Legislation in Annapolis ( Maryland) 03-13-07

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HB 228 Entitled: Handguns - Wearing, Carrying, or Transporting - Permits
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/hb0228.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/hb/hb0228f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...008/hb0228.pdf
-Hearing 3/9-
Synopsis:
Repealing the requirement that a person have a good and substantial reason for wearing, carrying, or transporting a handgun before receiving a permit to wear, carry, or transport a handgun; requiring the Secretary of State Police to charge for a specified purpose a fee payable when an application is filed for a handgun; and requiring the Governor to appropriate specified funds to programs to combat criminal gang violence.
While this may appear to be a pro-gun bill that will expand the right to carry a concealed firearm, it contains a fatal flaw (specified purpose fee) that makes it dangerous to gun owners.


HB 441 Entitled: Assault Weapon Tax
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/hb0441.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/hb/hb0441f.pdf
Fiscal Note: Not available at this time (03/13/07)
Hearing 3/14 at 1:00 p.m.
Synopsis:
Imposing a tax on the sale of an assault weapon in the State; establishing the rate of the assault weapon tax at 10% of the taxable price of the assault weapon; distributing the revenues from the tax to a special fund, 80% to be used for education aid and 20% to be used for victim services; including the assault weapon tax under the administration of the sales and use tax; exempting from the tax sales of assault weapons to police forces and other governmental agencies; requiring
assault weapons dealers to file specified returns; etc.
This bill amounts to nothing but a “sin tax” intended to discourage the purchase of certain firearms.


HB 455 Entitled: Protection of Persons and Property - Immunity
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/hb0455.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/hb/hb0455f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...005/hb0455.pdf
-Hearing 3/7-
3/13 Favorable with Amendments Report by Health and Government Operations
Cross-filed with: SENATE BILL 518
Synopsis:
Providing that a person is justified in using nondeadly force under specified circumstances; providing that a person is justified in using deadly force under specified circumstances; providing that a person who is justified in using force is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action; etc.


HB 583 Entitled: Crimes - Second Gun Offense - Prohibition on Pretrial Release
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/hb0583.htm
3/12 = Withdrawn


HB 601 Entitled: St. Mary's County - Deer Hunting on Private Property - Sundays
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/hb0601.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/hb/hb0601f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...001/hb0601.pdf
-Hearing 3/7-
Synopsis:
Authorizing a person in St. Mary's County to hunt deer on specified Sundays on private property with a bow and arrow during October and November and on a specified day during the deer firearms season.


HB 617 Entitled: Montgomery County - Firearms Regulations - State Preemption Exemptions MC 710-07
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/hb0617.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/hb/hb0617f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...007/hb0617.pdf
-Hearing 3/9-
Synopsis:
Authorizing Montgomery County to enact specified ordinances regulating the purchase, sale, taxation, transfer, manufacture, repair, ownership, possession, and transportation of specified firearms; authorizing Montgomery County to enact specified ordinances regulating the sale of a regulated firearm; authorizing Montgomery County to enact specified ordinances regulating the possession by a private party of a regulated firearm; etc.
This is a dangerous bill that could eventually lead to a plethora of different gun laws that would vary from one jurisdiction to the next.


HB 632 Entitled: Harford County - Deer Hunting on Private Lands - Sundays
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/hb0632.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/hb/hb0632f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...002/hb0632.pdf
Cross-filed with: SENATE BILL 188
-Hearing 3/7-
Synopsis:
Removing Harford County from the list of counties in which deer hunting on private lands on specified Sundays is prohibited.


HB 808 Entitled: Criminal Law - Weapons - Place of Confinement
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/hb0808.htm
3/12 = Withdrawn


HB 992 Entitled: Criminal Procedure - Drug-Related Offenses - Repeal of Mandatory Minimum Sentences
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/hb0992.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/hb/hb0992f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...002/hb0992.pdf
-Hearing 2/27-
Cross-filed with: SENATE BILL 624
Synopsis:
Repealing specified mandatory minimum sentences for specified drug- related offenses; providing that a person convicted of specified drug- related offenses is not prohibited from participating in a specified drug treatment program; providing that a specified person may grant a hearing and sentence review; repealing a prohibition against a person possessing a regulated firearm if the person was previously convicted of specified drug-related offenses; etc.


HOUSE BILL 1067 Entitled: Local Law Enforcement Agencies - Disposal of Personal Property
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/hb1067.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/hb/hb1067f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...007/hb1067.pdf
-Hearing 3/9-
Crossfiled with: SENATE BILL 662
Synopsis:
Requiring local law enforcement agencies to hold personal property that comes into their possession until specified determinations are made; establishing a procedure for local law enforcement agencies to notify the owner of the property and for the owner of the property to secure the release of the property in a specified manner within 30 days; authorizing a local law enforcement agency to sell personal property at public auction after 3 months; etc.
It was noted at the Hearing 3/9/07, Firearms will not be included in HOUSE BILL 1067, as they will be summarilly, (without discussion or attention to formalities,) destroyed.


