
Legislative Achievements
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2025
HB0455 — Braille Flag Memorial Act of 2025(Co-sponsor)
Established a permanent memorial featuring the Braille U.S. flag to honor accessibility and inclusion.HB0707 — Eric’s ID Law(Co-sponsor)
Authorized notation of nonapparent disabilities on driver’s licenses and State IDs, improving communication in emergencies.HB0853 — Maryland Second Look Act(Co-sponsor)
Created a pathway for individuals serving lengthy sentences to petition for review and potential reduction.HB0902 — Coal Combustion By-Products(Co-sponsor)
Updated regulations, fees, and oversight mechanisms to safeguard public health and the environment.HB0930 — Public Health Abortion Grant Program(Co-sponsor)
Established a grant program and fund to ensure access to abortion care across Maryland.HB1083 — Behavioral Health Advisory Council/Commission(Co-sponsor)
Required a statewide plan for children’s mental health screenings and treatment under EPSDT.HB1100 — Health Equity Dashboard(Co-sponsor)
Directed the creation of a comprehensive dashboard to track disparities and drive equity in health outcomes.HB1473 — Equal Access to Public Services Act(Co-sponsor)
Expanded language-access services and accessibility protections for individuals with disabilities.HB0499 — Expungement Reform Act of 2025(By Request – Administration)
Streamlined expungement processes and modernized Case Search to reflect fairer access to justice.HB0500 — Procurement Reform Act of 2025(By Request – Administration)
Modernized Maryland’s procurement system to enhance transparency, efficiency, and inclusion.HB0501 — RAISE Act(By Request – Administration)
Expanded apprenticeship opportunities to strengthen Maryland’s workforce pipeline.HB0502 — Disability Employment & Maryland as a Model Employer(By Request – Administration)
Created a dedicated office to expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities in State government.HB0506 — Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act(By Request – Administration)
Secured sustainable long-term funding for Chesapeake Bay restoration and protection. -
2024
HB0501 — Charter Counties Enforcement of Local Laws(Primary Sponsor)
Clarified enforcement authority for charter counties to strengthen local governance.HB0285 — Property Appraisal & Valuation Equity Task Force(Co-sponsor)
Advanced fair housing by improving oversight of appraisal practices.HB0385 — Pay Stub Transparency(Co-sponsor)
Required clear, itemized information on employee pay statements.HB0449 — Flood Management Grants(Co-sponsor)
Expanded resilience funding for underserved and overburdened communities.HB0465 — Workplace Fraud & Prevailing Wage(Co-sponsor)
Increased penalties for wage theft and workplace fraud.HB0571 — Family & Medical Leave Insurance Program Reform(Co-sponsor)
Expanded access to paid leave benefits.HB0649 — Wage Range Transparency(Co-sponsor)
Mandated disclosure of wage ranges in job postings to promote pay equity.HB0728 — Access to Care Act(Co-sponsor)
Expanded healthcare access for Maryland’s immigrant communities.HB1051 — Maryland Maternal Health Act of 2024(Co-sponsor)
Strengthened maternal health coverage and improved health outcomes.HB1076 — Blind/Visually Impaired Students Textbook Equity(Co-sponsor)
Guaranteed timely access to learning materials for blind and visually impaired students.HB1259 — Breast & Lung Cancer Screening Coverage(Co-sponsor)
Required insurers to cover key cancer screenings without cost barriers. -
2023
HB0815 — Cancer Screening Equity Act(Primary Sponsor)
Expanded coverage and outreach for lifesaving cancer screenings.HB0283 — Trans Health Equity Act(Co-sponsor)
Required Medicaid to cover gender-affirming treatment.HB0376 — Breast Cancer Diagnostics(Co-sponsor)
Reduced out-of-pocket costs for breast cancer diagnostics.HB0535 — Election Procedures & 2024 Primary Date(Co-sponsor)
Adjusted Maryland’s election calendar and procedures.HB0626 — Human-Relevant Research Funding(Co-sponsor)
Directed funding toward alternatives to animal testing. -
2022
HB0479 — Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day (Primary sponsor)
Establishes an annual day honoring the barrier-breaking WWII service of the Tuskegee Airmen.HB0325 — State Procurement: Prompt Payment (Co-sponsor)
Tightens on-time payment standards to protect small and minority vendors.HB0324 — Minority Participation in Alcoholic Beverages Industry – Study (Co-sponsor)
Directs a study to identify barriers and expand equitable participation across the industry.HB0696 — Electric School Bus Pilot Program (Co-sponsor)
Launches utility-supported electrification of school bus fleets and grid-benefit pilots.HB1097 — Task Force on Property Appraisal & Valuation Equity (Co-sponsor)
Creates a task force to address appraisal bias and strengthen fair valuation.HB1187 — Highway User Revenues: Distribution (Co-sponsor)
Restores and stabilizes local transportation funding for roads, bridges, and safety. -
2021
HB0560 — Housing Discrimination: Reentry-Into-Society Status (Primary sponsor) Would have barred housing discrimination against Marylanders returning from incarceration; (unfavorable report).
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2020
HB0771 — Accessible Hotel Rooms: Bed Height (Co-sponsor)
Requires usable bed heights in rooms marketed as ADA-accessible.HB0837 — Maternal Mortality & Morbidity: Implicit Bias Training (Co-sponsor)
Standardizes training to reduce racial disparities in maternal health outcomes.HB0847 — State Coordinator for Autism Strategy (Co-sponsor)
Creates statewide leadership to align services and stakeholder input on autism.HB0917 — Hate Crimes – Basis (Lt. Richard Collins III’s Law) (Co-sponsor)
Clarifies standards to more effectively prosecute hate-motivated crimes.HB1029 — Clean Energy Jobs – Workforce Development (Co-sponsor)
Expands training pathways into family-sustaining clean-energy jobs. -
2019
HB0166 — “Fight for Fifteen” Minimum Wage Act (Primary sponsor)
Phased in a $15 statewide minimum wage, lifting earnings for working families across Maryland.HB0118 — Higher Education: Senatorial & Delegate Scholarships — In-State Tuition (Co-sponsor)
Ensured scholarship recipients can access in-state tuition, strengthening affordability and completion.HB0191 — Homeowner’s Insurance — Surviving Spouse Protections (Co-sponsor)
Prohibited discriminatory underwriting against surviving spouses, closing an unfair coverage gap.HB0214 — U-Visa Certification for Crime Victims (Co-sponsor)
Standardized certification for cooperative victims and witnesses, improving trust and public safety.HB0336 — Federal Shutdown Paycheck Protection Act (Co-sponsor)
Provided UI and emergency loan supports for civilian federal workers during shutdowns.HB0355 — County Boards of Education: Disclosures & Requirements (Co-sponsor)
Advanced transparency and ethical governance within local school systems.HB0428 — Flood Management Grants — Mandatory Funding (Co-sponsor)
Secured dedicated funds to help communities mitigate and recover from flood damage.HB0440 — P-TECH Expansion Act (Co-sponsor)
Scaled the early-college, tech-career high school model linking students to degrees and jobs.HB0477 — Public Safety Officer Property-Tax Credit (Co-sponsor)
Authorized local governments to offer targeted tax relief to first responders.HB0481 — Criminal Law — Sale of a Minor Reclassified as Felony (Co-sponsor)
Elevated penalties to reflect the gravity of child exploitation offenses.HB0506 — WIC Program Reporting — Maryland Department of Health (Co-sponsor)
Improved program oversight and accountability for women, infants, and children’s nutrition supports.HB0524 — Prevailing Wage — Employee Right to Sue (Co-sponsor)
Gave workers a direct civil remedy for unpaid prevailing wages on public works.HB0671 — Household Goods Movers — Registration (Co-sponsor)
Protected consumers by requiring mover registration and enforceable standards.HB0697 — Health Insurance Consumer Protections & Coverage Commission (Co-sponsor)
Shielded Marylanders from federal uncertainty and preserved core coverage safeguards.HB0768 — Prescription Drug Affordability Board (Co-sponsor)
Created an independent board to analyze high-cost drugs and set payment ceilings where warranted.HB0777 — Credit-Card Processors — Merchant Agreement Standards (Co-sponsor)
Brought fairness and clarity to merchant processing contracts for small businesses.HB0790 — Equal Pay for Equal Work — Civil Penalties (Co-sponsor)
Added enforceable penalties to make pay-equity protections bite in practice.HB0814 — Maryland Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Program (Co-sponsor)
Used tax filing to seamlessly connect uninsured residents to coverage.HB0874 — Postconviction Review — State’s Motion to Vacate (Co-sponsor)
Enabled prosecutors to move to vacate unjust convictions based on new evidence.HB1072 — Transportation Network Companies — Insurance (Co-sponsor)
Updated insurance rules to better protect ride-share passengers and drivers.HB1144 — School Systems — Language Access for LEP Families (Co-sponsor)
Required equal access to critical school communications for families with limited English proficiency.HB1266 — National Capital Strategic Economic Development Program (Co-sponsor)
Targeted reinvestment to long-neglected corridors in the Capital Region to spur inclusive growth. -
2018
HB0679 — County Boards of Education: Length of School Year – Adjustments (Co-sponsor)
Allows limited adjustments to the 180-day requirement in defined circumstances.HB0781 — Educational Excellence Awards – Diploma by Examination (Co-sponsor)
Ensures scholarship eligibility for students earning a high-school diploma by examination.HB0797 — Inmates – Menstrual Hygiene Products (Co-sponsor)
Requires correctional facilities to provide menstrual products at no cost.HB0811 — Collective Bargaining – Access to New Employee Processing (Co-sponsor)
Provides exclusive representatives appropriate access to new-hire orientations.HB1209 — Public Safety – Missing Persons – Information (“Eula & Danny’s Law”) (Co-sponsor)
Improves protocols for collecting and sharing missing-person information.HB1423 — State Personnel – Sexual Harassment Prevention Training (Co-sponsor)
Mandates sexual-harassment prevention training across State agencies.HB1596 — Disclosing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Act (Co-sponsor)
Limits certain nondisclosure terms and requires employer reporting on settlements.HB1697 — Education – Commercial Gaming Revenues – Constitutional Amendment (“Fix the Fund”) (Co-sponsor)
Locks casino revenues into K-12 funding as dedicated education dollars. -
2017
HB0523 — E-Cigarettes & Vaping Liquids – Licensing (Co-sponsor)
Creates a licensing framework to regulate sales of electronic nicotine products.HB0601 — Senior Call-Check Service & Notification Program – Establishment (Co-sponsor)
Establishes a free, opt-in daily check-in service for older adults.HB0602 — Keep Antibiotics Effective Act of 2017 (Co-sponsor)
Reduces routine antibiotic use in livestock to combat antimicrobial resistance.HB0773 — Clean Energy – Energy Storage Technology Study (Co-sponsor)
Directs a statewide study of storage technologies to strengthen grid reliability.HB1083 — Health – Family Planning Services – Continuity of Care (Co-sponsor)
Ensures continuity of family-planning services amid federal funding uncertainty.HB1169 — Connecting Rural Maryland Act of 2017 (Co-sponsor)
Boosts grants and coordination for rural broadband and economic development.HB1261 — Barbers – Penalties – Repeal (Co-sponsor)
Modernizes occupational licensing by eliminating certain criminal penalties.HB1270 — Credit Regulation – Unsecured Open-End Credit Plans – Fees (Co-sponsor)
Updates consumer-credit rules to curb predatory fee practices.HB1283 — Alcoholic Beverages – Class 5 Brewery License (Co-sponsor)
Supports craft-brewery growth while maintaining guardrails on retail operations. -
2016
HB0534 — Protective Orders – Notification of Service – Sunset Repeal (Co-sponsor)
Continues law-enforcement notification systems for serving protective orders.HB0659 — Victim’s Right to Restitution – Appeal (Co-sponsor)
Clarifies victims’ ability to appeal restitution decisions.HB0713 — School Behavioral Health Accountability Act (Co-sponsor)
Creates reporting systems to track school-based behavioral health services.HB0740 — Task Force to Study Family & Medical Leave Insurance (Co-sponsor)
Launches a task force to design a statewide paid family-leave program.HB0771 — Public Schools – Diabetes Care Services – Guidelines (Co-sponsor)
Updates statewide guidelines for diabetes care in K–12 schools.HB0849 — Rental Dwellings – Carbon Monoxide Alarms (Co-sponsor)
Requires carbon-monoxide alarms in rental units to protect residents.HB0852 — Municipal Elections – Tie Votes (Co-sponsor)
Sets clear rules for resolving tie votes in municipal elections.HB0854 — SHA – Relocation of Water/Sewer Lines – Cost Sharing (Co-sponsor)
Clarifies cost-sharing responsibilities when State projects require utility relocations.HB1012 — Tax Credit – Commuter Benefits (Co-sponsor)
Improves eligibility and amounts for employer-provided commuter benefit tax credits.HB1013 — Open Transportation Investment Decision Act (Veto Override) (Co-sponsor)
Implements data-driven scoring for State transportation investments.HB1342 — Drunk Driving Reduction Act (“Noah’s Law”) (Co-sponsor)
Expands ignition-interlock use and toughens penalties to reduce impaired driving.HB1624 — Transportation – Highways – Heroes Highway (Co-sponsor)
Designates portions of highways to honor fallen service members. -
2015
HB0672 — Maryland College Education Export Act (Co-sponsor) Allows Maryland colleges to deliver degree programs at out-of-state and international locations under clear quality safeguards.
HB0779 — Higher Education Outreach and College Access Pilot Program (Co-sponsor) Launches a pilot program to expand advising and college awareness for underserved high-school students.
HB0827 — Alcoholic Beverage Taxes — Wine Revenue Distribution (Co-sponsor) Redirects wine-tax revenue to strengthen public health and addiction-treatment funding.
HB0828 — Estate Tax — Filing of Tax Returns (Co-sponsor)
Streamlines estate-tax administration by requiring returns to be filed directly with the Comptroller.HB0847 — Community Colleges — Human Trafficking Victims Fee Exemption (Co-sponsor) Exempts trafficking survivors from out-of-county tuition fees and mandates annual reporting to strengthen access.
“Fight for Fifteen”
Minimum Wage Act
HB0166 — “Fight for Fifteen” Minimum Wage Act (2019, Primary Sponsor)
Phased in a $15 statewide minimum wage, lifting wages for working families and reducing economic precarity. “When you can’t afford rent, when you can’t afford food … these are real issues. We’re not saying it’s convenient. We’re saying it’s the right thing to do.” — Delegate Diana Fennell
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