Numerous Anti-Sportsmen Bills Defeated and Maryland’s 2024 Legislative Session Adjourns “Sine Die”

Why It Matters: The 2024 Maryland Legislative Session adjourned, “Sine Die”, on Monday, April 8^th. With that, five anti-sportsmen bills the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) engaged on failed, of which two egregious anti-sportsmen bills died as they did not pass out of both chambers before the deadline. Senate Bill 983 (SB 983) would have started the process of a lead ammunition ban for all hunting in the Old-Line State. Additionally, House Bill 935 (HB 935) and Senate Bill 784 (SB 784) would have created an additional 5% excise tax on the sale of firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition, in addition to the state’s 6% sales tax (totaling 11%) to provide funding for several programs including a physician services fund, trauma center funding, firearms violence prevention, and others.

Highlights:

• In Maryland, the 446^th session of the General Assembly convened in Annapolis Maryland on January 10^th, 2024, and adjourned, “Sine Die” on April 8^th, 2024.
• SB 983 sought to require the MD DNR to establish a certain process to phase out lead hunting ammunition on or before December 31, 2026. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) submitted a written letter of opposition as well as testified in person on February 27^th to fight this legislation.
• HB 935/SB 784 sought to impose an 11% excise tax on firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition to fund several programs for medical services and violence prevention and intervention funds. CSF submitted a written letter of opposition to fight this legislation.
• SB 17/ HB 667 would have lumped hunting and fishing under animal cruelty language without recommended amendments offered by CSF. While those amendments were adopted, with the session adjourned, both bills have failed, and the Maryland sporting community will continue to enjoy time honored traditions without fear of becoming criminals.

In the letter of opposition for SB 983, CSF pointed out the long-term effects of a statutory ban on lead hunting ammunition and how it is detrimental to conservation funding, which is directly funded and supported by sportsmen and women. Additionally, CSF stated that “there is no shortage of proven-successful voluntary and incentive-based programs run by other states to encourage hunters to switch to lead alternatives that avoid these unintended, but foreseeable consequences.” CSF encouraged the legislature and the DNR to work together to implement incentive-based programs for the use of non-lead hunting ammunition by hunters if there exists demonstrable scientific evidence that such an effort is needed to address population-level impacts of lead exposure in specific wildlife species. CSF further recommended that such a program be developed and tested prior to any further consideration of a statutory ban on lead ammunition with its attendant and consequential diminishment of conservation funding.

Many legislatures are seeing a “copy and paste” effect of California’s “sin tax” legislation, imposing an 11% excise tax on the purchase of firearms and ammunition on the backs of law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen and women; Maryland was no exception. HB 935/SB 784 sought to implement and impose an additional 5% excise take to the states 6% sales tax (totaling 11%) to assist in funding several programs. The bill specified that 44% of the funds would be allocated to the Maryland Trauma Physician Services Fund, 29% to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center, 23% to the Violence Intervention and Prevention Program, 2% to the Survivors of Homicide Victims Grant Program within the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy, and 2% to the Center of Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention with the Maryland Department of Health.

Finally with the adjourning 446^th session of the General Assembly, SB 17/ HB 667 would have lumped hunting and fishing under animal cruelty language without recommended amendments offered by CSF. While those amendments were adopted, with the session adjourned, both bills have failed, and the Maryland sporting community will continue to enjoy time honored traditions without fear of becoming criminals.

CSF thanks the Maryland’s Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus for keeping Maryland’s sportsmen and women in mind during this legislative session as well as promoting sound wildlife and fisheries management in the Old-Line State. CSF looks forward to continuing to work with the Caucus and planning for the 2025 Legislative Session, convening in January of 2025.