Past Legislative and Budgetary Priorities

2023 Priorities

The 2023 Maryland Legislative Session focused on the agency’s six causes – Achieving Independence, Aging with Dignity, Empowering Careers, Healing Trauma & Addiction, Supporting Children & Families and Welcoming New Neighbors. Catholic Charities submitted over 70 pieces of testimony in our own right and dozens more as part of our coalitions. Catholic Charities also took an active role in the budget process, advocating for adequate budgets for Catholic Charities’ programs and their clients.

Budget

In 2023, Catholic Charities prioritized a budget that provided the continuation of assistance that began during the pandemic as well as rate increases for behavioral health, developmental disabilities and senior care and other community-based programming.

Health

Catholic Charities prioritizes creating an affordable, accessible and robust healthcare system in Maryland. We advocate for accessible services for older adults and a behavioral health safety-net that includes a full continuum of services. In 2023, we focused on reducing waitlists for essential programs that allow older adults to age in place with adequate resources needed to employ a robust and skilled workforce. We also focused on ensuring that necessary behavioral services were available, fully funded and appropriately delivered to individuals and communities that have experienced trauma.

Immigration

Catholic Charities prioritizes legislation that recognizes the dignity of our immigrant and refugee neighbors. We advocate for the support and resources necessary for those who have newly arrived in this country to engage with and contribute fully to our communities and society. In 2023, we focused on increasing access and participation in government programs and services.

Workforce

Catholic Charities prioritizes promoting policies and programs that support working Marylanders. We advocate for policies and resources that allow all Marylanders to have the income and supports necessary to meet their and their families’ basic needs; for accessible and meaningful education and vocational programs to increase career opportunities. In 2023, we focused on ameliorating barriers to employment, as well as supporting a continuum of workforce development programming that is targeted to marginalized populations who have historically been left out of the workforce.

2022 Priorities

The 2022 Maryland Legislative Session continued to shape and refine the importance of Catholic Charities of Baltimore’s advocacy work. The global pandemic to cause disruptions for our Maryland communities and the challenges of systemic racism long built into our policies and society continued.

Though our work looked different than in years past, our mission and values remained the same and were reflected in the following policy priorities:

Budget

Catholic Charities will prioritize supporting a budget that provides for comprehensive COVID relief, including such things as enhanced safety-net programming for low-income Marylanders, unemployment insurance, housing and eviction assistance, and child care access. We will work with our partner organizations to ensure needed Medicaid provider rates are fully realized. We will continue to champion a budget that works to address and end poverty and economic marginalization.

Health

Catholic Charities will prioritize creating a health care system that is accessible, affordable, and robust, a system that will modernize behavioral health services, eliminate barriers for Marylanders seeking services and open pathways to insurance coverage for the uninsured and underinsured. We will advocate for a robust system of care for children and youth. We will support policies that promote violence prevention initiatives as a public health best practice. We will continue to advocate for better access to long-term care supports by centering the needs of our neighbors who want to receive their care in their homes and communities.

Immigration

Catholic Charities will prioritize legislation that recognizes the dignity of our immigrant and refugee neighbors, including creating pathways to obtain health insurance coverage, providing Marylanders with legal representation during immigration hearings, and removing barriers to public benefit programs for our neighbors without citizenship status.

Workforce

Catholic Charities will continue to prioritize meaningful leave policies, such as paid family leave and earned sick leave that allow for all Marylanders to take time to care for themselves and their loved ones. We will advocate for programs that provide tangible work experience and robust training opportunities. We will work to ensure all families who need access to child care are able to find quality, affordable options. We will support policies that will create and enhance a state transportation system that can equitably connect Marylanders to the places they work, learn, play and socialize.

2021 Priorities

The 2021 Maryland Legislative Session shaped and refined the importance of Catholic Charities of Baltimore’s advocacy work. The global pandemic caused disruptions for our Maryland communities and the illumination of systemic racism long built into our policies and society brought challenges.

Though our work looked different than in years past, our mission and values remained the same and were reflected in the following policy priorities:

Budget

Health

Catholic Charities will prioritize creating a health care system that is accessible, affordable, and robust, a system that will include behavioral health crisis services, behavioral health treatment on demand, and continued government support for delivering services through a telehealth model. We will advocate for a robust system of care for children and youth. We will support policies that promote violence prevention initiatives as a public health best practice. We will continue to advocate for better access to long-term care supports by centering the needs of our neighbors who want to receive their care in their homes and communities.

Immigration

Catholic Charities will prioritize legislation that recognizes the dignity of our immigrant and refugee neighbors, including policies that restore trust between the community and law enforcement, provide Marylanders with legal representation during immigration hearings, and programs that provide public benefits for our neighbors without citizenship status.

Workforce

Catholic Charities will continue to prioritize meaningful leave policies, such as paid family leave and earned sick leave, that allow for all Marylanders to take time to care for themselves and their loved ones. We will advocate for programs that provide meaningful work experience and training. We will work to ensure all families who need access to child care are able to find quality, affordable options. We will support policies that will create and enhance a state transportation system that can equitably connect Marylanders to the places they work, learn, play and socialize.

2020 Priorities

Inspired by our values to teach and to work for justice, we are focused on the following priorities:

Revisions to Temporary Cash Assistance

Tracking discussions around, and weighing in on proposed changes to, publicly funded programs such as and Temporary Cash Assistance is vital to Catholic Charities’ clients and communities. Under current state Temporary Cash Assistance program practices, failure to comply with a work requirement for any reason can lead whole families—not just adults—to lose benefits for up to 30 days. Catholic Charities is working for a change that would split the worker’s portion of the benefit from the family’s. While the cut will still affect household income, the change would help ensure children have some financial support at home.

