Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Maryland General Assembly adjourned on March 18, 20 days before its scheduled completion date of April 6 for this year's legislative session. Despite the assembly’s early end, state legislators passed several bills that will benefit Catholic schools in Maryland, and prevented other bills from moving forward, including a measure that would have legalized physician-assisted suicide in the state.

The Maryland Catholic Conference worked with lawmakers throughout this entire session to ensure the Catholic voice was heard in Annapolis.

“In terms of our issues and especially the ones we were concerned about, things did end on a positive note,” said Jenny Kraska, executive director of the Maryland Catholic Conference.

Mary Forr, manager for Catholic policy and advocacy for the Archdiocese of Washington, said that overall she was also pleased with the end results of the Maryland legislative session.

“We’re so grateful for the Maryland Catholic Conference’s work,” Forr said. “Their commitment to fighting for the dignity for every person from conception to natural death really showed.”

Senate Bill 701, an aid-in-dying bill that would have legalized physician-assisted suicide in the state of Maryland, received a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, but did not advance to a vote. A similar bill that was cross-filed in the House of Delegates, did not receive a hearing.

That this movement “was stopped in its tracks,” Forr said was a “huge win.”

Kraska added that especially in what is happening with similar aid-in-dying bills around the nation, the fact that SB 701 did not advance forward was a “big victory.”   

Funding for the Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today program, which provides scholarships for students from low-income families to attend nonpublic schools, was reinstated with $7.5 million in the budget for the 2020-21 year. While the House of Delegates did attempt to cut funding and phase out the program, the movement to do so did not advance.

The Kirwan Legislation/the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future passed, expanding prekindergarten options in public schools as well as nonpublic schools beginning in 2022. The hope is that several Catholic schools will participate in the program.

The Nonpublic Aging Schools Program and the Nonpublic Safety Improvements and Textbook and Technology programs will provide Catholic and other nonpublic schools with funds dedicated to safety initiatives, including infrastructure and deferred maintenance, as well as textbooks and technology initiatives.

“Among all of the school programs, our schools/families are slated to share about $40.5 million in benefits,” Forr said.

A proposed privacy bill that would have placed an amendment to the Maryland Constitution on an upcoming ballot could have had the potential effect of enshrining a right to abortion in the state's constitution. According to the Maryland Catholic Conference, the MCC worked with Maryland State Senator Susan Lee, the bill’s sponsor, who shared that was not her intention, and she ultimately withdrew the bill before its hearing.

Kraska said the Maryland Catholic Conference was grateful for Senator Lee’s recognition of the conference’s concerns.

A bill proposing to prospectively eliminate the statue of limitations for victims of child sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits against their abusers and organizations such as churches, nonprofits and private schools, as well as open a two year window for abuse victims to sue if their claims have been time barred, did not pass.  

Kraska said this bill likely could have devastating effects, as evidenced by other states that have passed such “window” legislation. 

“As Catholics, we have had to confront our own painful history and have worked to do all that we can to prevent abuse and to help those harmed heal," Kraska said. “Our dioceses provide support and assistance to survivors regardless of the passage of time and have stringent policies that exceed state mandates to protect young people. 

“A retroactive window, is not the way to do this. It will do nothing to protect children; will do nothing for most survivors of child sexual abuse and will harm Maryland residents who depend upon the social services and programs provided by religious and other non-profit entities for their families," she said. 

Two juvenile justice reform measures that the Maryland Catholic Conference supported, also passed.

Other bills that the Maryland Catholic Conference supported, such as HB 231/SB 530, an Affordable Housing “HOME Act” prohibiting landlords from discriminating from renters due to source of income, and HB 242/SB 206, a human trafficking bill that will protect victims of trafficking from being charged with certain crimes like misdemeanors that were committed under the influence of a trafficker,  passed favorably.

In her first year as executive director of the Maryland Catholic Conference, Kraska said she was grateful for the opportunity to “really work across the aisle on a lot of different issues.”

“It is really wonderful to see the willingness of both sides to work with issues important to us and the Church,” she said.

She also emphasized the importance of the Catholic voice in Maryland.

“We are not successful in doing our job unless we have people backing us up (in their districts),” Kraska said. “The engagement that Catholics have is so important.”

According to Senate President Bill Ferguson, a special session may be called in late May, depending on the status of the spread of the virus.

“We’ll be keeping our eye out for anything that will impact the dignity of a person,” Forr said.

“The Church is all about and has always been about helping those in need, protecting the vulnerable and being a voice for the voiceless,” she continued. “And we’ll be doing that in May.”