image description

MD General Assembly to Include “Racial Impact” Statements in Legislative Process

February 1st, 2021 by WCBC Radio

Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne Jones announced Monday that the General Assembly will become only the fourth state legislature in the country to include racial impact statements as part of its legislative process and deliberations.  In do so, Maryland joins Connecticut, Iowa and New Jersey.

The Department of Legislative Services will work with Bowie State University and the University of Baltimore's Schaefer Center to compile the necessary data for analysis related to criminal justice reform legislation. The information will be made public during policy debates. Impact statements will be provided in addition to fiscal analysis on the bills selected for the first phase of implementation this year.

In a statement, Ferguson said the change "will provide a more holistic picture of the effect of legislation proposed and debated by the General Assembly."