Credit to include specified qualified businesses that establish or expand a specified business facility that is located in a qualified distressed political subdivision; expanding eligibility for the credit by altering, under specified circumstances, the number of qualified positions that must be created and the eligible activities in which a person may engage at a new or expanded business facility; etc.

Maryland Paint Stewardship Program.
Requiring specified producers or a representative organization to submit a plan for the establishment of a Paint Stewardship Program to the Department of the Environment on or before January 1, 2018, in accordance with specified requirements; requiring the Department to review and approve specified plans, including a specified assessment, submitted in accordance with the Paint Stewardship Program; prohibiting the sale of specified architectural paint after a specified date or 3 months after plan approval; etc.

Creation of a State Debt - Baltimore County - Towson High School Stadium.
Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $30,000, the proceeds to be used as a grant to the Board of Directors of the Towson High School Sports Booster Club, Inc. and the Board of Education of Baltimore County for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of bleachers at the Towson High School Stadium, located in Baltimore County; providing for disbursement of the loan proceeds; etc.

Natural Resources - Roadside Trees - Preservation and Protection.
Authorizing the Department of Natural Resources to allow under a permit for roadside tree care the maintenance or removal of a tree to eliminate a hazard, to enable necessary roadway improvements, and for locally zoned development and land use requirements; prohibiting the Department from authorizing under a permit the maintenance or removal of a roadside tree for specified purposes; requiring an applicant for a permit to remove a roadside tree to demonstrate that a reasonable effort has been made to protect and to preserve the tree; etc.

State Government - Management of Public Buildings - Indoor Air Quality.
Requiring the Secretary of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation, in consultation with the Department of the Environment, to adopt regulations establishing a specified air quality standard and a schedule for specified testing on or before February 1, 2018; requiring the Department of General Services and the Department of Transportation to submit specified air quality reports pertaining to each public building maintained by the respective department; etc..

Residential Leases - Definition of "Rent".
Defining "rent", for premises subject to a residential lease, means the fixed periodic sum for use and possession of the leased premises and does not include any additional payments due from the tenant to the landlord under the lease.

Residential Property - Foreclosure Timelines and Procedures.
Altering requirements for a specified final loss mitigation affidavit; altering the timeline for filing an action to foreclose a mortgage or deed of trust on residential property; requiring a specified notice of intent to foreclose to be accompanied by a loss mitigation application for specific loss mitigation programs that are applicable to a specified loan; requiring an order to docket or a complaint to foreclose a mortgage or deed of trust on residential property to include a specified affidavit; etc.

2016 LEGISLATION

Click here for Complete list of bills sponsored in 2016, from the Maryland General Assembly website.

Delegate Lafferty was the lead sponsor of the following 2016 legislation:

Creation of a State Debt - Baltimore County - Limekilns and Log House Stabilization Project at Cromwell Valley Park.
Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $200,000, the proceeds to be used as a grant to the Board of Directors of the Cromwell Valley Park Council, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, and capital equipping of the Limekilns and Log House at Cromwell Valley Park, located in Baltimore County; providing for disbursement of the loan proceeds, subject to a requirement that the grantee provide and expend a matching fund; etc.

On-Site Sewage Disposal Systems - Operation and Maintenance Costs - Low-Income Homeowners.
Authorizing specified fee revenue collected for the Bay Restoration Fund to be used for financial assistance for specified low-income homeowners for the cost, up to 50%, of an operation and maintenance contract of up to five years for on-site sewage disposal systems that utilize nitrogen removal technology; and requiring the Department or a local government to determine applicant eligibility and the amount of assistance to be provided; etc.

Property Tax - Credits for Property in Neighborhood Conservation Area.
Establishing a property tax credit against the State property tax imposed on specified real property located in a neighborhood conservation area under specified circumstances; establishing the amount of the property tax credit, subject to a specified limitation; and requiring that specified properties be purchased from July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2021, to qualify for a specified county or municipal corporation property tax credit for specified owner-occupied, residential real property in designated areas; etc.

State Government - Pollinator Habitat Plans.
Requiring the Department of Natural Resources, the Maryland Environmental Service, and the State Highway Administration, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, to each establish a specified pollinator habitat plan by July 1, 2017, and to make each plan available to the public on each State agency's web site by September 1, 2017; requiring specified State agencies to report to specified committees of the General Assembly by January 1, 2018, on the implementation of each pollinator habitat plan; etc.

Natural Resources - Roadside Trees - Preservation and Protection.
Authorizing the Department of Natural Resources to issue a permit for roadside tree maintenance or removal only for public health and safety purposes or if the tree is dead or dying; prohibiting the Department from issuing a permit for roadside tree maintenance or removal for aesthetic purposes; requiring a person who removes a roadside tree to replace the roadside tree within 2 months after its removal; requiring the Department to ensure that all required replacement trees are planted; etc.

Corporations and Associations - Limited Liability Companies - Resident Agent and Company Representative.
Requiring a specified limited liability company to have a company representative; requiring the articles of organization, articles of cancellation, and articles of reinstatement of a limited liability company to include the street address of its resident agent and the name and street address of the company representative; applying to a company representative provisions of law relating to a change of a resident agent, a change of address of a resident agent, or a resignation of a resident agent of a limited liability company; etc.

Vehicle Laws - Passing Bicycles, Personal Mobility Devices, or Motor Scooters.
Requiring a driver of a motor vehicle that passes a bicycle, an EPAMD, or a motor scooter at a distance of less than 3 feet in accordance with a specified provision of law to slow to a reasonable and prudent speed that is safe for existing weather, road, and vehicular or pedestrian traffic conditions and does not endanger, impede, or interfere with the bicycle, EPAMD, motor scooter or other traffic; etc.

Land Use Actions - Legislative Bodies - Judicial Review.
Authorizing a specified person who has been aggrieved by a land use decision, who is a taxpayer, or is an officer or unit of a local jurisdiction to file a request for judicial review by a circuit court of a land use action of a legislative body; specifying persons that have standing to bring and maintain a specified action in a circuit court to allow judicial review of a land use action of a legislative body; and applying a provision of law to a charter county and to Baltimore City.

Environment - Paint Stewardship Program.
Requiring specified producers or a representative organization to submit a plan for the establishment of a Paint Stewardship Program to the Department of the Environment on or before April 1, 2017, in accordance with specified requirements; requiring the Department to review and approve specified plans, including a specified assessment; prohibiting the sale of specified architectural paint under specified circumstances beginning October 1, 2017; etc.

Joint Insurance Association - Insurers - Notice.
Requiring insurers that deny, cancel, or nonrenew specified coverage for essential property insurance or homeowner's insurance to provide notice to specified applicants or insureds of the possible availability of insurance coverage through the Joint Insurance Association under a specified provision of law or another plan; providing for the content and manner of providing the notice; and applying the Act.

Residential Property - Foreclosure Sale - Recordation of Instrument of Writing.
Requiring a secured party to record an instrument of writing transferring residential property by the later of 30 days after the entry of a court order ratifying a foreclosure sale of the residential property or 30 days after the entry of a court order resolving a specified motion; providing that no transfer tax may be assessed on a secured party that records an instrument of writing transferring residential property within 20 days after the entry of the court order ratifying the foreclosure sale of the property; etc.

Landlord and Tenant - Water and Wastewater Charges - Billing Systems.
Requiring a landlord to disclose to a prospective tenant the method used to charge tenants for the cost of utilities under specified circumstances; requiring a landlord to provide a tenant with information to document a bill for specified utilities if the landlord uses a ratio utility billing system; authorizing a landlord to recover payment of an arrearage due for specified utilities as rent; and providing for the prospective application of the Act.