Catholic Charities is also advocating, as it has for a decade, to increase the percentage of the state’s minimum living level on which TCA is based. That percentage has stood at 61 percent since 1996. In a bill before legislators this session, the percentage would increase to 71 percent, incrementally, over the next five years.

Revision to Child Support Guidelines

It may seem counterintuitive to set new child-support orders at a lower amount for low income noncustodial parents. But national and state data show that higher orders are more likely to result in complete default. State and national data demonstrate that higher orders are more likely to result in default. If orders are lower, noncustodial parents are more likely to pay, and the child is more likely to receive benefits.

Paid Family Leave

It can be hard on anyone to care for vulnerable family members or tend to serious health conditions – whether that involves nurturing a newborn or recovering from knee surgery. With a coalition of advocates, Catholic Charities is supporting a new way for Maryland workers to afford those challenges. The “Time to Care” proposal would create a state social-insurance program to provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave to eligible employees for military deployment, after the birth or adoption of a child, or to tend to their own or a family members’ significant health challenges. The program would cover up to 90 percent of income for the lowest wage earners, and up to 50 percent for those at higher income brackets.

The Budget

This year, the organization is paying particular attention to proposed changes to the Medicaid provider rates. In January, Gov. Larry Hogan proposed a budget that would cut in half a planned increase in that rates – from 4 percent to 2 percent. The change would amount to about $1 million less in provisions for a wide spectrum of Catholic Charities programs, including those related to behavioral health, supports for those with disabilities, and seniors.

2019 Priorities

Catholic Charities is back in Annapolis for the 2019 Maryland General Assembly legislative session.

Inspired by our values to teach and to work for justice, we are focused on the following priorities:

Time to care

It can be hard to take time off, even though people are healthier when workers take time to care for themselves or a loved one. We are advocating for legislation that establishes a Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program. This program would make paid leave available to Maryland workers for up to 12 weeks following the birth or adoption of a child and when needed to provide care for a family member or oneself. The leave would be funded through an insurance pool, into which workers and their employers contribute. The fact that it would be paid leave, and its funding structure, are what make it different from the existing FMLA program.

Child support changes

With a specific focus on low-income families, Catholic Charities advocates for tweaks to the program that will take into account both the custodial and noncustodial parents’ circumstances. This is so that what a judge orders as payment can be realistic enough that payment will be made. Right now, sometimes ordered payments are so much higher than a payer can afford that he or she simply doesn’t pay at all. A more realistic order may result in more frequent payments, rather than few or none. Legislation will be introduced this session to implement those recommendations.

The budget

The budget is the moral document of the state. It outlines the priorities of our society. When Gov. Larry Hogan’s appropriation is released on Friday, Jan. 18, our team will be ready to evaluate how it will affect the funding Catholic Charities receives from the state and the benefits our clients receive. Specifically, we’re watching Medicaid provider rates, funding of the Temporary Disability Assistance Program, and funding for the Homeless Youth Grant program.

2018 Priorities

A significant portion of the Advocacy Department’s work is focused on the State’s budget. For the FY 2018 budget, Catholic Charities prioritized the following:

Ensuring that Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) and Food Supplement Program (FSP, known nationally as SNAP) benefit levels, when combined, are at least 61% of the Maryland Minimum Living Level, as required in statute.
Increasing the Temporary Disability Assistance Program (TDAP) by $10/month, the first increase in over 15 years.
Increases in provider rates so for community service providers, including Medicaid, Foster Care and Developmental Disabilities.

2017 Priorities

The Healthy Working Families Act

This bill passed, but was vetoed by Governor Hogan.

Sponsors: Senator Middleton and Delegate Clippinger

Bill Numbers: SB 230/HB 1

Catholic Charities’ workforce development programs strive to place clients in full-time benefit eligible jobs with a salary over $10.00 an hour that allow the employee to earn paid time off. It is this type of “good job” that will help families build economic stability and transition out of poverty. The earned sick time bill would enable workers to earn a limited number of annual paid sick and safe days from their employer and would be a positive step for the State in its struggle to end poverty.

Keep the Door Open for Behavioral Health Providers

This bill was incorporated into the HOPE Act, which was passed and signed by the Governor.

Sponsor: Senator Guzzone and Delegate Hayes

Bill Numbers: SB476/HB580

Community behavioral health providers are the backbone of the public mental health system. Availability of outpatient services prevents costly hospitalizations. However, community behavioral health providers have only seen 6 modest rate increases in the last 19 years. This bill would provide rate relief into the future so that our community providers, including Catholic Charities, can keep their doors open.

Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit

This bill did not pass the General Assembly

Sponsor: Senator Madaleno and Delegate Hixson

Bill Number: SB 14/HB 2

The Maryland Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a common sense tax credit that helps people make ends meet and stay in their jobs despite low wages. The EITC benefits families, communities, and local economies. However, under current law, a worker who is not claiming any dependents must be between the ages of 25 and 64 to claim the tax credit. The credit also is insufficient for minimum wage workers trying to move up the economic ladder. This bill would allow 18-24 year olds without dependents to claim the credit, increase eligibility for the credit to 200% of the Federal Poverty Line, and would also increase the credit amount.