Planning for the 2019 Legislative Session

The Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce has an active Legislative Affairs Committee, along with a professional lobbyist who works on our behalf in Annapolis. We meet weekly during session to discuss upcoming bills and make decisions on the chamber's position. In addition, the Chamber's President & CEO has been selected to serve on the Maryland Chamber Legislative Committee which meets weekly in Annapolis. She also serves on the Maryland Tourism Coalition's Legislative Affairs Committee.

As a board, it is imperative to get the membership's opinion on these issues before we formulate an official stance. This fall we are working on critical issues that we know will reemerge during the 2019 session and we need your input.

Kindly take a few minutes to complete our survey!

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* 1. Please list the name of your business or industry you represent. This will help us understand the diversity of our respondents.

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* 2. How long have you been a member of the Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce?

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* 3. As a member, do you feel that having a professional contracted lobbyist/legislative advisor enhances the value of your membership?

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* 4. As you may know, the Sick and Safe Leave Act (Paid Leave) was passed during the 2018 session.  We will be working with the MD Chamber as well as other advocacy groups and our legislators to introduce amendments that would help alleviate some of the more onerous parts of this law that impact small and seasonal businesses. Please indicate any impact that this has had on your business thus far.

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* 5. Please indicate if you feel any of the following exclusions should be made for the Paid Leave legislation.

  Support

 Do Not Support
Seasonal Business Exemptions
Minimum Business Size Exemptions (e.g., 20 or fewer employees)
Use for full time employees only (e.g., 30 + hours per week)
Ability to earn leave, but it cannot be used until a specific number of days of employment (e.g. 120-150 days)
Accrual of leave based on hours worked, not days

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* 6. Association Health Plans (AHPs) are group health plans that employer groups and associations offer to provide health coverage for their members’ employees. They allow small employers, through associations, to gain regulatory and economic advantages available to large employers. By participating, all of the employees of the members are part of the same group allowing the risk to be spread across a larger group of individuals instead of restricting the risk to just the employees of a specific business. It is common knowledge that individual health insurance premiums are lower for more lives that are covered under that plan. And the plan benefits are better.

However, Maryland is preventing this opportunity for small businesses by denying them true participation in AHPs. During the 2018 Legislative Session, the General Assembly passed the Maryland Healthcare Access Act of 2018. That Act included language that prohibits a small business’s owners, employees and family members from being included in the pool of an AHP.

Please indicate if you would be supportive of amending this bill to allow for organizations such as the Ocean City Chamber to offer these plans to members.

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* 7. An ongoing issue that the chamber has been working on is to support a Post- Labor Day school start date to be mandated throughout Maryland. This has a significant impact on our region and our businesses from both a workforce and economic development/tourism perspective. In 2016 the Governor announced an Executive Order mandating this policy, however, there is always a possibility for legislation to be introduced to alter this policy.

Please indicate your position to maintain the Post- Labor Day school start mandate.

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* 8. One of the Chamber's top priorities has been to advocate for increases in funding for Tourism Promotion in Maryland.  The MD Tourism Development Board qualifies for an increase for the upcoming Fiscal Year under the Tourism Promotion Act of 2008.  Do you support the chamber lobbying for this increase?

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* 9. There has been much discussion about the Wind Project off the coast of Ocean City (e.g., visibility of turbines, cost to taxpayers). Please comment on your position regarding this project.

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* 10. The Chamber is looking to support legislation that would create a seasonal category or fee schedule for Unemployment Insurance in Maryland. Would you support this effort?

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* 11. We expect that the"Fight for Fifteen", which is legislation to mandate a $15 minimum wage will be introduced again this session. Please comment on how this would impact your business or organization.

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* 12. Over the past few sessions, legislation has been introduced, yet failed, to help "level the playing field" for online travel companies and platforms such as Airbnb. This would require them to abide by the same regulations and tax structures as other businesses in Maryland.  Would you support Chambers continued advocacy for this legislation?

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* 13. The Chamber supports a pro-business environment. We anticipate a number of bills being re-introduced that could negatively impact small businesses such as mandated paid leave, restrictive scheduling and increased minimum wage. If we needed to have Ocean City businesses represented during these bill hearings, would you be willing and able to go to Annapolis to testify on behalf of the Ocean City business community? Having a business person face to face during hearings has a tremendous impact on legislators.

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