Creation of a State Debt - Baltimore County - Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom Memorial.
Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $75,000, the proceeds to be used as a grant to the Board of Directors of the Baltimore County Monument Commission, Inc. and the County Executive and County Council of Baltimore County for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, and capital equipping of the Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom Memorial, located in Baltimore County; etc.

Economic Development - One Maryland Tax Credit - Expansion.
Expanding the eligibility requirements for the One Maryland Economic Development Tax Credit to include specified qualified businesses that establish or expand a specified business facility that is located in a qualified distressed political subdivision; expanding eligibility for the credit by altering, under specified circumstances, the number of qualified positions that must be created and the eligible activities in which a person may engage at a new or expanded business facility; etc.

Creation of a State Debt - Baltimore County - Radebaugh Park.
Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $200,000, the proceeds to be used as a grant to the County Executive and County Council of Baltimore County for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, and capital equipping of Radebaugh Park, located in Baltimore County; providing for disbursement of the loan proceeds, subject to a requirement that the grantee provide and expend a matching fund; etc.

Home Act of 2016.
Stating it is the intent of the General Assembly to deconcentrate poverty by providing additional opportunities for tenants utilizing public subsidies to live in neighborhoods other than the neighborhoods in which those individuals are currently and disproportionately residing; expanding the housing policy of the State regarding the provision of fair housing to include providing for fair housing regardless of source of income; prohibiting specified discriminatory acts based on a person's source of income; etc.

Creation of a State Debt - Baltimore County - Towson Manor Park.
Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $80,000, the proceeds to be used as a grant to the County Executive and County Council of Baltimore County for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, and capital equipping of Towson Manor Park, located in Baltimore County; providing for disbursement of the loan proceeds, subject to a requirement that the grantee provide and expend a matching fund; etc.

Transportation - Highway User Revenue - Restoration.
Increasing the portion of highway user revenue that is distributed to local governments for specified fiscal years; altering the allocation of highway user revenues to Baltimore City and the counties and municipalities for specified fiscal years; stating the intent of the General Assembly that specified projects remain funded; etc.

2015 LEGISLATION

Click here for Complete list of bills sponsored in 2015, from the Maryland General Assembly website.

Delegate Lafferty was the lead sponsor of the following 2015 legislation:

Housing - Community Development Administration - Residential Mortgage Loans.
Authorizing the Community Development Administration to make a residential mortgage loan for the refinancing of a residential mortgage loan under specified circumstances; requiring the Secretary of Housing and Community Development to determine the terms and qualifications for specified financial assistance to a homeowner under specified conditions; etc.

Vehicle Laws - Regulation of Parking - Jurisdiction.
Clarifying that specified State and local entities may regulate the parking of vehicles on highways over which the entity has jurisdiction.

Property Tax - Credits for Property in Neighborhood Conservation Area.
Establishing a property tax credit against the State property tax imposed on specified real property located in a neighborhood conservation area under specified circumstances; establishing the amount of the property tax credit, subject to a specified limitation; and requiring that specified properties be purchased from July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2020, to qualify for a specified county or municipal corporation property tax credit for specified owner-occupied, residential real property in designated areas.

Corporations and Associations - Limited Liability Companies - Company Representative.
Requiring a limited liability company to have a company representative; requiring the articles of organization, articles of cancellation, and articles of reinstatement of a limited liability company to include the name and street address of the company representative; applying to a company representative specified provisions of law relating to a change of a resident agent, a change of address of a resident agent, or a resignation of a resident agent of a limited liability company; etc.

Agriculture - Nutrient Management - Phosphorus Management Tool.
Incorporating by reference specified nutrient management plan requirements in the Maryland Nutrient Management Manual of the Department of Agriculture and any supplements to the Manual; establishing specified content and criteria for a nutrient management plan developed for an agricultural operation; providing that a specified agricultural certification does not prevent the application or enforcement of specified provisions of law; etc.

