Families May Need Proof of Kids' Health Insurance for Tax Forms

By Annapolis Notebook
Friday, February 8, 2008

Maryland would require families to report proof of health insurance coverage for their children on their tax filings, and beginning in three years families with uninsured children would no longer qualify for the state's child tax exemptions, under legislation to be introduced today.

The Support the Kids First Act, to be introduced by Del. Heather R. Mizeur (D-Montgomery), is designed to help the state identify which children are uninsured. The comptroller's office, which collects state taxes, would be required to use tax filings to determine which uninsured children from low-income families qualify for the Maryland Children's Health Plan. The law also would require the office to send enrollment forms and other literature to qualifying families.

Mizeur said Maryland would become the first state with such a requirement.

There are an estimated 90,000 children who are eligible for the state's insurance program but are not enrolled, Mizeur said.

"The goal is getting everyone covered," she said. "Right now, 10 percent of our children are uninsured in Maryland and that's a despicable figure. . . . We can do better and we should."

Mizeur said she drafted the bill after meeting with Comptroller Peter Franchot (D), Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene John M. Colmers, state insurance administrators and Del. Peter A. Hammen (D-Baltimore), who chairs the House Health and Government Operations Committee.

"I have reason to believe that all of those folks will be on board with this concept," Mizeur said.

She said the law might increase the state's health-care costs if more children enroll in the insurance plan but noted that the law does not open up the program to more children.

"I'm not changing the eligibility to say more people qualify -- although I'd like to," Mizeur said. "But first things first: Let's get everybody who qualifies enrolled."

-- Philip Rucker

Same-Sex Marriage Opposition

Opponents of same-sex marriage pledged yesterday to take a proposed constitutional amendment banning such unions to the House floor for a vote.

The measure has failed to get a hearing before the full chamber in the five years conservative Republicans have pushed it. But Del. Donald H. Dwyer Jr. (R-Anne Arundel) said he is collecting the signatures of 47 delegates needed to move a bill to the floor without a yes vote in committee.

"We have an obligation to our voters to resolve this," he said, referring to last fall's Court of Appeals ruling upholding Maryland's 34-year ban on same-sex marriage. The court essentially threw the issue back to the legislature.

Advocates for same-sex marriage say they hope the General Assembly will decide to legalize those unions during the 90-day session. If that happens, opponents plan to petition to put the bill to a referendum in November. They would need about 40,000 signatures to get it on the ballot, 3 percent of voters in the 2006 gubernatorial election.

-- Lisa Rein

Tax Credit Legislation Proposed

An Anne Arundel County senator has proposed legislation to give property-tax credits to families of fallen officers and rescue workers and state tax credits to people who donate to scholarship funds or other educational programs.

The legislation by Sen. James E. DeGrange Sr. (D-Anne Arundel), titled "Building Opportunities for All Students and Teachers," will provide tax credits for up to 75 percent of donations made to funds or programs at public or private schools.

A second bill introduced by DeGrange would authorize counties and municipalities to grant property-tax credits for properties owned by the surviving spouse of a fallen or disabled law enforcement officer or rescue worker.

Both bills have been assigned to the Budget and Tax Committee, on which DeGrange serves as chairman of a budget subcommittee.

-- Philip Rucker