Attorney General Frosh Announces 2022 Legislative Priorities
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Attorney General Frosh announced his priority legislation for the 2022 General Assembly session on Monday.
The agenda will focus on public safety, environmental laws, tenet protection and anti-wage theft measures.
"Our legislative agenda is focused on protecting the health and safety of Marylanders and of our environment," said Attorney General Frosh. "Our proposals eliminate the dangerous and growing threat of ghost guns, bolster efforts to protect our drinking water, protect hardworking employees from becoming victims of wage theft, and provide additional protections for tenants against unscrupulous landlords."
The four main priorities are:
- Ghost Gun Ban - This legislation aims to ban ghost guns by clarifying the definition of "firearm" and prohibiting possession of ghost guns by 2023.
- Increased Filing Fee For Landlord-Tenant Actions - This piece of legislation aims to reduce eviction filings by increasing the filing fee to make it consistent with other states. Maryland's $15 filing fee is one of the country's lowest fees. The bill will also keep landlords from passing these increased filing fee charges onto tenants.
- Comprehensive Environmental Enforcement Legislation - From enforcing safe drinking water to improving wastewater facility operation, this bill will allow the Maryland Department of the Environment to partake in greater legal recourse against those who violate environmental rules and regulations.
- Standardizing the Definition of "Employer" - In order to protect worker from wage theft, this bill will create a standard definition of "employer" in the Employment Standards and Conditions Title.
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