HB 1075 Entitled: Study to Evaluate Strategies to Reduce Deer-Vehicle Collisions
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/hb1075.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/hb/hb1075f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...005/hb1075.pdf
Hearing 3/14 at 1:00 p.m.
Synopsis:
Requiring the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of State Police to jointly conduct a study to evaluate strategies to reduce deer-vehicle collisions; requiring the study to include specified reviews, evaluations, and examinations; and requiring the Departments to jointly submit a report to the General Assembly on or before a specified date.


HB 1368 Entitled: Natural Resources - Black Bear Hunt - Prohibition
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/hb1368.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/hb/hb1075f.pdf
Fiscal Note: Not available at this time (03/13/07)
Hearing Date: Not available at this time (03/13/07)
Synopsis:
Classifying black bears as nongame mammals; prohibiting the Department of Natural Resources from reducing the black bear population in the State with specified exceptions; and prohibiting the Department from establishing an open season to hunt black bears.


HB 1369 Entitled: Natural Resources - Leghold Traps - Prohibition
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/hb1369.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/hb/hb1369f.pdf
Fiscal Note: Not available at this time (03/13/07)
Hearing Date: Not available at this time (03/13/07)
Synopsis:
Expanding the prohibition against using, setting, placing, or maintaining a leghold trap to apply to all persons statewide; and providing exceptions to the prohibition against using, setting, placing, or maintaining a leghold trap.


HB 1377 Entitled: Natural Resources - Black Bears - Establishment of Population in Each County
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/hb1377.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/hb/hb1377f.pdf
Fiscal Note: Not available at this time (03/13/07)
Hearing Date: Not available at this time (03/13/07)
Synopsis: Requiring the Secretary of Natural Resources to establish a program to ensure that, by October 1, 2014, a black bear population is introduced into each county in the State.


HB 1393 Entitled: Regulated Firearms - Encoded Ammunition - Tax
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/hb1393.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/hb/hb1393f.pdf
Fiscal Note: Not available at this time (03/13/07)
Hearing Date: Not available at this time (03/13/07)
Synopsis:
Authorizing a person to sell ammunition for a regulated firearm on or after January 1, 2008, only in accordance with the Act; requiring an ammunition manufacturer to encode ammunition for a regulated firearm in a specified way; requiring the Secretary of State Police beginning on January 1, 2008, to establish and maintain an encoded ammunition database; imposing a tax of 5 cents per round on the sale of encoded ammunition beginning on January 1, 2008; etc.


SB 43 Maryland Assault Weapons Ban of 2007
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/sb0043.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0043f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...003/sb0043.pdf
-Hearing 2/27 -
Synopsis:
Designating specified firearms as assault weapons; prohibiting with specified exceptions a person from transporting an assault weapon into the State or possessing, selling, offering to sell, transferring, or receiving an assault weapon; requiring the Handgun Roster Board to compile and maintain a roster of prohibited assault weapons; etc.
Nothing new here, the same old bill to ban some long guns deemed cosmetically offensive to anti-gun liberals and also ban virtually all semi-automatic pistols.


SB 188 Harford County - Deer Hunting on Private Lands - Sundays
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/sb0188.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0188f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...008/sb0188.pdf
-Hearing 2/23 -
Cross-filed with: HOUSE BILL 632
Synopsis:
Removing Harford County from the list of counties in which deer hunting on private lands on specified Sundays is prohibited.


SB 214 Unauthorized Possession of Contraband - Place of Confinement
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/sb0214.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0214f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...004/sb0214.pdf
-Hearing 2/7 -
3/12 = Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings
Synopsis:
Prohibiting a person from knowingly possessing specified contraband to effect an escape, or possessing a weapon, an alcoholic beverage, a controlled dangerous substance, or a telecommunication device in a place of confinement without authorization by a managing official; defining "telecommunication device"; and establishing penalties for a violation of the Act.


SB 271 Entitled: Hunting - Exemptions from License and Stamp Requirement
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/sb0271.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0271f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...001/sb0271.pdf
-Hearing 2/23 -
3/7 Favorable with Amendments Report by Education Health and Environmental Affairs
3/8 Favorable with Amendments Report Adopted
Floor Amendment (Senator Colburn) Adopted
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
3/12 Third Reading Passed (45-0)
Amendments:
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/amds/...1_25483701.pdf (Adoped)
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/amds/...1_81342201.pdf (Adoped)
Synopsis: Expanding the exemption from the hunting license and stamp requirement for hunting on farmland to include children who live on, work on, or manage the farmland under specified circumstances.


SB 292 Entitled: State Budget - Modifications - Reporting (DNR)
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/sb0292.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0292f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...001/sb0271.pdf
Cross-filed with: HOUSE BILL 530
-Hearing 2/28-
Synopsis:
Requiring the State budget books to include a separate section listing, for specified fiscal years, specified changes in policy or administration that will reduce the level of funding, level of services, or scope of services provided in any program or program area; requiring the section to include, for a specified fiscal year, a summary of specified changes reducing funding or services below specified levels; etc.


