Finance Committee advances batch of bills, appoints conferees for cross‑file disputes; House Bill 299 passes 7–3–1

The Finance Committee convened on Monday, April 13 and moved a series of concurrence and voting items, appointing conferees on several contested cross‑file bills and approving a number of measures by unanimous or near‑unanimous margins.

Committee business began with a set of concurrence items presented by Amber, who summarized Senate Bill 233, which would prohibit a registered or exempt cemetery owner from selling or transferring a cemetery without approval from the Office of Cemetery Oversight. Amber recommended a motion not to concur with the House amendment that combined the measure with House Bills 892 and 893; the committee approved the not‑to‑concur posture and appointed conferees (Senator Jackson, Senator Ready and the committee chair) to negotiate the bill's final form.

The panel also considered Senate Bill 389, an administration bill on transit‑oriented development. Members debated a House amendment reinstating a scoring preference for project labor agreements; the committee moved not to concur and appointed conferees including Senator Hayes and Senator Hershey to take the matter to conference.

Other concurrence items were handled with little debate. The committee concurred on Senate Bill 893 (technical "penny rounding" adjustments) and Senate Bill 742 (additional requirements and federal alignment for waivers administered by the Developmental Disabilities Administration). Lisa presented Senate Bill 626 (revising requirements for issuing amended birth certificates to reflect a different sex designation); conferees were named to pursue the issue further with the House.

On the committee's voting list, members approved a number of bills that drew minimal discussion. House Bill 598, creating a limited three‑year, nonrenewable license pathway for physicians licensed in foreign countries and providing a route to full licensure, passed unanimously after sponsors said the Board of Physicians supported the amendments. Senate Bill 1002, a Prince George's County local bill creating a Class AER off‑premises retail license with county certification and annual reporting, passed unanimously. House Bill 494 (requiring insurers to meet annual primary care investment targets and report progress) and House Bill 1223 (establishing a Prince George's County work group on farmers markets and street vending zones) were both moved favorable and approved without opposition. House Bill 1117, authorizing recommendations for elopement response devices for people with dementia or autism, also passed unanimously.

The committee encountered some dissent on procedural grounds and specific bills. House Bill 797 (cross‑file to Senate Bill 439), which would prevent fire and rescue employers from disciplining or discriminating against employees who hold valid medical cannabis certifications, passed the committee but drew one recorded opposition, producing a 10–1 outcome. Some members questioned whether the House bill should have received a hearing after passing out of Rules; staff and members noted that Finance typically does not hold hearings when the Senate has already acted and the plan is to conform the House bill to the Senate posture.

The most contested recorded vote of the session came on House Bill 299, which the committee moved to favorably report with an amendment to conform to Senate Bill 60. The committee took a roll call; Tammy called the names and the votes were recorded as follows: Vice Chair Hayes — Yes; Senator Cramer — Yes; Senator Reedy — No; Senator Ellis — Abstain; Senator Mounts — No; Senator Jackson — Yes; Senator Washington — Yes; Senator Gialle — Yes; Senator Lamb — Yes; Senator Hershey — No; Madam Chair — Yes. The motion carried with a tally of 7 Yes, 3 No, and 1 Abstain.

Before adjourning, the committee scheduled a conference committee on the cemetery bills for 3:10 p.m. in the Silver Room and confirmed logistics with conferees. The chair closed the meeting after addressing remaining procedural housekeeping.

Why it matters: Several of the matters the committee advanced (notably the cemetery transfer language and the transit‑oriented development scoring preference) will now move to conference, where appointed conferees will negotiate final language between the chambers. The committee's approval of licensure changes and health and public‑safety measures will proceed to subsequent floor consideration or final enrollment depending on cross‑file negotiations and the remaining legislative schedule.