Did You Know? (September 2016) newsletter distributed by the Office of Intergovernmental Relations, Montgomery County, MD
Montgomery County Maryland sent this bulletin at 09/30/2016 12:43 PM EDT
Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing – Montgomery County Joins NIIMBLE Partnership in National Competition
Montgomery County is pleased to be a partner along with the University of Maryland in the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) proposal in response to the Department of Commerce's National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) competition. Along with the University of Maryland, the NIIMBL team includes partners from other Maryland institutions of higher education, non-profits and biotherapeutics companies and will help maintain U.S. preeminence in biomanufacturing by creating new technologies and products for the betterment of human health.
The biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry is growing rapidly in Maryland and nationwide. In 2012, biomanufacturing represented an estimated $789 billion of total economic activity in the United States, roughly 2.9% of GDP. In Maryland, we are home to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), several nationally ranked research universities and over 70,000 life sciences jobs. Recently, Genetic and Engineering News ranked Maryland’s biotechnology sector as the 4th most active in the country. However, significant challenges to this growing industry exist that, unless addressed, will hamper future economic success. The creation of a dedicated biopharmaceutical manufacturing NNMI Institute will address these challenges and ensure that the United States remains the global leader in biomanufacturing.
Located in Montgomery County, the University of Maryland’s Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (IBBR) is perhaps the premier focal point for biotechnology research in the region; a joint Institute between UMD, UMB and the NIST, it will serve as a key partner in the NIIMBL consortium. IBBR scientists and engineers draw on the rich diversity and expertise of these three great institutions. Headquartered in Shady Grove, it is also embedded in the heart of Maryland’s biotechnology corridor. IBBR is a unique entity in that it fosters integrated cross-disciplinary team approaches to scientific discovery and translational development and education, while promoting commercialization initiatives that serve the expanding biosciences industry in the state of Maryland and across the country.
NIIMBL has the potential to substantially enhance our domestic competitiveness in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. This is critical to our economy, but also to the safety and security of our nation, as well as the health and prosperity of our citizens. The County is excited to be a part of this potentially game changing initiative.
WMATA Compact Amendment
A WMATA compact amendment to create a State Safety Oversight Agency to oversee WMATA’s rail operations must be passed in identical form by DC, Virginia and Maryland by February 7, 2017 if DC, Virginia and Maryland want to avoid financial penalties that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) may impose. With that tight schedule in mind, the Maryland General Assembly’s WMATA-Metro Work Group has been working to ensure that this important legislation is ready to go once the Session convenes. The DC Council will hear its compact bill on October 4th, where amendments are expected. Maryland’s Joint Committee on Federal Relations will hold a hearing on the WMATA compact at 4 p.m. on November 2nd in the House Environment and Transportation Committee.
Liquor Control Workgroup
The Liquor Control Workgroup created by the County Executive to study organizational models for liquor control and distribution in the County has continued to evaluate different operational models that will further the goals of providing high quality customer service at competitive prices without negatively impacting County revenues. In three meetings held in August and September, the Workgroup learned more about the private beer wholesale business, a private management model proposed by Delegate Ben Kramer and other organizational models currently operating in other jurisdictions.
On behalf of the Workgroup, the County retained Public Financial Management Inc. (PFM) to analyze various organizational models submitted for consideration by Workgroup members and stakeholders. Among other things, PFM was asked to analyze the impacts each model would have on customer service, revenues and bonds. Following the Workgroup’s third meeting on September 15th, where PFM presented its preliminary analysis of the various organizational models, PFM was asked to conduct additional analysis on several models and to submit a final report to the Workgroup.
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Montgomery County’s Earned Sick and Safe Leave Law Takes Effect October 1
Montgomery County’s new Earned Sick and Safe Law goes into effect on October 1. It will require most employers in the County to provide earned sick and safe leave to employees for work performed in the County. The law requires employers to provide earned sick and safe leave at a rate of at least one hour for every 30 hours an employee works in the County -- up to 56 hours in a calendar year. To help small businesses, an employer with fewer than five employees would have to provide an employee with up to 32 hours of paid sick and safe leave per year plus an additional 24 hours of unpaid sick and safe leave.
