End of Session Letter 2025

Dear Neighbor, It is a privilege to represent Maryland’s District 30A in the state legislature. As I serve you in the General Assembly, my promise to you continues to be driven by my steadfast commitment to promoting, fighting, and advocating for the needs of our community. The 2025 legislative session, Maryland was faced with the largest budget challenge since the Great Recession and a new federal administration that threatens our state economy. Balancing the state budget shortfalls and devastating actions of the federal government to Maryland's federal workforce made this session one of the most difficult in recent memory. Many of you have asked, “how did we get here?” 

In response to the pandemic, the state budget was supported with federal aid dollars. In the years that followed Maryland used that money as it was intended: to make critical one-time investments in our government agencies and employees, to provide rental assistance and incentivize job creation, and most importantly invest in our education system to lift up the generation of students set back by COVID. Unfortunately, this progress was followed and challenged by major economic disruptors: multi-year global inflation that increased costs, especially for health care, years of neglect in hiring and staffing our state agencies, the tragedy of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and a new federal administration that has unjustly fired thousands of Maryland residents.

These realities put Maryland in a difficult position heading into this session with a large projected deficit, that only worsened during the session and is threatened to be exacerbated through federal action. While facing these headwinds, the General Assembly passed a fiscally responsible and balanced budget that funds our priorities while improving our financial circumstances for the long term. We accomplished this through a variety of measures, including over $1.6 billion in budget cuts, the rejection of multiple proposed taxes, and responsible changes to our tax code and fee structure to ensure that 94% of Marylanders will be paying the same or less in taxes. Only those making over $500,000 annually as a single filer, or over $600,000 as a joint filer, will see an increase in their income taxes. 

Although making choices on budget cuts and tax and fee structures are hard, cutting more to crucial services was an intolerable choice. As Vice Chair of the Health and Social Services Subcommittee of Appropriations, we came into session with a proposed budget that slashed hundreds of millions to Maryland’s most vulnerable citizens, which included hundreds of millions from the Maryland Developmentally Disabled Administration alone. This funding is quite literally life-changing to impacted families, and my subcommittee, as well as the entire Appropriations Committee, was committed to finding the cuts necessary to prevent this. As a subcommittee we were able to backfill $181.5 million across fiscal ‘25 and ‘26 to community services for the developmentally disabled, which reverses some of the cuts originally proposed by the Governor. We also increased Medicaid funding to provide coverage for 1.5 million residents that rely on it and preserved $15 million for cancer research in our state.

Committee wide, my colleagues and I worked diligently to find the money required to fund additional investments vital to Marylanders. We safeguarded and fully funded the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, more important as we continue to support our youth who have been set back by the pandemic. We invested in Maryland’s economy with nearly $140 million to grow private-sector jobs. We prioritized public safety, with over $120 million for police aid. Finally, we preserved strong reserves in excess of $2.4 billion in cash to ensure that Maryland is ready to respond to federal or economic uncertainties. This budget was not easy, but the General Assembly effectively collaborated and found a balanced and responsible approach that funds necessary investments, while preparing us for the future.

Despite this session’s challenges, and significant time devoted to developing budget solutions, I am extremely proud of my personal legislative accomplishments for the District and Maryland, including my sponsorship and passage of 8 bills and nearly $40 million in funding to directly support the district and Anne Arundel County. 

I am especially proud to announce this session, as President of the Women’s Caucus of Maryland, the caucus had its most successful session ever with 9 priority bills awaiting the Governor's signature and 27 endorsed bills becoming law. Our legislative focus this year was addressing the childcare crisis, protecting women’s healthcare, and supporting Maryland’s incarcerated women. Maryland’s Women’s Caucus is historic and is the oldest Women’s Caucus of any State Legislature. I am truly humbled by this position, and I look forward to continuing my life's work of fighting for women’s issues as President. 

Delegate Jones’s Legislation - Passed this Session

Public Schools - High School Sports Officials - Payment and Fees, Passed and on the Governor’s Desk 

During last year’s interim, a contingency of Anne Arundel County high school sports officials brought to my attention a very concerning pay parity issue. Officials refereeing men’s high school sports were being paid more than officials refereeing the same women’s high school sports. This disparity was extremely troubling, and showed a value judgement our school systems were making between the efforts of men and women high school athletes. During the interim, my office and I worked to develop a solution that would prevent this statewide. SB 923 will ensure that moving forward, our school system’s provide equal pay for equal work, and our female athletes know that their efforts are valued just as much as men.

State Disaster Recovery Fund - Transfer of Funds, Passed and on the Governor’s Desk 

As the impacts of climate change worsen, disasters have become more extreme and more localized. Our community is disproportionately impacted by these local disasters. In recent years we have seen severe flooding, and the 2021 EF-2 Tornado that devastated Parole. Marylander’s need effective and swift support when disaster strikes. 

In 2023, I passed a law that created the State Disaster Recovery Fund, which created a fund to provide the sorely needed localized disaster relief we needed. This bill, HB 865, ensures the State Disaster Recovery Fund will have the necessary available funds to swiftly respond when Marylanders need it the most.

Oyster Shucking House Loan Program Alterations, Passed and on the Governor’s Desk 

The Maryland Oyster Shucking House Loan Program was established to help finance the cost of eligible seafood processing projects, including historic oyster shucking facilities, and to facilitate an increase in the amount of oyster shells retained in the State and returned to the Chesapeake Bay. HB 397 makes two changes to the loan program that will lower barriers and make existing funds more accessible to small businesses. This legislation eliminates unnecessary red tape and makes the program more efficient. Ultimately, supporting small businesses and returning more oyster shells to the Bay! 

Child Care Centers - Assessment of State-Owned Facilities, Passed and on the Governor’s Desk 

Maryland is in a child care crisis. Many families lack child care altogether, and those that do have child care pay exorbitant monthly rates. This causes significant economic harm to Maryland families - especially women - who are not able to access or can’t afford it. In a recent “Child Care and the Economy” report from Comptroller Brooke Lierman, she highlighted that one of the key components causing the crisis is a lack of providers. This bill, HB 1344, helps to address this supply problem by identifying existing State buildings that could be utilized by a child care provider. 

Anne Arundel County - Child Care Center - Property Tax Credit, Passed and on the Governor’s Desk. 

As discussed above, Maryland’s child care crisis is severely impacting families. We need to do everything we can to address it, and this legislation, HB 1343, provides the County with a tool to incentivize more providers to come to the County. More providers increase supply, lowering costs, and helping to get parents back to work. 

Anne Arundel County - Supermarkets - Property Tax Credit, Passed and on the Governor’s Desk. 

This legislation, HB 598, cross-filed with Senator Simonaire, provides Anne Arundel County with a tool to combat food deserts. Food deserts are urban areas or rural towns that do not have readily available fresh, healthy, and affordable food. Unfortunately, there are 17 areas of the County that the USDA defines as food deserts. This legislation will help eliminate those deserts and ensure every county resident has access to fresh and affordable food!

Bicycles on Sidewalks (Jay’s Law), Passed and on the Governor’s Desk. 

Bicycle and pedestrian safety is a top issue for District 30. Many of our neighbors rely on commuting by bicycle to school or work, but recent tragic accidents show that our roadways are not always safe for bicyclists. HB 375 will simply allow bicyclists, unless prohibited by local law, to ride on the sidewalk provided they yield to pedestrians. This will allow our children and bicycles to be farther away from traffic and better utilize our infrastructure. This legislation was supported by Bike Maryland and Bike Anne Arundel County, and I was proud to partner with this on this traffic safety legislation! 

Election Judge Compensation Revisions. 

HB 586 expands on my work supporting local boards of elections in the vital work they do facilitating our democracy. In past years, my legislation has raised the minimum compensation for elections officials, provided an increase for returning election officials, and provided pay for training as an election judge. This legislation alters the payment structure for training so that it is distributed only after a judge serves during the election. This will save local boards thousands of dollars and prevent bad actors from wasting resources.

Addressing Energy Prices

Throughout this year, I have received calls, emails, and letters from understandably concerned constituents who are distressed by the rising cost of energy in Maryland. This session, bold action was taken to address the cost of energy, and reduce our exposure to actions taken by PJM, the operator of our regional electricity market. This action came through three priority bills. 

The first, HB 1035, the Next Generation Energy Act, addresses energy issues in both the short and long-term. In the short-term, this bill includes $200 million in direct relief to residential ratepayers that will go into effect this summer. It also prohibits the use of Multiyear Rate Plans at the Public Service Commission unless they do not allow an electric company to file for reconciliation. This change is projected to immediately save ratepayers $40 million.  For the long-term, HB 1035 includes incentives for new generation capacity in the State and establishes additional ratepayer protections that will protect Maryland residents from price increases due to large load customers. 

HB 1036, the Renewable Energy Certainty Act, was passed to tackle obstacles to building new renewable generation capacity. To do this, the legislation establishes statewide standards for solar and battery storage projects and stops excessive restrictions that block responsible solar development. HB 1036 also establishes consumer protections that are necessary to ensure Marylanders are adequately protected from predatory practices.

Finally, HB 1037, the Energy Resource Adequacy and Planning Act, was passed to develop a strategic energy planning office that will help ensure we meet the State's energy needs in the future. This legislation was necessary because it has been difficult for Maryland to get the information it needs from PJM, while PJM’s best interests have not always been in Maryland’s. HB 1035 will require Wholesale Energy Market reports every three years that will utilize forecasting and modeling to generate recommendations for short and long-term solutions that minimize risks identified in the report. 

Together, this package will provide significant relief to ratepayers and help address Maryland's long-term energy generation and affordability issues. As Maryland moves towards our clean energy future, affordability, reliability, predictability, and sustainability are the cornerstones of Maryland’s energy strategy. The actions taken above are decisive and necessary moves to accomplish those goals. 

Environment

Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act

HB 506 is landmark legislation establishing the Maryland Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming (LEEF) Program. This bill, which I was proud to co-sponsor, takes a major step forward in protecting our waterways that feed the Chesapeake Bay by promoting regenerative farming on public lands—farming practices that restore soil health, reduce nutrient pollution, and sequester carbon. The bill also establishes a comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring Program within the Department of Natural Resources, ensuring our Bay cleanup efforts are guided by strong science and transparent data. It will improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and promote economic growth by making environmentally friendly practices easier and more appealing for people and businesses to implement across the state. 

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation - Total Assessed Cost of Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Study and Reports

HB 128 is an important step toward holding major polluters financially accountable in Maryland. It requires the State to study the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions by the largest polluters and the full cost to taxpayers for resulting resiliency and remediation activities. The study will quantify the economic and environmental damage caused by climate change—including impacts to public health, infrastructure, and agriculture—and assess the costs already borne by the state and its residents. 

Environment - Coal Combustion By-Products - Fees, Coordinating Committee, and Regulations 

SB 425 codifies a Biden-era federal rule on coal ash dumps as the Trump administration considers rolling back that standard. Coal ash contains toxic metals that can contaminate water and air, putting Maryland’s communities and waterways communities at risk. New data has revealed a widespread presence of legacy coal ash sites in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Biden Administration’s 2024 regulation required owners of inactive coal ash disposal sites to follow the same clean-up rules as active dump sites, closing a loophole. While the current Environmental Protection Agency is considering extending the deadline for utility companies to comply, SB 425 locks the 2024 rule in place.

Environment - Bay Restoration Fund - Septic System Upgrade Program 

HB 131 requires MDE to include failing septic systems located within the watershed of a nitrogen-impaired body of water as a priority for funding assistance from the Bay Restoration Fund. Failing septic systems increase the nitrogen levels of rivers and streams not only making stream life unsustainable but increasing the amount of nitrogen flowing into the Chesapeake Bay.

Supporting Education and Families

Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act 

HB 504 retains essential funding for community schools, for students from low-income families, for multilingual learner services, and for teacher collaborative time. Additionally, with targeted investments in teacher recruitment, retention, and professional development, along with strategic enhancements to community school programs, HB 504 will continue our progress to build a resilient and inclusive education system.

Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship Program – Revisions 

HB 473 revises the Maryland Community Promise Scholarship program and expands college access and affordability by allowing part-time students enrolled in an associate degree program the chance to receive the scholarship for up to 6 years. This is an important adjustment, as many part-time students balance their education with work or family responsibilities, which can extend the time needed to complete their degree. The bill also guarantees that students working towards professional licensure, certification, or registered apprenticeship programs can receive the award for up to three years. The bill will help ensure that all Maryland students, regardless of their circumstances, have the opportunity to achieve their educational and professional goals.

County Boards of Education - Curriculum Guides and Courses of Study – Discrepancies

House Bill 161 will help correct curriculum and teaching discrepancies found in Maryland public school systems. The legislation affirms that all Maryland counties must align their school curriculum to Maryland State Standards and creates a process to correct county curriculum if it is out of alignment with those standards. It empowers the State Superintendent to hold school systems accountable when they intentionally fail to meet education standards. I want to see public schools follow the law – and HB 161 will keep schools financially secure when they do.

Education - Initial Teacher Certification – Qualifications 

HB 888 makes needed changes to ease the teacher certification process for aspiring Maryland teachers and provide as many pathways as possible for our future educators. The bill alters the qualifications for an initial teacher certificate to include passing a portfolio-based assessment of a nationally accredited teacher preparation program. This will eliminate the need for teachers entering the profession to have to take redundant exams and assessments.

Child Care

In addition to my two child care bills I explained above, I wanted to highlight legislation that was included in the Women’s Caucus of Maryland’s priority package to help address the crisis. 

Common Ownership Communities and Zoning Authorities - Operation of Family Child Care Homes – Limitations 

HB 785, which I proudly co-sponsored, will allow licensed family child care homes across Maryland without unnecessary barriers from local zoning or common ownership communities. This will increase access to childcare, let more parents return to the workforce, and empower child care providers to own and run their own small businesses.

Property Tax - Daycare Centers, Child Care Homes, and Child Care Centers

HB 389, that I also co-sponsored, expands property tax credits to support Maryland's childcare industry and make childcare more affordable. Maryland has seen a steep decline in the number of childcare providers over the last several years, and this bill will provide counties with enhanced tools to incentivize growth and keep childcare providers' doors open. The bill expands two local option property tax credits that local governments can give to childcare providers and to businesses that offer childcare to their employees.

Family Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers - Regulatory Analysis

HB 477 aims to ease the child care crisis by analyzing existing regulations to determine what regulations could be safely cut or modified to make it easier for providers to operate in our State. Increasing the number of providers is essential for Maryland to increase our child care supply, and this legislation is a pivotal step forward to improve it. 

Healthcare

President Trump's repeated efforts to repeal and undermine the ACA have created significant instability in the health insurance marketplace. They are also threatening women’s healthcare across the Country, and those women are relying on strong support from Maryland

Public Health Abortion Grant Program – Establishment

The tumultuous national landscape puts reproductive health care at risk in Maryland. HB930, which I proudly co-sponsored, protects access to abortion services through a public health grant program. The program is funded from unspent insurance premiums for abortion coverage. Under the Affordable Care Act rules, these funds can’t be used for other purposes. There is $25 million available now to create an endowment for the program with an ongoing revenue stream of about $3 million a year. The program would be run by the Department of Health, just like other public health grant programs. Funds would support abortion care for the uninsured and underinsured.

