January 13, 2026

The 449th Legislative Session begins tomorrow at noon. As always, I am focused on a jam-packed legislative agenda advancing practical, thoughtful policies that reflect the needs of Gaithersburg, Rockville, and the entire state. I submitted the following 13 bills for early consideration by my colleagues; many have passed the Senate in previous sessions. See what you think!

Increasing Public Safety (9-1-1 and 3-1-1)

• 3-1-1 Non-Emergency System (SB114/HB9): Establishes a first-in-the-nation 3-1-1 system using Artificial Intelligence to route non-emergency requests and reduce the burden on our 9-1-1 Centers.
• 9-1-1 Specialist Retirement (SB148/HB13): Aligns retirement benefits for 9-1-1 Specialists with other First Responders. This bill passed the Senate unanimously last year; we are optimistic about House passage.

• Keeping Charities Nonpartisan (SB4): Codifies the 1954 “Johnson Amendment” to preserve nonpartisanship amid federal challenges.
• G.R.E.E.N. (Green and Renewable Energy for Nonprofits) (SB23): Creates an interest-free revolving loan fund so that nonprofits can use renewable energy and reduce their carbon footprint.
• Removing the Navigator Sunset (SB69/HB147): Eliminates the two-year limit on the Nonprofit Navigator position (first in the nation and a national model!), strengthening outreach for our 41,000+ nonprofits.

• Special Elections (SB5/HB50): Replaces the current political party appointment process with special elections for some legislative vacancies.
• “Ballot Access” (SB132/HB156): Allows unaffiliated voters to participate in primary elections throughout Early Voting.
• Exploratory Committees (SB65/HB157): Ensures that exploratory campaign committees are more transparent and accountable.
• Simplified Ballot Language (SB 29/HB 44): Requires state and local ballot text to be in plain language so voters are better informed before they cast a ballot.

• Civic Excellence (SB204/HB57): Creates an optional civics-focused recognition program guided by the Maryland State Department of Education.
• Local Boards of Education Transparency (SB99/HB154): Requires standardized compliance with transparency laws, ensuring accountability and public access.

Promoting Inclusion

• “Church to Faith” (SB93/HB3): Updates Maryland law books to replace “churches” with “faith institutions” to acknowledge all religions.

Protecting the Arts

• Public Artists (SB41): Strengthens artists’ rights in State-commissioned public works and creates a statewide public art database.

I hope you’re planning to join us this Thursday, January 15, at 7pm for a virtual Town Hall. You’ll need to RSVP in order to get the Zoom link.

You can visit Annapolis for District 17 Night on Monday, January 26, at 6pm. Reserve your place for our dinner and behind-the-scenes look at the Senate and House.[To reserve a seat on the Rockville bus, email Tanya Porter.]

Keeping Up with Kagan!

I am deeply honored to represent the people of Gaithersburg and Rockville, and I hope to see you soon in the community! In the meantime, please follow me on Facebook (@CherylCKagan), Twitter/X (@CherylKagan), and Instagram (@CherylCKagan) for photos and posts. My website has a portal to request help with challenges you’re having with State government. And, you can always send me questions or comments via email.

Best,

District 17 (Gaithersburg & Rockville)

Vice Chair, Education, Energy, Environment (& Elections!) Committee

www.CherylKagan.org

P.S. Congratulations to our former District 17 Delegate, Kumar Barve, on his elevation to CHAIR of the critically important Public Service Commission. His leadership and decades of public service will continue to benefit Maryland.

P.P.S. I want to close by honoring Tracy German, a friend and respected member of the 9-1-1 community who died last week. Tracy served on the

9-1-1 Commission I chaired as the representative of 1,400 9-1-1 Specialists. Her dedication to public safety and helping others will be deeply missed.