A first report card for new Jewish Federation of Annapolis & the Chesapeake

The 2026 Maryland State Legislative Session was the first one for the brand new Jewish Federation of Annapolis & the Chesapeake (JFedA-C.org). While we are still new and are learning, thanks to many partners and volunteers, it was a big success!

The new Federation decided early on to focus on both security issues and fighting antisemitism. At the very start of the legislative session, fully 60 volunteers from the Federation joined established Jewish Federations and Jewish Community Relations Councils for Maryland Jewish Advocacy Day. This is an annual event that has been run successfully for years. However, thanks to our new Federation, now Jews in more Maryland counties are able fully participate.

JFedA-C worked in coalitions led by the Baltimore Jewish Council, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, ADL and others. This was instrumental. One example of this partnership was that the Baltimore Jewish Council organized a follow up meeting with Maryland leaders where Federations from across the state could again make a case on key policy items.

Over the 90-day legislative session, JFedA-C volunteers went to every single office in the statehouse – reaching out to Democrats and Republicans alike from across the state with a shared agenda. This included providing testimony on a number of key bills of concern to the Jewish community.

During the legislative session, several teens from Bowie, Annapolis, Severna Park and other areas in the community participated in the first-ever Jewish Legislative Shadow Day. They got to meet elected officials who are Jewish, learn what it’s like to work as staff in the Maryland legislature, and to hear from Maryland’s Speaker of the House, Joseline Pena-Melnyk.

Below is a scorecard on legislation that the Jewish Federation of Annapolis & the Chesapeake supported that impacts Maryland’s Jewish families and students and communities across the state.

PASSED AND ALREADY SIGNED INTO LAW:

Protecting Against Hate Crimes Grant Program
($10 million, level funding)
The Protecting Against Hate Crimes Grant (PAHC) in the Governor’s budget was established in FY2020 because of the unfortunate rise in hate bias incidents in Maryland and throughout the country. These grants continue to be used for infrastructure upgrades and security personnel for institutions deemed at-risk for hate crimes or attacks. In 2023, SB840/HB1243 codified this budget language to ensure the $5 million would always be in the budget to help provide funding for security enhancements. We are grateful that Governor Moore increased the funding for this grant program to $10 million based on increased needs in FY26. The Governor announced early that he was committed to maintaining level funding of $10 million for FY27. Thankfully, he and the legislature delivered this funding as they navigated a particularly difficult budget year. This is vital for our synagogues, which will all be applying for security funding from this program.

Schools and Childcare Centers at Risk of Hate Crimes Grant Program
($3.5 million, an increase of $500k)
This funding is especially important for the early childhood programs in our synagogues and it is important to have security throughout the week and the other grant program does not cover that need. We requested that the Center’s grant increase by $2 million for a total of $5 million for FY27. We requested this increase due to several factors. According to the Center, they have received over $6 million in requests for funding each year for the past two years and less than half of that has been able to be funded. Additionally, due to federal budget uncertainty and changes to the Federal Nonprofit Security Grant, most Jewish institutions that have received funding since the Grant’s inception in 2005 will likely not receive funds again in the future. This is because of specific changes in the awarding system, which now favor those who have never received funding. To ensure the continued safety of our children, we requested this increase. However, it’s important to note that our state has a major budget crisis and needed to cut $1.5 billion from the budget.

We did get an increase of $500K which, in this budget environment, is a big deal. However, it means that getting a county grant program started in Anne Arundel County to help fill the gap is vital. Our current County Executive in Anne Arundel County did not embrace this program, but he is term limited. Thus, we hope that his replacement will do better.

Our Federation is also participating in a major effort to advocate for security funding at the national level. To learn about that effort, which involves going to Washington May 18/19, go here. To register, go HERE.

Maryland Israel Development Center (MIDC)
($300,000 level funded)
The Maryland/Israel Development Center is a nonprofit organization that promotes bilateral trade and economic development between Maryland and Israel. Established in 1992, the MIDC is a “public private partnership” of the Maryland Department of Commerce, Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Trade, and The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore. MIDC does not give any funding directly to companies but rather focuses on attracting Israeli startups and established companies and providing them a ‘soft landing’ in Maryland and retaining and growing them. There are currently 45 Israeli companies in Maryland. These companies generate hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in revenue for Maryland. Most of these companies are in life sciences (e.g. medical devices, pharmaceuticals, AI-driven platforms, etc.). In 2023, the Office of the Comptroller of Maryland signed an agreement with IVIX, an Israeli company that assists tax authorities in closing the tax gap and increasing tax collection in scale. Powered by AI and advanced algorithms, the IVIX platform collects and enriches publicly available business activity data to illuminate tax evasion and noncompliance. Thankfully, this funding was maintained.

PASSED! We are now waiting for these to be signed into law.

House Bill (HB) 14, County Boards of Education – Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation – Information Collection and Reporting Requirements (Del. Linda Foley)
This bill will alter the contents of a school bullying, harassment, and intimidation forms to require the identification of certain motivators behind the incident – including, but not limited to, an actual or a perceived personal characteristic including race, national origin, religion, ancestry, physical attributes, socioeconomic status, familial status, or physical or mental ability or disability. By collecting this information, schools can better assess what hate bias areas are most prominent in their school systems, and can tailor their required antibias staff training that must be completed every two years (2024, HB1386: Education – School Employee Antibias Training – Requirements).
You can find out a lot more about this bill here: Sunlight Is a Shield: Why Maryland Must Pass HB 14 Now to Protect Students from Hate

House Bill (HB) 750/ SB0177 Criminal Law – Interference With Access to or Egress From a Religious Facility – Prohibition (Sen. Chris West/Del. Sandy Rosenberg)
Modeled after legislation preventing the blocking of access to medical facilities, this legislation would establish a misdemeanor penalty for those who block access to the entrance of religious facilities. Religious facilities include a place of worship, a cemetery, a religious school, an educational facility, a community center, and the grounds adjacent to them. According to testimony from the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association, “this bill establishes protections for religious communities in a way that respects other important, and constitutionally protected speech.
You can find a lot about this bill in this article: Maryland Stands Up for Religious Freedom and Safety

FAILED! Need to decide if to bring it back next year, and if so, how to get it passed:
House Bill (HB) 109/SB0316 Institutions of Higher Education and Elementary and Secondary Schools – Title VI Coordinators (Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher/Del. Joe Vogel)
This bill would require the governing board of each institution of higher education in the State and local school systems to designate a Title VI Coordinator to ensure compliance with Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964; and allow a student alleging discrimination under the provisions of this law to file a complaint with a Title VI Coordinator of a local school system. It is important that all students feel like they belong. By requiring that each school system and each institution of higher learning designate a Title VI Coordinator, we are ensuring that there is a resource available to students who feel they are being discriminated against, and proper avenues for incidents to be reported.

At the same time there were several harmful bills did not pass. But the Federation and its partners need to plan for them coming back next year again.

Bottom Line: We are a new organization building new relationships and skills. We are looking for more volunteers and are grateful for all the elected officials and partners who helped us combat antisemitism and increase security.