This week the Maryland General Assembly will have several committee bill hearings. There are several bills to pay attention such as:
HB0097-Criminal Procedure - Expungement of Records - Waiting Periods- If enacted, it would alter the waiting periods applicable to the filing of petitions for expungement of convictions and expungement of records.
HB0035-Elections - In-Person Voting - Proof of Identity-Bill would require an election judge to establish a voter's identity through various methods, including a photo ID.
SB0164-Driver's Licenses - Suspension for Child Support Arrearages - Exception-This bill would provide an exception to the authority of the Child Support Administration to notify the Motor Vehicle Administration of an individual's child support arrearages for the purpose of suspending the individual's driver's license or privilege to drive if the obligor's income is at or below 300% of the federal poverty level; and authorizing the Child Support Administration to consider certain information in determining the income of an obligor.
The Senate will hear nominations for a number of District Court judges starting at 5:00 pm today.
The Virginia General Assembly will have several committee bill hearings. There are several bills to pay attention such as:
HB 1750-Cannabis control- establishes framework for creation of retail marijuana market-Would Establish a framework for the creation of a retail marijuana market in the Commonwealth, which the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority would administer. The bill allows the Authority to begin issuing marijuana licenses on January 1, 2024, but provides that no marijuana sales may occur prior to January 1, 2025.
HB 1903-School boards; online portal for parents to access content in school libraries.-Requires each school board to develop and adopt policies that include a requirement for the school board to (i) develop and maintain an online portal that is accessible by the parent of each student enrolled in the local school division whereby the parent may access a detailed description of the content of and other relevant information about each book contained in the library of the school that his child attends and (ii) email to the parent of a student enrolled in the local school division whenever such student checks a book out of the school library (a) the name of the book and (b) a link to such online portal.
HB 1669-Minimum wage; payment to employees younger than the age of 18.-Requires employers to pay employees younger than the age of 18 wages at a rate not less than the greater of (i) $9.00 per hour or (ii) the federal minimum wage.
In Washington, DC, it is a slow week. The DC Council has no full Council meetings this week, but DC's State Board of Education will discuss their OSSE Update on Draft Social Studies Standards, which have not been updated since 2006. Pubic comments on the draft standards will end on February 10. Significant shifts in the new standards include, but are not limited to:
A focus on thematic study rather than specific people, places, and dates.
More teacher choice and autonomy in the content taught
Directly examining the complex history of racism in the United States
Being less Euro-centric
Addressing white supremacy
Having world history more aligned with AP history content
This week in Maryland, the Montgomery County Council will have the final reading on Bill 33-22-Capital Improvements Program – Affordable Housing Feasibility Study – Required. If enacted, this bill would require the Department of General Services to submit an affordable housing feasibility study to the Council, establish a review process for the Council to determine project feasibility for the colocation of affordable housing; and amend County law regarding the analysis of capital projects. In the Prince George's County Council, they will review a letter to the Prince George’s County House and Senate Delegations regarding the Council's position on proposed State legislation. They will also have three bills introduced:
CB-005-2023-AN ORDINANCE concerning General Provisions—Development Authority Pursuant to the Prior Ordinance—Gas Station Uses
CB-007-2023-Rent Stabilization Act of 2023
CB-009-2023-AN ORDINANCE concerning Tobacco Shops, Electronic Cigarette Shops, or Retail Tobacco Businesses
Virginia, this week, is fairly quiet legislative-wise. There are no legislative meetings this week. However, the Alexandria City School Board will hold a meeting this Thursday. The school Board meeting can be watched live on the School Board Meetings webpage, or cable channel 71 in Alexandria.
Below is the list of the most important meetings occurring around the DC Area this week.

Click on the blue hyperlinks below for more information about each meeting.
District of Columbia

DC Council
Committee of the Whole Public Hearing-Monday, January 30 at 12:00 pm
Legislation/Policy of interest:
PR 25-48, the “Pennsylvania Avenue East Small Area Plan Resolution of 2022”
Performance Oversight Hearing: Committee on Housing-Tuesday, January 31 at 12:00 pm
The following agencies will testify:
Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions
Office on Returning Citizen Affairs
Commission on Re-Entry and Returning Citizen Affairs
DC State Board of Education
DC SBOE Working Session-Wednesday- February 1 at 5:00 pm
Legislation/Policy of interest:
Maryland

