Latest news with #HouseBill930
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Shift change on the second floor, an abortion bill advances and chromite is ready for its closeup
Gov. Wes Moore (D) and Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller pose with newly sworn in Cabinet members, administration officials and their families after a Wednesday event at the State House. (Photo by Christine Condon/Maryland Matters) Some have already started in an acting capacity, some have yet to get the keys to the new office, but they all gathered Wednesday on the second floor of the State House where Gov. Wes Moore (D) made it official, swearing in two new Cabinet-level secretaries and seven office leaders. The nominees had to be confirmed by the Senate before they could be sworn in. The Cabinet secretaries got the full deal — one hand in the air and one on a Bible, before signing an official book. The others got their own handshake and photo op with the governor. New Cabinet officials included Commerce Secretary Harry Coker Jr. and Dr. Meena Seshamani, the next secretary of Health who starts Tuesday. Others included new Maryland Cannabis Administration Director Tabatha Robinson, Maryland Insurance Administrator Marie Grant, Correctional Ombudsman Yvonne Briley-Wilson, Katrina Wiggins as administrator of the Property Tax Assessment Appeals Boards and Shelly Martin as inspector general of Health. Also sworn in was new Appointments Secretary Mollie Byron, who is taking over from Tisha Edwards, who was Wednesday's ringleader, one of her last jobs in the office. During the ceremony, Moore commended his administration's newest officials for serving the state as it navigates 'multiple storms at once.' Those 'storms' include 'a business model in the state of Maryland that needed updating' and 'knowing that the relationship between the federal government and its states has been ruptured,' Moore said. Moore got a laugh in his opening remarks when he said that Robinson, the new Maryland Cannabis Administration director, would 'light up' Maryland. 'No pun intended,' Moore said with a laugh, apologizing to his communications staff. 'That wasn't even in my notes.' Legislation to create new grants to fund abortion services, using untapped funds from insurance surcharges, has now won approval from both chambers and is well on its way to becoming Maryland law. The Senate approved House Bill 930, sponsored by Del. Lesley Lopez (D-Montgomery), on a largely party-line 31-15 vote Wednesday. It was unchanged from the verion the House passed 98-37 in March, meaning the bill is now off to Gov. Wes Moore's (D) desk, where he is expected to sign it given his history of support for reproductive rights. HB930 would give the state Department of Health access to about $25 million in funds that were collected as part of the federal Affordable Care Act, but have not been spent down. The money comes from $1-a-month fee that insurers in the ACA marketplace are required to collect on every policy, to fund abortion services for their policyholders. Before approving the legislation, Democratic senators shot down an amendment from Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll) to restrict the use of those funds for Maryland residents only — an amendment he previously offered on the Senate version of the bill, which was rejected. 'This has nothing to do with the legality of abortion, the access to abortion for anyone in Maryland,' Ready said. 'It just says we're going to prioritize these Maryland ratepayer dollars for Maryland women.' Sen. Dawn Gile (D-Anne Arundel), who led floor discussion on the bill, said that the uptick from out-of-state patients seeking abortion in the state was one of the leading reasons to support the legislation and those patients should not be cut out of the bill by Ready's amendment. 'Our health care infrastructure here is under distress. We have lots of people here from out of state, it's very important that individuals have access to these funds,' she said. 'This is about basic access to health, using funds that are available, that are sitting in these accounts.' The Senate version, Senate Bill 848, is identical and has already received both House and Senate approval, so it also awaits the Governor's consideration.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
GOP attempt to derail abortion-funding bill falls short after emotional debate
Del. Lesley Lopez (D-Montgomery), in the House chamber Thursday, defended her bill to create a fund to help pay for abortion services for uninsured and underinsured women. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters) Lawmakers on both sides of the abortion debate shared personal and emotional stories Thursday, with one holding back tears at one point, in a failed Republican attempt to derail a bill that would make millions available to help pay for the procedure. The House ultimately voted 98-37 along party lines Thursday night to approve House Bill 930, but not before 40 minutes of debate during a House session earlier in the day when Republicans tried to put up a variety of amendments. The debate, at times, got personal. Del. Tiffany T. Alston, (D-Prince George's County), said the state should stay out of decisions about an abortion, which 'should be made between a doctor and a patient.' 'As someone who has had a transvaginal ultrasound and had an ectopic pregnancy, you do not get those sounds out of your head,' Alston said. 'It was a medical emergency – and it is not the government's business about what happens with my body, when I am meeting with my doctor. We should not be legislating this stuff.' On the other side, Del. April Rose (R-Frederick and Carroll) told the story of a niece who was encouraged to end her pregnancy due to presumed medical issues of the fetus. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE 'My niece had a transvaginal ultrasound. Her baby was the size, actually smaller, than this bottle,' she said, holding up a standard-sized disposable water bottle. 'She was told that she should abort the baby because of all of the potential health implications. He is 4 – and he is fantastic,' Rose said, her voice starting to shake as she held back tears. 