Prescription Drug Affordability Board - Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for All Marylanders Now Act

HB 424 will expand the authority of the PDAB to set the budget for high-cost prescription drugs for commercial insurance. The Board uses a rigorous and comprehensive process to evaluate the affordability of drugs and considers ways to reduce the cost, sometimes looking at setting Upper Payment Limits, which marks the budget for the payer. Expanding the board’s authority to include the commercial market will put Maryland in a better position to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies and will help stabilize the cost of insurance premiums. Despite efforts by the Trump Administration to roll-back policies to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, HB424 will make healthcare more affordable for everyday families. 

State Based Insurance Subsidy Program

HB 1082 will establish a state–based health insurance subsidies program to mitigate the effects of the

possible elimination of federal advance premium tax credits by Republicans in Washington. Eliminating the subsidies program would increase monthly premiums by $3K per family and put 190K Maryland residents at risk of losing some or all of their financial support for their health insurance. The state will kick in subsidy funding provided by the state reinsurance program to fund the gap until the legislature is able to find long term funding solutions. However, if Congress extends the advanced premium tax credits, the state program will end, and the reinsurance funds will be untouched. These tax credits are critical for hard working families to afford health insurance for themselves and their families and helps reduce the number of uninsured.

MD Health Insurance Coverage Commission

HB 718 creates a commission to monitor and assess the impact of potential and actual federal changes to programs such as Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act Medicaid, MD Children’s Health Program, Medicare, and the MD All-Payer Model. The Commission will provide recommendations annually to ensure that access to affordable healthcare is protected.

Maryland Commission for Women - Maryland Collaborative to Advance Implementation of Coverage of Over-the-Counter Birth Control 

HB 939 creates a Collaborative with state agencies, consumer representatives, pharmacies and insurers to support implementation of Maryland’s existing requirements for coverage of over the counter (OTC) birth control, as it has been nearly 10 years since the Maryland General Assembly enacted OTC birth control coverage requirements. 

Preventative Services Enforcement

HB974, which I co-sponsored, preserves Biden-era insurance carrier coverage requiring preventive services with zero cost sharing. Types of preventative services protected include immunizations, annual wellness checks, cancer screenings, birth control, physicals, vaccines, and more. By keeping Marylanders healthy, overall cost of care drops. Studies show that for every dollar we spend on preventative care we save $6 in healthcare costs.

Health Insurance and Family Planning Consumer Protections

HB 1045 updates 2017 legislation which made Maryland the first state in the nation to guarantee continued funding for family planning and women’s health services if the Federal Government defunded clinics. The bill gives both the Insurance Commissioner and the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights the authority to address discrimination in health insurance. This bill makes necessary changes to update the law and ensure it accurately reflects policies provided as of December 31, 2024.

Maryland Health Benefit Exchange - State-Based Young Adult Health Insurance Subsidies Pilot Program - Sunset Repeal

HB 297 makes Maryland's Young Adult Health Insurance Subsidy Program (YAS) permanent. This program has made healthcare is more affordable for younger Marylanders, reduced pressure on the individual market, and continued to lower premiums. A key component to lowering insurance premiums is to increase enrollment of younger and healthier populations which reduces the risk pool. YAS is designed to capture a population who makes too much money working, and cannot qualify for other subsidies, but still can’t afford to buy insurance at the base rate.

Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2025

HB 869 makes insurance coverage for telehealth care permanent. Telehealth is an important way to expand access to healthcare by reducing barriers to receiving care like unreliable transportation or missing work to make an appointment.

