The
Maryland House of Delegates
Health and Government Operations Committee
________
Chair
Government Operations Subcommittee
________
House Chair
Joint Committee on Health Care Delivery and Financing
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Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review
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Minority Health Disparities Subcommittee
Dan K. Morhaim, M.D.
Deputy Majority Leader
11th Legislative District
Baltimore County
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AnnapolisOffice
The Maryland House of Delegates
6 Bladen Street , room 362
Annapolis , Maryland 21401
410-841-3054
1-800-492-7122 Ext.3054
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District Office
8 Park Center Court #100
Owings Mills , Maryland 2117-5609
410-581-8712
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Emaildan.morhaim@house.state.md.us
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2008 END-OF-SESSION REPORT:
LEGISLATIVE UNSUNG HEROES
Each legislative session gets extensive media coverage.
High-profile issues and human-interest items receive the
most attention, so you've probably read about utility
rates, foreclosures, tech tax repeal, and the Smith Island
Cake.
But there are many bills that the media overlooks. These
bills may have more impact on state policy and average
citizens, but they are either too complex or not
controversial enough to warrant media attention. Often
these bills have a long history during which the issues
have been thrashed out, so there are no Democrat vs.
Republican fights to report.
The following is my list for 2008 Legislative
Unsung Heroes. All these bills passed. Their
numbers are listed too, so you can look up details at:
http://mlis.state.md.us. I
was actively involved with many of these bills as
lead-sponsor, co-sponsor, sub-committee chair, and/or House
floor manager.
Money: Efficiency, Economy, Streamlining
In the tension between raising revenues (taxes, fees,
surcharges, etc.) and cutting programs, there exists yet a
third path: making government operate more efficiently. The
following bills reduce waste, encourage competition for
state contracts, and trim bureaucracies. This gets into
complicated and arcane areas where the wheels of government
grind slowly. Boring? Yes. Important? Absolutely.
With procurement (State purchases) running at about $10
billion of the State's $30 billion budget, even small
percentage savings translate to big bucks.
Two examples.
HB 484 encourages unsolicited bids for state business. Why
wait for government to act? If the private sector has a
better idea, HB 484 lets that idea come forward.
HB 865 requires all state and county contracts be
advertised on EMaryland Marketplace, making it easier for
newer and smaller businesses to bid.
See also HB 142, 312, 358, 362, 484, 527, 561, 805, 881,
865, 1277, 1431.
Health Care
HB 120, 257, 343, 419, 580 are a series of bills that
affect every Marylander who takes prescription drugs. These
costs involve hundreds of millions – if not billions - of
dollars because pharmaceutical costs are the most rapidly
rising health care expense. Surely, that's worth some
attention.
Pharmacy Benefit Manager companies (PBM's) have sprouted
into existence over the past 15 years. Giant but obscure,
they manage the flow of money that pays for our medicines.
Along the way, a number of them figured out "creative" ways
to divert more money into their own pockets, which they
call "rebates" but others call "kickbacks." This has
led to a number of class action lawsuits, eventually
settled with millions of dollars in fines. But
litigation is costly and protracted. Bills to regulate
PBM's have failed in years past. But this year, under the
guidance of the Health and Government Operations Committee,
with participation by the Attorney General's Office, the
Maryland Insurance Administrator, pharmacists, and
eventually the PBM's themselves, consensus bills were
hammered out in hours of intense meetings. With bi-partisan
sponsorship and unanimous passage these five bills set up a
framework that protects consumers, supports health care
providers, controls costs, and maintains smooth – but open
– business operations.
See also HB 372 (veterans health), 906 (organ donation
registry), 1391 (health insurance for children), 1452
(speeds and simplifies registration for health care
programs), 1492 (CareFirst funds senior drug costs), and
1587 (increases federal health grants by $40 million).
Environment
By all accounts, this was a good session for the
environment. But overlooked and under-appreciated was SB
208- the Governor's bill to require that all new State
construction and major renovations and all new school
construction meet high-performance "green" LEEDS building
standards. Buildings use 71% of all energy, 50% of the
electricity, and 50% of the water. Green design standards
can reduce that use by 20% to 80%. There are even buildings
being designed that actually generate electricity. There
are more than environmental gains: green buildings reduce
absenteeism and increase productivity for workers, and
green schools lead to significant improvement in student
test scores. Reducing global warming and protecting the
environment are laudable goals, but building green is the
most effective way of achieving those goals.
Maryland is now in the forefront of modern building design.
With the State setting the standard, the stage is set for
more homes and commercial construction to build green, as
architects and contractors (who both supported this bill)
will be able to consistently build to LEEDS standards.
Children
Problems with group homes and the juvenile justice system
continue, despite legislation passed in recent years. SB
742, 782, and 783 require group homes to meet standards
while protecting neighborhoods from excessive concentration
of these facilities. This will improve care and outcomes
and constrain unscrupulous group home operators. HB 1158
helps reduce bullying and abuse in schools. It's
important to get kids on the right path, before they become
adult criminals.
Biotechnology and the Life Sciences
Many believe the future of Maryland lies in biotech. We've
done well, with great institutions like Johns Hopkins
University, University of Maryland, and UMBI (University of
Maryland Biotechnology Institute) and federal facilities,
such as the NIH (National Institutes of Health) and NCI
(National Cancer Institute). We've got a growing private
sector with companies at the cutting edge of research. But
competition is fierce, and it comes from North Carolina to
Dubai to Korea. This year marked the formation of the
Maryland General Assembly's Biotechnology and Life Sciences
Caucus, which I chair. With membership from across the
state and from both parties, the Caucus is working with the
academic, research, and business communities to build our
biotech infrastructure. Not only does this lead to jobs and
economic growth, new technologies and products help with
health care and the environment. The Caucus gave its
support to HB 723 (biotech investment incentive) and HB
1409 (promotes nanobiotechnology).
I'd also like to thank my staff for their hard work: Mary
Lou Cole, Penny McDougal, Tyler Cymet, Keshia Pollack, and
Shannon Frattaroli.
I am honored to serve the 11th District of northwest
Baltimore County with my teammates Bobby Zirkin, Jon
Cardin, and Dana Stein. Together we share a common vision
to improve our community. Your priorities are clear,
and we have worked hard to reflect them.
Please stay in touch on any issue.
Sincerely,
Delegate Dan Morhaim