'I am standing for him, and for the women who should have the opportunity to make the choice of life.' Many of the amendments debated Thursday were recycled versions of measures that have been tried and killed in recent committee hearings or in previous years by the heavily Democratic and pro-abortion legislature. Anti-abortion arguments can be a tough sell in Maryland, where voters in November voted 3-1 for a constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights, but that didn't keep Republican lawmakers from trying. They were challenging Del. Lesley J. Lopez's (D-Montgomery) HB930, which would give the state Department of Health access to about $25 million in funds that were collected as part of the federal Affordable Care Act, but have not been spent down. The money comes from $1-a-month fee that insurers in the ACA marketplace are required to collect on every policy to fund abortion services for their policyholders. The fund has been growing by about $3 million a year for the past 15 years, as collections have outpaced need. If the bill is passed and signed into law, those funds would be distributed to providers to help cover abortion costs for uninsured and underinsured individuals, along with other situations. Del. William J. Wivell (R-Washington and Frederick) offered an amendment that would require data collection on abortions done in the state, including the method of abortion, age of the fetus and reason for the abortion. Lopez reminded him that he submitted similar language in a bill back in 2020, when it 'died a dignified and peaceful death in a drawer,' she said, meaning the bill was never brought to a vote because it was not likely to pass out of the Health and Government Operations Committee. 'The reason why the committee did not move on it, was because it was out of alignment with the will of the committee and the will of the body,' Lopez said. 'We have been actively working to try to protect data on reproductive care for years.' When that amendment failed on party lines, Wivell offered an amendment that would have required a 24-hour wait time after a transabdominal ultrasound before a pregnant patient could receive an abortion. It would also have the physician offer to let the patient hear the 'fetal heartbeat.' The amendment resembled legislation that was scheduled for a hearing in February but withdrawn by the sponsor, said Lopez, who called for its defeat. 'I think it's important to note that just last November, our voters, in almost every single legislative district, voted to enshrine reproductive rights without conditions into our constitution — and what this amendment does, is introduce a condition for care,' Lopez said. Del. Susan K. McComas (R-Harford), didn't see it that way, and argued that Wivell's amendment was a matter of 'informed consent.' 'I have been corresponding with a lady out in Western Maryland who has had two abortions,' McComas said 'She is very, very sorry that she was not allowed to know that she could have a sonogram, and she might not have had those two abortions if she knew she could hear a heartbeat.' Marathon of abortion-related bills in House Health committee shows fight is not over in the state That amendment failed, as did three other GOP proposals, including one to require the collection of data on how many, if any, taxpayer dollars go to abortion services for out-of-state patients. Another would have restricted use of the ACA grants to abortions provided to Maryland residents, excluding patients who come in from out of town. The last amendment would have required that abortion providers receive training to spot signs of sex trafficking victims. Lopez said that was unnecessary, since medical providers already get similar training. Lopez urged passage of her bill, saying the ACA dollars would otherwise go to waste. 'These funds have been collected for the past 15 years, and they have no other purpose than going to provide abortion services,' Lopez said. 'If we do not use those funds, if we do not have a grant program, they will continue to get dusty, they will go unused.' Full House approval of the bill comes just days before Monday's 'cross-over' deadline, the date by which a bill must be approved by one chamber of the legislature to be guaranteed a hearing in the other. The Senate version of the bill, Senate Bill 848, was approved 8-3 in a party-line vote in the Finance Committee earlier this week. It is likely to come up for a vote by the full Senate soon. In committee, Republicans unsuccessfully offered two familiar amendments to SB848, which was sponsored by Sen. Guy Guzzone (D-Howard). Sen. Johnny Mautz (R-Middle Shore) on Wednesday offered an amendment to require reporting on the use of taxpayer funds toward abortion, specifically looking at how many residents are benefiting from the fund compared to the number of out-of-state patients, similar to an amendment that would be offered on HB 390 the following day. Same goes for an amendment that Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll) offered, to require that ACA-funded grants for abortion services be restricted to Maryland residents. Both Republican-backed amendments failed.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill creating abortion grant fund for under- and uninsured gains momentum in House, Senate
Sen. Guy Guzzone (D-Howard) sponsors SB 848, which would create a new grant fund to help extend abortion access across the state. Comptroller Brooke Lierman, in blue, was among the supporters. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters) The Maryland Health Department could soon have access to millions of dollars in unspent insurance funds that it hopes to use to fund abortions for uninsured and underinsured Marylanders. That is the goal of legislation gaining momentum this week in House and Senate committees: Giving the state access to about $25 million in premium surcharges that were required as part of the federal Affordable Care Act but have not been spent down. The House Health and Government Operations on Wednesday passed House Bill 930 on party lines and sent it to the full House. The Senate Finance Committee took testimony Thursday on Senate Bill 848, including testimony from Budget and Tax Committee Chair Guy Guzzone (D-Howard), a lawmaker who is not known for carrying reproductive rights legislation. 'It's probably pretty unusual for you to see me here on an abortion bill — because I'm just the numbers guy. I just do budget,' Guzzone said in testimony Thursday. 'But this is about money. I was interested in the fact that it's about some money that's sort of locked up right now.' That money is the $1-a-month fee that insurers in the ACA marketplace are required to collect on every policy, to fund abortion services for their policyholders. But that fund has been growing by about $3 million as collections have outpaced need. The House and Senate bills would create the Public Health Abortion Grant Program Fund, administered by state Health Department. It would collect the leftover insurance funds every year, which would be used to issue grants to providers to help cover abortions for underinsured or uninsured Marylanders. While he got involved because of the numbers, Guzzone assured that he supports access to abortion as well. 