2019 Legislative Watch
Now that session has come to a close, click here to view our consumer wins (and challenges!) wrap up.
- HB 1256/SB 772: Debt Exemption
It has been 30 years since Maryland has raised its debt exemption threshold. We need to bring our exemptions up-to-date to account for the increased costs of living. In 1988, tuition at a four year college cost, on average, $3,190 per year. Today the average cost has increased by 213% to $9,970. The median rent in 1990 was $600 per month, while today it has more than doubled to $1,478. Wages haven’t kept up with the rising costs-of-living and neither have Maryland’s debt exemption laws. Time to pass legislation that would impose modest increases to our state's debt exemption threshold. Click here to read our FAQs about the bill and here to find out who would benefit from this bill. - HB 461/SB 400 and HB 464/SB 399: Protecting Students from Predatory For-Profit Schools
The for-profit college industry has a long and sordid history of aggressively recruiting students, putting them in huge amounts of debt, and not offering them degrees that lead to gainful employment.
As Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos dismantles regulations aimed at protecting students these high-debt, low-return schools, state Senator Paul Pinsky and Delegate Shelly Hettleman have proposed legislation in Maryland that would ensure that Maryland students aren’t driven into financial distress by predatory higher ed institutions. These bills would create stronger protections for Maryland students and taxpayers. - HB 329/SB 233: Education and Occupation in Auto Insurance
This legislation makes insurance more affordable for low-income drivers and working families by eliminating the use of education and occupation to set auto insurance rates. MCRC’s research and national research has found that high school graduates pay more than college graduates and blue collar workers pay more than white collar workers for car insurance. We believe drivers should be rated on their driving record, not their jobs or education. Click here to read our FAQs about the bill. - Lexington Law Firm opposition testimony.