Gas tax hike, police reform, relief for veterans: New laws in Md. take effect July 1 – WTOP News

Hundreds of new laws will go into effect in Maryland on Saturday, including one that’s designed to give retired veterans a break.

The Keep Our Heroes Home Act will boost the amount of tax-exempt income for retired veterans in Maryland from $15,000 to $20,000 — that applies to those 55 and older.

For younger retired veterans, the amount that will be exempt from state taxes will rise from $5,000 to $12,500. The changes apply for the 2023 tax year.

Members of the Maryland National Guard will also see a new benefit go into effect July 1. They’ll be eligible for reimbursements of up to $60 a month on their health and dental plans.

Under police reform legislation, law enforcement agencies in Maryland will be required to make sure their on-duty officers are equipped with body-worn cameras. But for those smaller agencies that struggle with the expenses tied to file storage and camera cost, there’s a provision that requires the state to help negotiate affordable contracts.

Protections for student athletes in Maryland public schools will expand under another new law. Schools will be required to let students and their families know how to file sexual misconduct complaints. They’ll also have to identify who serves as the school’s Title IX coordinator and explain to families what support is in place when a complaint is filed.

There’s a new bill designed to add more transparency to the operations of the State Ethics Commission. Under the new law, the commission’s meetings would be livestreamed.

One of the sponsors of the bill, Democratic Del. Marc Korman, told lawmakers during the legislative session in Annapolis that the Commission would still be able to go into closed session when necessary, because “obviously they handle lots of sensitive enforcement matters,” but during the portions that are open to the public, the meetings should be available online.

And it’s not a new law, but Maryland’s gas tax goes up every year on July 1. So if you fill your tank Saturday, you’ll pay about a nickel more. The gas tax goes to 47 cents a gallon.

The main reason behind the additional tax is to allow the revenue raised to be used to pay for future transportation projects. The automatic increase was indexed to inflation starting in 2013 under former Gov. Martin O’Malley.

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