SB 443 Entitled: Hunting Licenses and Stamps - Exemptions
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/sb0443.htm
3/7 Unfavorable Report by Education Health and Environmental Affairs


SB 497 Entitled: Disposal of Handguns Owned by a Law Enforcement Agency
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/sb0497.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0497f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...007/sb0497.pdf
-Hearing 2/27-
Synopsis:
Authorizing a law enforcement agency to dispose of a handgun owned by the agency by selling, exchanging, or transferring the handgun to a manufacturer; and defining "manufacturer".
This bill will provide law enforcement agencies with the option of “trading in” used firearms to the manufacturer rather than destroying them.


SB 518 Entitled: Protection of Persons and Property - Immunity
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/sb0518.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0518f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...008/sb0518.pdf
Cross-filed with: HOUSE BILL 455
-Hearing-
Synopsis:
Providing that a person is justified in using nondeadly force under specified circumstances; providing that a person is justified in using deadly force under specified circumstances; providing that a person who is justified in using force is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action; etc.


SB 563 Entitled: Criminal Law - Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence or a Felony
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/sb0563.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0563f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...003/sb0563.pdf
-Hearing 2/27-
Synopsis:
Prohibiting the use of specified firearms in the commission of specified crimes of violence or felonies.


SB 624 Entitled: Criminal Procedure - Drug-Related Offenses - Repeal of Mandatory Minimum Sentences
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/sb0624.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0624f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...004/sb0624.pdf
Cross-filed with: HOUSE BILL 992
Hearing 3/14 at 1:00 p.m.
Synopsis:
Repealing specified mandatory minimum sentences for specified drug- related offenses; providing that a person convicted of specified drug- related offenses is not prohibited from participating in a specified drug treatment program; providing that a specified person is entitled to be granted a hearing and sentence review; repealing a prohibition against a person possessing a regulated firearm if the person was previously convicted of specified drug-related offenses; etc.


SB 662 Entitled: Local Law Enforcement Agencies - Disposal of Personal Property
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/sb0662.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0662f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...002/sb0662.pdf
-Hearing 2/27-
Synopsis:
Requiring local law enforcement agencies to hold personal property that comes into their possession until specified determinations are made; establishing a procedure for local law enforcement agencies to notify the owner of the property and for the owner of the property to secure the release of the property in a specified manner within 30 days; authorizing a local law enforcement agency to sell personal property at public auction after 3 months; etc.
It was noted at the HB 1067, Hearing 3/9/07, Firearms will not be included in HOUSE BILL, as they will be summarilly, (without discussion or attention to formalities,) destroyed.


SB 717 Entitled: Somerset County, Wicomico County, and Worcester County - Deer Hunting on Private Lands - Sundays
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/sb0717.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0717f.pdf
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/fnote...007/sb0717.pdf
-Hearing 2/23 -
Synopsis:
Removing Somerset County, Wicomico County, and Worcester County from the list of counties in which deer hunting on private lands on specified Sundays is prohibited; and authorizing a person in Somerset County, Wicomico County, or Worcester County to hunt deer on specified Sundays on private property with a bow and arrow.


SB 761 Entitled: Crimes - Self-Defense - No Duty to Retreat or Seek Safety by Escape
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/sb0761.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0761f.pdf
Fiscal Note: Not available at this time (03/13/07)
Hearing 3/21 at 1:00 p.m.
Synopsis:
Authorizing a person charged with a specified crime to assert a claim of self-defense even though the person failed to retreat or seek safety by escape.


SB 762 Entitled: Public Safety - Handgun Permits - Repeal of Finding Requirement
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/sb0762.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0762f.pdf
Fiscal Note: Not available at this time (03/13/07)
Hearing 3/21 at 1:00 p.m.
Synopsis:
Repealing the requirement that the Secretary of State Police find that a person has a good and substantial reason to wear, carry, or transport a handgun before issuing a handgun permit to the person.
Unlike HB 228, this bill does not contain any provision for an additional fee on permits.


SB 822 Entitled: Natural Resources - Steel Jawed Leghold Traps - Prohibition
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/sb0822.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0822f.pdf
Fiscal Note: Not available at this time (03/13/07)
Hearing 3/20 at 1:00 p.m.
Re-referred Education Health and Environmental Affairs
Synopsis:
Prohibiting a person from using, setting, placing, or maintaining a steel jaw leghold trap for the purpose of trapping an animal; and providing for the Act.


SB 938 Entitled: Public Health - Injury Reports - Statewide Applicability
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/sb0938.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0938f.pdf
Fiscal Note: Not available at this time (03/13/07)
Hearing 3/22 at 1:00 p.m.
Re-referred Finance
Synopsis: Repealing the provision that limits the applicability of specified injury reporting requirements to specified counties.


SB 956 Entitled: Natural Resources - Hunting on Private Land - Verbal Permission
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/billfile/sb0956.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0956f.pdf
Fiscal Note: Not available at this time (03/13/07)
Hearing 3/20 at 1:00 p.m.
Re-referred Education Health and Environmental Affairs
Synopsis: Authorizing hunting on private land with the verbal permission of the landowner or the landowner's agent or lessee.