MHC Government Relations Committee Report
YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION 2022 Legislative Session Preview
by Kimberly K. Egan, MHC Co-President & Co-Chair of the MHC Government Relations Committee
Happy New Year! It’s January!
Which means the new session of the Maryland General Assembly is upon us. Te 2022 session opens on January 12 and closes on April 11, and the Maryland Horse Coun- cil’s Government Relations Com- mittee will be following all the activity. We will publish updates in this column every month dur- ing session, and we will also report on breaking news in our twice- monthly membership newsletter. Tis work is the core mission of the Maryland Horse Council, and we take it seriously.
Unlike the federal Congress, the Maryland legislature meets for 90
days a year only. Also unlike the federal Congress, it gets a prodigious amount of work done while in session. In the 90 days between January and April last year, the General Assembly considered 2,347 bills and passed 817 of them. We have no reason to expect the 2022 session to be any different. Tere are at least three bills this session that promise to be of particular benefit to our industry: the trail-head access bill; the right to ride bill; and the helmet law bill.
TRAIL-HEAD ACCESS BILL Sen. Katie Fry Hester (D-Carroll & Howard) has pre-filed legislation
to require anyone who leases DNR land to leave an access border suf- ficient in size to allow unobstructed access to trail heads by trail users and first responders. Too many of us have had an experience where first responders have been unable to reach public trails because the public ac- cess is obstructed by crops, debris, machinery, or what-have-you. We hope that as many trail users and trail user groups as possible will
submit written testimony in support because it will benefit all trail users – hikers, bikers, birders, walkers, runners, skiers, etc. – not just equestri- ans. We expect the committee hearing to be the second or third week of
January, and we will share information about when to submit testimony in support as soon as we have it.
RIGHT TO RIDE BILL Del. Sara Love (D-Montgomery) has pre-filed a bill to acknowledge
that “equine activities are a valued part of the state’s historical, cultural, and social heritage that provide unique, recreational benefits to residents of the state.” Te bill also says that “it is the intent of the General As- sembly that residents of the state have a right to engage in equine ac- tivities subject to regulations and restrictions under laws that the general assembly enacts.” Tis bill mirrors the language that the General Assembly passed last
session regarding a “right to hunt and fish.” Del. Love said at the hearing on that bill that equine activities deserve equal consideration by the Gen- eral Assembly because equine activities are just as integral to Maryland’s historical, cultural, and social heritage as hunting. After all, the first sanc- tioned Toroughbred horse race in America took place in Maryland (the Annapolis Subscription Plate), George Washington brought his hounds to chase fox at Doughoregan Manor and Burleigh Manor in Howard County, and there are more horses per square mile in Maryland than in any other state in the country, just for starters.
HELMET LAW Del. Mary Lehman (D-Anne Arundel & PG) plans to introduce legis-
lation this session to require anyone under the age of 18 to wear a helmet when riding on “a highway; a horse-riding path; or any other property open to the public or used by the public for pedestrian or vehicular traf- fic.” Te requirement would not apply to minors who are “practicing for, riding to or from, or competing or performing in a show or event where helmets are not historically part of the show or event; crossing a public highway that separates privately owned land; or engaged in an agricul- tural practice or pursuit.”
* * * * * If you are a member and would like to discuss these bills, or any other
bills, please contact the Government Relations Committee Co-Chairs, Jane Seigler (
seigler.jane@gmail.com) and Kim Egan (kegan@md-
horsecouncil.org). If you are not a member but would like to join the dialogue on equine- related policy in Annapolis, please join at
www.mdhorsecouncil.org/join.
Did you receive our latest legislative update? Te Maryland Horse Council typically monitors over 50 bills annually that may affect our state horse community, everything from minimum wage bills for our farm
workers to anti-harassment bills for our working horses. Become a member today and receive these updates throughout the legislative session. Join the Maryland Horse Council to receive legislative updates right to your email!
JOIN.MDHORSECOUNCIL.ORG
join.mdhorsecouncil.org www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580 THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION | JANUARY 2022 | 29
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
