Legislature Passes Severely Amended Senate Bill 460, Rejects House Bill 781

We will post more on this legislation when the final documents are available. We know for sure the House version of this legislation was rejected.  
For now, here is the message we got this evening from Senator Bobby Zirkin. 


Taken With Webpage Screenshot

Coach loophole in MD law won't be closed unless Senate concurs with House bill #HB781 #SB460

Date: Mon, Apr 07, 2014
To: karen.montgomery@senate.state.md.us, anne.kaiser@house.state.md.us, eric.luedtke@house.state.md.us, craig.zucker@house.state.md.us, kathleen.dumais@house.state.md.us, arunamiller@gmail.com, brian.frosh@senate.state.md.us, susan.lee@house.state.md.us, jennie.forehand@senate.state.md.us, kumar.barve@house.state.md.us, jim.gilchrist@house.state.md.us, delegatesimmons@aol.com, richard.madaleno@senate.state.md.us, alfred.carr@house.state.md.us, ana.gutierrez@house.state.md.us, jeff.waldstreicher@house.state.md.us, roger.manno@senate.state.md.us, sam.arora@house.state.md.us, bonnie.cullison@house.state.md.us, benjamin.kramer@house.state.md.us, jamie.raskin@senate.state.md.us, sheila.hixson@house.state.md.us, brian.feldman@senate.state.md.us, david.fraser.hidalgo@house.state.md.us, bill.frick@house.state.md.us, ariana.kelly@house.state.md.us, tom.hucker@house.state.md.us, heather.mizeur@house.state.md.us, nancy.king@senate.state.md.us, charles.barkley@house.state.md.us, kirill.reznik@house.state.md.us, delegaterobinson@gmail.com

There have been hearings, votes and press coverage of the current loophole in Maryland law that permitted Montgomery County coach Scott Spear to escape prosecution for his relationship with a 16 year old.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/crime-scene/post/montgomery-teacher-scott-spear-resigns/2012/06/20/gJQA4bfUrV_blog.html

But, unless the Senate concurs with the House version of the bill today, the loophole won't be closed.  Coaches will still be able to escape prosecution for sexual relationships with 16 year olds.

If the Senate doesn't concur with the House version of this bill, Maryland law will continue to give persons in positions of authority a free pass to sexually exploit teenagers.

When this legislative session is over, could someone please identify the constituency in Maryland that has fought so long and so hard to keep this loophole in place? What Maryland parents are fighting to keep this loophole?

Clearly, they are the silent majority as there has not been any public comment in favor of keeping loopholes in this law, yet the loophole remains.

Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland