Sponsored
Legislation
Scroll to view the comprehensive list of bills sponsored by Delegate Kevin M. Harris during the 2023 Legislative Session in Annapolis!
The Members of the Maryland General Assembly worked closely in partnership with Governor Moore to produce a balanced budget
Maryland’s Budget Bill, HB200 is one of the most important pieces of legislation the Maryland General Assembly must balance and pass each year. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I am proud to have had a direct impact on this year’s budget. The budget aims to ensure that the state's finances are secure while also making important investments in areas like transportation, education, infrastructure, and health care. The budget includes funds for pay raises to attract and retain great workers in state agencies, as well as record investments in public education to help students succeed, both behaviorally and academically. It also includes new investments in addressing the mental health crisis in Maryland, expanding child tax credits to support families in need, and prioritizing the development of renewable energy to create a clean and sustainable environment.
HB0809
State Procurement – Minority Business Enterprise Program – Extension and Reports
I sponsored this bill to change the date of when certain rules for the Minority Business Enterprise Program will end. Maryland's Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Program is a government initiative designed to help businesses owned by minorities, women, and disabled persons access government contracts. The program provides technical assistance, training, and certification to these businesses, and sets specific goals for state agencies to include MBEs in their procurement process. The bill will initiate a study of the Minority Business Enterprise Program to evaluate the Program’s continued compliance with the requirements of the Supreme Court Croson decision and any subsequent federal or constitutional requirements.
HB384
Institutions of Higher Education - Transcripts - Prohibition on Punitive Measures Related to Student Debt
Is one of the education bills that I am most excited for. Having been raised in a low-income household, I know firsthand how poverty can quickly become cyclical without proper outside intervention. This cycle is what I wanted to end when I co-sponsored HB384, which prevents colleges and universities from withholding transcripts because of outstanding debt. This practice of withholding transcripts prevents students from getting jobs or submitting applications to further their education. This bill will allow us to find fairer practices for recovering student debt.
HB705
Declaration of Rights - Right to Reproductive Freedom
Following the groundbreaking Supreme Court case, Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women’s Health, the country was shaken by the callous stripping of women’s reproductive rights. After this session, however, residents of Maryland have options and protections when it comes to abortion and contraceptives. This bill establishes a constitutional right to abortion and other reproductive health care. I co-sponsored this bill because it allows Maryland voters to decide whether the fundamental right to reproductive freedom should be enshrined in our state constitution, which is the highest level of protection that we can give to Marylanders in the wake of the devastating U.S. Supreme Court decision last summer which overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.