
The 2023 legislative session is off to a great start. The Center for Hope advocacy team continues to monitor and weigh in on legislation concerning domestic violence, elder abuse and community violence, and will continue to update our community.
Here are our top legislative priorities:
- Impact of Violence on Healthcare – On January 24, Center for Hope’s Freedom Jones is joined LifeBridge Health’s VP of Government affairs, the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention, and the Maryland Violence Prevention Coalition to brief members of the Public Health and Minority Health Disparities subcommittee of the Health Government and Operations Committee on the cost of and impact of interpersonal violence on health care systems, and discuss our integrated community/hospital approach to preventing and treating violence.
- Victim Services Stabilization Act – SB148/HB186 Sponsored by Senator Guzzone and Delegate Barnes, this bill would help 118 agencies statewide receive critical federal VOCA funds. The agencies range from local non-profit child advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis response, human trafficking task forces, as well as police stations, local county services, the University of Maryland, and statewide efforts, to name a few. 75% of funds help children, 11% help elderly, 10% help the LGBQT community, 45% target domestic violence, 51% towards sexual assault, and 27% to stop trafficking of persons. Every county in the state receives funds to help victims and survivors.
- Conflict Management Training in Middle Schools – Our Safe Streets and school partners know that conflict management skills help prevent violence. Many adults who receive conflict management training say “I wish I’d had this earlier.” We are working on regulatory action with Senator Mary Washington, our local Baltimore Collegiate Schools for Boys and other partners across the state who work on restorative practices, conflict resolution, and school initiatives to make sure Maryland’s middle school students receive consistent training and practice in collaborative problem-solving. We are also supporting HB119, sponsored by longtime child and family champion Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary, which would require Maryland public schools to implement the MSDE’s new Comprehensive Health Education Curriculum Guidelines. Released this summer, the Guidelines include a Public Safety component on conflict resolution, as well as information on healthy relationships, human trafficking, and consent.
- Gun Safety Laws – Center for Hope recognizes that gun violence is the leading cause of death for young people in Maryland, and across the nation. Most of those deaths are homicides, some are suicides, but all are preventable. Guns also injure young people in disproportionate numbers. The majority of guns used by young people — especially in school shootings — come from the home of a family member or relative. Center for Hope supports this session’s efforts by Senator Will Smith and Delegate Sandy Bartlett to improve Maryland’s Child Access Protection (CAP) law.
- Child Protection – Center for Hope supports a number of initiatives that will help protect children from abuse and exploitation, such as Delegate CT Wilson’s Statute of Limitations Bill, HB01, which will remove the barrier for sexual abuse survivors filing claims against the people who harmed them and the institutions who allowed it. Center for Hope will also support SB21, sponsored by Senator Chris West, Person in a Position of Authority – Sexual Offenses With a Minor, which includes authority figures at day care, coaches, camps, religious institutions, etc., who may be held accountable for violating children.