Protecting Marylanders from Federal Actions

Since the inauguration of President Trump, Federal actions and executive orders facilitated by Elon Musk's “DOGE” team have put Maryland at severe risk. Like many of my colleagues, I agree positive change can come through thoughtful, planned, and strategic efforts to make government more efficient. I have passed multiple bills to do just that. However, the unjust, and in some cases illegal, firings and office closures have been catastrophic to Maryland families and to our economy. District 30 and Anne Arundel County is especially vulnerable. In our County, over 10% of all gross income comes from Federal wages. These indiscriminate cuts are needlessly hurting families, in some cases lifelong civil servants, and I am committed to doing everything that I can do to support impacted families. 

Catastrophic Event Account and Federal Government Shutdown Employee Assistance Loan

Fund - Alterations (Protect Our Federal Workers Act)

The Protect Our Federal Workers Act, which I proudly co-sponsored, provides financial and legal tools to support Maryland’s 142,876 federal employees who are affected by Donald Trump’s cuts to the federal workforce. HB1424 expands existing funds and accounts to provide interest-free loans to federal workers impacted by unforeseen employment disruptions. The bill also provides an additional $1.5 million to the Attorney General to sue the Trump Administration for their wrongful and illegal firing of federal workers.

• The Trump–Musk assault on our federal workforce has resulted in the illegal termination of thousands of Maryland federal employees. Most recently, the Trump Administration closed two offices at the Social Security Administration in Woodlawn, leaving nearly 200 federal employees without a job or on leave.

• Cuts to the federal workforce impact every county in the State, not just the D.C. suburbs. More than 60 federal agencies are headquartered or have major operations in Maryland, from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore, attracting both workers and companies wishing to become federal contractors. Federal workforce cuts will be damaging to our entire state’s workforce and economy.

• The mass layoffs have a wide–ranging impact in both the public sector and private sector. They have adversely impacted veterans, who constitute 16% of our State’s federal workforce, and triggered more than 1,000 Maryland private sector layoffs. 

Immigration Enforcement

Public Safety - Immigration Enforcement (Maryland Values Act) 

HB1222, which I co-sponsored, creates a statewide standard for “sensitive locations” including public schools, libraries, and government operated facilities/buildings for immigration enforcement by the federal government. Under this bill, sensitive locations shall deny access to any portion of the building which is not accessible to the general public for purposes of immigration enforcement, including ICE detainers. Federal immigration officers may only enter if they provide a valid warrant, issued by a federal court, or in an emergency where necessary to prevent harm. The bill also requires government agencies to develop policies to prevent the sale of personal and geographic records which would harm privacy of state residents.

Criminal Procedure - U Nonimmigrant Status Petitions and Immigration Enforcement at Sensitive Locations 

This bipartisan immigration legislation, SB 608, improves the U Nonimmigrant petition process which is designed to give undocumented individuals who are victims of a crime safe harbor if they are helpful, or are likely to be helpful in the detection, investigation, and prosecution of criminal activity. The bill also clarifies that there is no statute of limitations for when the criminal activity occurred when it comes to the helpfulness.

Looking Forward

The times we find ourselves in are difficult on many levels. We are in a moral moment where I am motivated more than ever to do the work, to highlight the collective good in our community and lead with love. 

With the 447th legislative session behind us, I am looking forward to spending time again engaging directly with you in our community. As I have said many times, I don’t take this responsibility lightly or casually. As I carry out my work for you every day, my motivation and mission is always the same - how can we continue to strengthen the amazing community we all live in. I pledge to continue working in the best interests of the entire district, as I have for the last five years. 

I will be attending community events throughout the interim, and I hope to see you around the district soon. You can see our ever-changing schedule of events by going to my website or my social media where I will be adding events regularly. 

To stay up to date on the happenings here in the district, sign up for my newsletter via my website and please stay in touch with me throughout the year! You can follow me on Facebook, Bluesky, X, and Instagram to learn about volunteer opportunities, community resources, legislative updates and much more. If you need constituent assistance or want to let me know about things in your neighborhood, do not hesitate to call or email the office at 410-841-3211 or Dana.Jones@house.state.md.us.