Vehicle Laws - Passing Bicycles, Personal Mobility Devices, or Motor Scooters.
Requiring that when overtaking a bicycle, an electric personal assistive mobility device (EPAMD), or a motor scooter, the driver of a vehicle is required to pass at a safe speed; and repealing a specified exception to a specified requirement that a driver overtake and pass a bicycle, an EPAMD, or a motor scooter in a specified manner that applies when a highway lacks sufficient width.

Joint Insurance Association - Private Insurers - Notice.
Requiring private insurers that deny, cancel, or nonrenew specified coverage for commercial property insurance or homeowner's insurance to provide notice to specified applicants or insureds of the potential availability of insurance coverage through the Joint Insurance Association under a specified provision or another plan; and providing for the application of the Act to all policies and contracts of commercial property insurance and homeowner's insurance issued, delivered, or renewed in the State on or after October 1, 2015.

Income Tax Credit - Oyster Shell Recycling - Credit Amount.
Increasing from $1 to $2 the amount of a specified credit against the State income tax for each bushel of oyster shells recycled during the taxable year; applying the Act to all taxable years beginning after December 31, 2014; etc.

One Maryland Economic Development Tax Credit - Distressed Municipal Corporations.
Expanding the eligibility requirements for the One Maryland Economic Development Tax Credit to include specified qualified businesses that establish or expand a specified business facility that is located in a distressed municipal corporation; altering a specified definition; and defining "qualified distressed political subdivision."

Land Use - Plans - Development and Adoption.
Authorizing the legislative body of a local jurisdiction to adopt, modify, remand or disapprove a specified plan or part of a plan, a plan for one or more geographic sections or divisions of the local jurisdiction, or an amendment to the plan; authorizing and requiring the legislative body to hold a public hearing before taking specified actions; requiring a planning commission to hold a public hearing before submitting a new recommended plan under specified circumstances; etc.

Education - Student Organizations - Sale of Beverages With Caffeine - Exceptions.
Authorizing a student who is a member of a student organization to sell beverages with caffeine and specified accompaniments on a public school campus under the supervision of a teacher under specified circumstances notwithstanding any federal law or any policy adopted by the State Board of Education relating to nutrition standards for beverages sold in schools.

Recordation and Transfer Taxes - Exemption - Purchase Money Mortgage or Purchase Money Deed of Trust.
Exempting from the recordation tax and State transfer tax a purchase money mortgage or purchase money deed of trust related to a transfer from a certified community development financial institution under specified circumstances; providing for the retroactive application of the Act; and making the Act an emergency measure.

2014 LEGISLATION

Click here for Complete list of bills sponsored in 2014, from the Maryland General Assembly website.

Delegate Lafferty was the lead sponsor of the following 2014 legislation:

Environment - Solid Waste Management Practices - Maryland Recycling and Landfill Diversion Task Force.
Authorizing each county and the Department of the Environment to adopt a specified solid waste management hierarchy; declaring the intent of the General Assembly that the State undertake specified actions relating to recycling and landfill disposal rates; establishing the Maryland Recycling and Landfill Diversion Task Force; requiring the Task Force to determine the statewide recycling goal and a recycling and landfill portfolio standard that will reduce the amount of solid waste being sent to landfills; etc.

Vehicle Laws - Overtaking and Passing Bicycles, Personal Mobility Devices, or Motor Scooters.
Authorizing a driver of a vehicle to drive across the left side of a roadway in a no-passing zone, if it is safe to do so, while overtaking and passing a bicycle, an EPAMD, or a motor scooter; and repealing an exception that applies under specified circumstances to the requirement that a driver of a vehicle, when overtaking a bicycle, an EPAMD, or a motor scooter, pass safely at a specified minimum distance.

Corporations and Associations - Limited Liability Companies - Company Representative.
Requiring a limited liability company to have a company representative; establishing a specified fee for processing a notice of change of name, street address, telephone number, or electronic mail address of a company representative; requiring the articles of organization, articles of cancellation, and articles of reinstatement of a limited liability company to include the name, street address, telephone number, and electronic mail address of the company representative; etc.