Maryland General Assembly
Maryland House of Delegates is in session: Will meet on Monday, January 29, at 8:00 pm
Public Health and Minority Health Disparities Subcommittee
Work session-Tuesday- January 31 at 11:00 am
Appropriations
Bill Hearing-Tuesday- January 31 at 1:00 pm
Environment and Transportation
Bill Hearing-Wednesday- February 1 at 3:00 pm
Bill Hearing-Thursday- February 2 at 1:00 pm
Ways and Means
Bill Hearing-Tuesday- January 31 at 1:00 pm
Bill Hearing-Wednesday- February 1 at 2:00 pm
Bill Hearing-Thursday- February 2 at 1:00 pm
Judiciary
Bill Hearing-January 31 at 1:00 pm
Bill Hearing-Wednesday- February 1 at 2:30 pm
Bill Hearing-Thursday- February 2 at 2:30 pm
Public Safety and Administration Subcommittee
Budget Hearing-Bill Hearing-Wednesday- February 1 at 4:00 pm
Post-Secondary and Higher Ed-Monday, January 23 at 10:00 am
Maryland Senate in session: Will meet on Monday, January 23, at 8:00 pm
Executive Nominations-Monday- January 30 at 5:00 pm
Budget and Taxation
Bill Hearing-Wednesday- February 1 at 2:00 pm
Bill Hearing-Thursday- February 2 at 9:00 am
Education, Energy, and the Environment-
Bill Hearing-Tuesday- January 31 at 3:30 pm
Bill Hearing-Thursday- February 2 at 2:00 pm
Finance
Bill Hearing-Wednesday- February 1 at 2:30 pm
Bill Hearing-Thursday- February 2 at 1:00 pm
Judicial Proceedings
Bill hearing-Tuesday, January 31 at 1:00 pm
Bill Hearing-Wednesday- February 1 at 1:30 pm
Bill Hearing-Thursday- February 2 at 1:00 pm
Pensions Subcommittee
Bill Hearing-Thursday- February 2 at 9:00 am
County Delegation Meetings and “Other” Meetings
Prince George’s County
County Affairs Committee -Wednesday- February 1 at 9:00 am
Law Enforcement Committee-Thursday- February 2 at 9:00 am
House Delegation Meeting-Friday- February 3 at 9:00 am
Montgomery & Prince George’s Counties
Bi-County Committee-Thursday, January 26 at 9:00 am
Montgomery
Land Use Transportation, and Public Safety Committee-Monday- January 30 at 11:00 am
Washington Metro Area Committee-Monday- January 30 at 7:00 pm
Southern Maryland
Accountability and Implementation Board
Virtual Meeting-Thursday, January 26 at 4:30 pm
Charles County

Board of Charles County Commissioners
Charles County Board of County Commissioners meeting-Tuesday, January 31 at 9:00 am
Legislation/Policy of interest:
Briefing: Indian Head Elementary School-Based Health Center
Charles County Board of Education
No Charles County Board of Education meeting this week
Montgomery County

Montgomery County Council
Montgomery County Council meeting-Tuesday- January 31 at 9:00 pm
Legislation/Policy of interest:
Bill 3-23- Environmental Sustainability – Montgomery County Green Bank
Expedited Bill 4-23- Administration – Non-Merit Positions – Special Projects Manager
Expedited Bill 5-23- Personnel and Human Resources – Prospective Employees – Health Care Privacy
Bill 6-23- Housing – Sharing Economy Rental
Call of Bills for Final Reading
Bill 33-22-Capital Improvements Program – Affordable Housing Feasibility Study – Required
Montgomery County Board of Education
Prince George’s County

Prince George’s County Council
Prince George’s County Council meeting-Tuesday, January 31 at 10:00 am
Legislation/Policy of interest:
LTR 01312023: Proposed letter to the Honorable Michael A. Jackson, Chair, Prince George’s County Senate Delegation and the Honorable Nick Charles, Chair, Prince George’s County House Delegation, transmitting the position of the Prince George's County Council on proposed State legislation (recommended at the 01/31/2023 General Assembly Committee meeting).
CB-005-2023-AN ORDINANCE concerning General Provisions—Development Authority Pursuant to the Prior Ordinance—Gas Station Uses
CB-007-2023-Rent Stabilization Act of 2023
CB-009-2023-AN ORDINANCE concerning Tobacco Shops, Electronic Cigarette Shops, or Retail Tobacco Businesses
Prince George’s County Board of Education
FY2024 Budget Work Session -Thursday, February 2 at 5:00 pm
FY2024 Budget Public Hearing-Thursday, February 2 at 7:00 pm
Virginia

Virginia General Assembly
Virginia House of Delegates in session: Will meet on Monday, January 23 at 12:00 pm
Committee meeting
Education-Monday, January 23 at 8:00 am
Communications, Technology and Innovation-Monday, January 23 at 10:00 am
Finance Subcommittee #1-Monday, January 30 at 7:00 am
Post-Secondary and Higher Ed-Monday, January 30 at 7:00 am
Rules Studies Subcommittee-Monday, January 30 at 8:00 am
Education-Monday, January 30 at 8:30 am
Communications, Technology and Innovation-Monday, January 30 at 8:00 am
General Government and Capital Outlay Subcommittee-Monday, January 30 at 10:00 am
Pre-K-12 Subcommittee-Monday, January 30 at 10:30 am
Virginia Senate not in session: Last adjourned June 1, 2022, at 2:58 pm
Committee meetings:
Judiciary-Monday, January 30 at 8:00 am
Local Government-Monday, January 30 at 9:00 am
Commerce and Labor-Monday, January 30 at 12:15 pm
Alexandria City

Alexandria City Council
Alexandria City Board of Education
Alexandria City School Board meeting-Thursday- February 2 at 6:30 pm
Arlington County

Arlington County Board
Arlington County School Board
Arlington County School Board meeting-Thursday- February 2 at 7:00 pm
Fairfax County

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
No Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting-Friday, February 3 at 4:00 pm
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