'I support it. And because I support it, I don't like to see money left on the table,' he said. Guzzone was flanked by a panel of women supporting the legislation, including Comptroller Brooke Lierman (D). The Maryland Department of Health and the Office of the Attorney General also support the measure. Also present Thursday were reproductive rights advocates and abortion providers. 'The truth is, the true cost of abortion care coverage is mere pennies on the dollar, leaving a significant portion of these funds untouched,' Lierman said. Passing SB848 would take money that is just collecting dust and allow it to be used to issue grants to providers to help cover care for underinsured or uninsured Marylanders and ensure that those dollars are 'used for their intended purpose,' Lierman said. Laura Bogley, executive director for Maryland Right to Life, sees the bill differently and says it 'targets poor and underinsured women and their babies for abortion violence.' 'This bill uses insurance premiums from insured women to abort the children of uninsured women,' Bogley said in her testimony. 'This not only increases health care costs for all, but it also infringes on our First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and free exercise of religion.' This is the second year abortion-rights advocates have tried to tap the ACA fund, but neither the House nor the Senate version got out of committee last year. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Then-Sen. Ariana Kelly (D-Montgomery) sponsored the Senate bill last year. But that measure also proposed using the ACA dollars to help boost security for reproductive health centers. Providers at the time reported increased levels of harassment from people who are opposed to abortions. But there were questions as to whether the fund could be used for such purposes under federal law. That bill, like its House companion, faltered and never left committee. Robyn Elliott on behalf of the Women's Law Center of Maryland, confirmed Thursday that the ACA dollars cannot be used to boost security at reproductive health centers, which is why this year's bills are narrower — and, so far, more successful, House Bill 930, sponsored by Del. Lesley Lopez (D-Montgomery), has been sent to the full House, but it will not be heard on the floor until at least next week. 'You might remember that we tried very hard to see if there was some flexibility,' Elliott told the Finance Committee. 'We learned through this process that it was crystal clear that it had to be for direct services.'
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Maryland lawmakers propose abortion grant program as requests for help ‘skyrocket'
BALTIMORE — Dozens of Maryland lawmakers want to create a stable funding source for abortion care months after state residents voted to enshrine access to reproductive health care, including abortion, in the state constitution. House Bill 930, sponsored by Del. Lesley Lopez, a Montgomery County Democrat, would create the Public Health Abortion Grant Program under the state health department to help fund abortion care for people who are uninsured, underinsured or unable to use their insurance due to risks posed by communication from insurance carriers regarding coverage, according to the bill language. 'We'll have lots of hard choices to make this session, but this bill is not one of them,' she said at a House Health and Government Operations Committee bill hearing on Thursday. 'Today, we have the opportunity to invest in the health of residents, improve economic security for our state and to meet the moment with no burden to taxpayers. Abortion is not a luxury, it is health care, and Maryland voters resoundingly agree.' In November, 76% of Marylanders voted in favor of the statewide ballot question concerning access to reproductive health care. Funding for the grant program would come from surplus insurance premiums mandated under the Affordable Care Act. A $1 premium is charged per member per month, exclusively for abortion coverage, Lopez said, and those funds are kept in separate accounts. The Maryland Insurance Administration believes $25 million in funds are available and an additional $3 million is generated annually, she added. To ensure that funds are being used for direct services, Lopez said, the Maryland Department of Health must also give at least 90% of the total program funds to eligible organizations that provide abortion care services. Even though Maryland has abortion protections in place, there are still issues with access to care for certain populations and locations, as well as the reality of providers leaving the field, said Karen Nelson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Maryland. 'Having this fund would limit the stress that's put on providers, and most importantly, the patients themselves,' she said. Lynn McCann-Yeh, co-executive director of the Baltimore Abortion Fund, said requests for assistance from her nonprofit have 'continued to skyrocket' from both Maryland residents and people traveling from out of state for care, leading to limited funding and patients being turned away. Patients sit in waiting rooms across the state, she said, hoping funding will come through and they can be seen, but help isn't always available. 'Our case managers have to tell them, 'I'm sorry, we don't have enough, the best that we can do is give you a ride home or buy a plane ticket so that you can get back,'' McCann-Yeh said of people seeking abortions later in their pregnancies. 'For later care clients, that means they're often remaining pregnant and forced to give birth against their will. It is sickening that this is happening, and it is happening with increasing frequency.' Opponents, however, argued against pushing more funding for abortion. 'The state is actively engaging in abortion coercion because it prioritizes abortion funding while depriving women equal access to life-saving alternatives to abortion,' said Laura Bogley, executive director of Maryland Right to Life. 'If the state really trusts women to decide, then bring these pro-life bills to a vote and give women real choices. The multibillion-dollar abortion industry does not need or deserve more public funding.' ----------