Civil Actions - Statute of Limitations for Certain Specialties and Motion for Certain Deficiency Judgments.
Altering the time period, from 12 years to 3 years, within which a civil action on specified specialties shall be filed; authorizing a secured party or any other party in interest, within a specified time period, to file a motion for a deficiency judgment under specified circumstances; requiring the specified party to serve the motion in accordance with the Maryland Rules; and applying the Act prospectively.

Home Act of 2014.
Expanding the housing policy of the State to include providing for fair housing to all citizens regardless of source of income; prohibiting specified discriminatory acts based on a person's source of income; establishing specified qualifications and limitations on the general prohibition against discrimination in housing based on source of income; terminating the Act after September 30, 2019; etc.

Baltimore County - Board of Education - Selection of Members.
Establishing procedures for the election and appointment of the members of the Baltimore County Board of Education; repealing provisions governing the appointment of members of the county board; establishing the composition of the county board; requiring members of the county board to reside in, be a registered voter in, and be elected from specified districts; providing for a student member of the county board; providing for the removal of, and hearings and appeal procedures for, specified members of the county board; etc.

Creation of a State Debt - Baltimore County - Towson High School Stadium.
Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $30,000, the proceeds to be used as a grant to the Board of Directors of the Towson High School Sports Boosters Club, Inc. for specified development or improvement purposes related to the Towson High School Stadium, located in Baltimore County; providing for disbursement of the loan proceeds, subject to a requirement that the grantee provide and expend a matching fund; establishing a deadline for the encumbrance or expenditure of the loan proceeds; etc.

Nonresident Recreational Fishing and Crabbing Licenses - Oyster Restoration Surcharge.
Authorizing the Department of Natural Resources to require a nonresident to pay a surcharge in addition to any license fees imposed under specified laws and regulations for specified recreational fishing and crabbing licenses; requiring the Department to establish the amount of the surcharge by regulation; requiring all surcharges collected under the Act to be credited to the Fisheries Research and Development Fund and used only for oyster restoration activities; etc.

Registration of Pesticides - Fee Increase - Disposition of Fees.
Increasing specified pesticide registration fees from $100 to $110; providing that at least $10 of each annual registration fee and each terminal registration fee collected under § 5-103 of the Agriculture Article may be used only for activities of the Department of Agriculture relating to the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on pesticide use in the State; specifying that money expended from the State Chemist Fund for a specified purpose is supplemental to other specified funding; etc.

2013 LEGISLATION

Click here for Complete list of bills sponsored in 2013, from the Maryland General Assembly website.

Delegate Lafferty was the lead sponsor of the following 2013 legislation:

Housing and Community Development - Neighborhood and Community Assistance Program - Project Proposals.
Increasing from $2,000,000 to $3,500,000 the maximum sum of contributions for specified projects under the Neighborhood and Community Assistance Program that are eligible for a specified tax credit; and authorizing the Department of Housing and Community Development to give preference to a proposal for a specified project that benefits a neighborhood conservation district that is designated in coordination with the Department's Neighborhood and Community Assistance Program.

Criminal Law - Access to Firearms - Penalties.
Prohibiting a person from storing or leaving a loaded or unloaded firearm in a location where specified individuals could gain access to the firearm; and altering the penalty for a violation of the Act.

Income Tax Credit - Oyster Shell Recycling.
Allowing an individual or corporation a $1 credit against the State income tax for each bushel of oyster shells recycled during the taxable year; providing that the credit may not exceed $750 during a taxable year; requiring the Department of Natural Resources and the Comptroller jointly to adopt regulations to authorize businesses, landfills, and nonprofit organizations to verify the amount of oyster shells recycled by each individual or corporation; etc.

Property Tax Credit - Historically and Architecturally Valuable Property.
Increasing, from 10% to 25%, the amount of restoration and preservation expenses for specified historic structures that the governing body of a county or municipal corporation may authorize to be claimed by specified taxpayers as a property tax credit against the county or municipal property tax; applying the Act to taxable years beginning after June 30, 2013; etc.