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- Summary of key provisions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Bill 60-14 – Earned Sick and Safe Leave (enacted June 13, 2015)
Two bills currently pending at the County Council would modify the new law. Currently, an employee may use earned sick and safe leave for several enumerated purposes. Bill 32-16 would add the following two purposes for which the leave may be used: (1) for the birth of a child or placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care; and (2) to care for a newborn, newly adopted or newly placed child within one year of birth, adoption, or placement. This bill is scheduled for worksession before the Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee on October 17. Bill 27-16 would: (1) exempt a seasonal employee who works less than 120 calendar days in a year at an amusement or recreational program that operates for less than 120 calendar days each year; and (2) provide that an employee who is paid exclusively on a commission basis accrues only unpaid sick and safe leave. The public hearing for Bill 27-16 was held on July 19 but it is not currently scheduled for a committee worksession.
More Details
- Council staff analysis of Bill 32-16
- Video of Public Hearing on Bill 32-16
- Council staff analysis of Bill 27-16
- Video of the Public Hearing on Bill 27-16
Minimum Wage Bill Pending at Council
The County Council is currently considering legislation that would increase the County’s per-hour minimum wage, which was first created in 2013 with a phased in rate of $8.40 in 2014, $9.55 in 2015, $10.75 in 2016 and $11.50 in 2017. Bill 12-16 would extend the incremental increases further to reach $15 by 2020, with an increase to $12.50 in 2018, $13.75 in 2019 and $15.00 in 2020. This legislation is similar to a law enacted in the District of Columbia in June of this year, which increases the District’s per-hour minimum wage from the current rate of $11.50 to $15.00 by 2020. It is also similar to legislation pending in Baltimore City, which would raise the City’s per-hour minimum wage from $8.25 to $15.00 in 2020. The State’s minimum wage is currently $8.75 and is scheduled to increase to $9.25 in 2017 and $10.10 in 2018.
If the legislation pending at Council is enacted, the County’s minimum wage would be roughly twice the minimum wage of Fairfax County and other suburban Virginia jurisdictions, nearly 50% higher than Frederick and Howard Counties and 30% higher than Prince George’s County. The Council’s Health and Human Services Committee held 2 worksessions on the bill in July and is expected to hold another worksession later this year in order to further analyze the complex issues relating to the bill, including the potential costs and benefits to employers and workers, whether the bill should include an “off ramp” to stop future increases based on economic factors and whether $15 is the appropriate goal.
Maryland’s Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation currently enforces the County’s minimum wage law, and the pending bill would not change this enforcement mechanism.
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Additional Voting Equipment Approved by Board of Public Works
Thanks to strong advocacy efforts by the Montgomery County Board of Elections for over a year and support from the County Executive, County Council, our State Delegation and MACo, the County was successful in getting extra voting equipment that was identified by the Board as necessary to avoid long lines at the general election in November. The Board of Public Works approved the lease for this additional equipment on August 17, and also agreed that the County and State Board of Elections would split the costs 50/50.
This issue was raised by members of the State Delegation during the 2016 Session and kept alive by Senators Cheryl Kagan and Craig Zucker this summer, when they pressed the State Board of Elections for help during a summer briefing on elections issues held by the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee (EHEA).
Montgomery County K-12 Education Workgroup
The Montgomery County K-12 Education Workgroup met for the second time on September 19th to continue its evaluation of State level activity and discuss strategy for advocacy efforts moving forward. The Workgroup continues to monitor the work of the 21st Century Schools Commission (Knott Commission), the Adequacy of Education Funding Stakeholder Group (Adequacy Stakeholder Group) and the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education (Kirwan Commission). At the recent meeting, representative of MCPS provided an outline of specific requests for changes to the public school construction process that would provide more administrative flexibility and reduce delays and costs of public school construction. These requests are outlined further in following link:
State level active is moving forward. The Knott Commission announced that it will continue its work during 2017. The Adequacy Stakeholder Group is expected to issue a final report regarding adequate funding for education by December 1st and the Kirwan Commission met for the first time on September 29th.
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