Creation of a State Debt - Baltimore County - Limekilns and Log House Stabilization Project at Cromwell Valley Park.
Authorizing the creation of a State Debt in the amount of $150,000, the proceeds to be used as a grant to the Board of Directors of the Cromwell Valley Park Council, Inc. for the planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, and capital equipping of the Limekilns and Log House at Cromwell Valley Park, located in Parkville; providing for disbursement of the loan proceeds, subject to a requirement that the grantee provide and expend a matching fund; etc.

Baltimore County - Board of Education - Selection of Members.
Establishing procedures for the election and appointment of the members of the Baltimore County Board of Education; repealing provisions governing the appointment of members of the county board; establishing the composition of the county board; requiring members of the county board to reside in, be a registered voter in, and be elected from specified districts; providing for a student member of the county board; providing for the removal of, and hearings and appeal procedures for, specified members of the county board; etc.

Public Institutions of Higher Education - Tuition Rates - Veterans.
Requiring an honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces to present evidence of continuous residency in the State for a specified amount of time before the date of registration for courses at a public institution of higher education in the State, in order to be exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the public institution of higher education.

Home Act of 2013.
Expanding the housing policy of the State regarding the provision of fair housing to include providing for fair housing regardless of source of income; prohibiting specified discriminatory acts based on a person's source of income; establishing specified qualifications and limitations on the general prohibition against discrimination in housing based on source of income; etc.

Maryland Pesticide Reporting and Information Workgroup.
Establishing the Maryland Pesticide Reporting and Information Workgroup; providing for the composition, cochairs, and staffing of the Workgroup; requiring the Workgroup to study and make recommendations regarding the establishment of a pesticide use database; requiring the Workgroup to make a preliminary report on or before December 31, 2013, and report its final findings and recommendations to committees of the General Assembly on or before July 1, 2014; etc.

Corporations and Associations - Limited Liability Companies - Company Representative.
Requiring a limited liability company to have a company representative; establishing a specified fee for processing a notice of change of name, street address, telephone number, or electronic mail address of a company representative; requiring the articles of organization, articles of cancellation, and articles of reinstatement of a limited liability company to include the name, street address, telephone number, and electronic mail address of the company representative; etc.

Maryland Smart Growth Investment Fund Workgroup.
Requiring the Secretary of Housing and Community Development to convene a specified workgroup to examine creating the Maryland Smart Growth Investment Fund; requiring the workgroup to include specified representatives; etc.

Energy - Landfill Diversion - Municipal Solid Waste Portfolio Standard
Establishing a municipal solid waste portfolio standard; requiring the Department of the Environment to implement and manage a municipal solid waste portfolio standard for each county in the State during specified years; requiring each county to submit a specified report each year to the Department; requiring each county to pay specified compliance fees into the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund under specified circumstances; limiting how the fees paid into the Fund may be used; etc.

2012 LEGISLATION

Click here for Complete list of bills sponsored in 2012, from the Maryland General Assembly website.

Delegate Lafferty was the lead sponsor of the following 2012 legislation:

Environment - Recycling - Apartment Buildings and Condominiums.
Requiring owners or managers of apartment buildings or councils of unit owners of condominiums that contain 10 or more units to provide residents with the opportunity for recycling on or before October 1, 2014; authorizing a county to require an owner or manager of an apartment building or a council of unit owners to report to the county on recycling activities; requiring that the recycling required under the Act be done in accordance with county recycling plans; specifying a civil penalty for a violation of the Act; etc.

Environment - At-Store Recycling - Plastic Carryout Bags .
Requiring the operator of specified stores to establish an at-store recycling program for plastic carryout bags; requiring specified stores to print or display specified language on plastic carryout bags; requiring specified stores to provide collection bins for the recycling of plastic carryout bags; etc.

Creation of a State Debt - Baltimore County - Arrow Child and Family Ministries .
Authorizing the creation of a State Debt not to exceed $154,000, the proceeds to be used as a grant to the Board of Directors of the Arrow Child and Family Ministries of Maryland for the repair and renovation of the Arrow Child and Family Ministries facility, located in Baltimore; provi

ding for disbursement of the loan proceeds, subject to a requirement that the grantee provide and expend a matching fund; establishing a deadline for the encumbrance or expenditure of the loan proceeds; etc.

Housing and Community Development - Neighborhood and Community Assistance Program - Project Proposals .
Increasing from $2,000,000 to $5,000,000 the maximum sum of contributions for specified projects under the Neighborhood and Community Assistance Program that are eligible for a specified tax credit; and authorizing the Department of Housing and Community Development to give preference to a proposal for a specified project that benefits a neighborhood conservation district designated under the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

Community Legacy Program - Sustainable Community Designation - Time Extension .
Extending the date until which existing community legacy areas and designated neighborhoods will be considered sustainable communities for the purposes of the Community Legacy Program; and extending the date by which sponsors of existing community legacy areas and designated neighborhoods are required to file for redesignation as a sustainable community for the purposes of financial assistance under the Program.

On-Site Sewage Disposal System - Nitrogen Removal Technology - Homeowner Funding Assistance.
Repealing the limitation on the period of time during which the Department of the Environment is required to assist specified homeowners by paying a specified cost difference between a conventional on-site sewage disposal system and a system that utilizes nitrogen removal technology.

2011 LEGISLATION

Click here for Complete list of bills sponsored in 2011, from the Maryland General Assembly website.

Delegate Lafferty was the lead sponsor of the following 2011 legislation:

Environment - Recycling - Apartment Buildings and Condominiums.
Requiring owners or managers of apartment buildings or condominiums to provide for recycling for residents on or before October 1, 2015; requiring specified owners or managers to report annually on recycling activities to the county in which the property is located; requiring that the recycling required under the Act be done in accordance with specified recycling plans; providing for a civil penalty for a violation of the Act; providing for disbursement of penalties collected under the Act to specified jurisdictions; etc.

Environment - At-Store Recycling - Plastic Carryout Bags.
Requiring the operator of specified stores to establish an at-store recycling program for plastic carryout bags; requiring specified stores to print or display specified language on plastic carryout bags; requiring specified stores to provide collection bins for the recycling of plastic carryout bags; etc.

Environment - Nitrogen Removal Technology - Evaluation and Ranking.
Requiring the Department of the Environment to evaluate and rank all best available nitrogen removal technologies for on-site sewage disposal systems to advise local governments and citizens of the State of approved technologies that qualify for funding under the Bay Restoration Fund; requiring the Department to make available a specified evaluation and ranking on the Department's Web site; requiring the Department to provide evaluation and ranking information to a county, municipality, or State resident; etc.

2010 LEGISLATION

Click here for Complete list of bills sponsored in 2010, from the Maryland General Assembly website.

Delegate Lafferty was the lead sponsor of the following 2010 legislation:

Real Property - Mobile Home Parks - Plans for Dislocated Residents.
Requiring that a copy of a written notice of termination be sent to the local governing body of a county or municipal corporation if the use of land of a mobile home park is to be changed; applying statewide the provision that, if a mobile home park owner does not submit a plan for alternative arrangements for park residents with an application for a change in the land use of a park or does not comply with an approved plan, the application may not be approved until the owner submits and complies with a plan; requiring a relocation plan; etc.

Baltimore County - Towson Commercial Revitalization District - Alcoholic Beverages Licenses - Restaurants.
Lowering in the Towson Commercial Revitalization District in Baltimore County the minimum amount of capital investment required for specified restaurants for which specified alcoholic beverages licenses may be transferred and new licenses issued; altering the food sales and seating capacity requirements for specified restaurants; and reducing the time to 1 year that an applicant for transfer must wait under specified circumstances.

2009 LEGISLATION

Click here for Complete list of bills sponsored in 2009, from the Maryland General Assembly website.