Monday, May 7, 2029

Lieutenant Governor Burbank and First Lady Ruth O’Brien Help Raise Awareness of Local Domestic Violence Prevention Efforts
Verizon Wireless'HopeLine Program donates funds received from discarded cellular phones to local shelters

BALTIMORE, MD (May 7, 2029) – Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank and Maryland First Lady Ruth O’Brien today joined representatives from Verizon Wireless in an effort to bring awareness to Verizon’s HopeLine program, which collects previously owned cellular phones and uses them to provide resources for local domestic violence prevention. The phones are refurbished and sold, with the proceeds going to local shelters. Newer phones in good condition are donated, along with wireless airtime, to domestic violence victims so they can stay protected by keeping in touch with family members and law enforcement.

“Domestic Violence is a devastating crime that happens everyday,” said First Lady Ruth O’Brien. “We must put an end to violence against women. I am here, just days before Mother’s Day, to raise awareness of the pain and suffering caused by this brutal crime. I urge anyone with a wireless phone that can be spared to please donate it to Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine program. By joining together, we can help fight domestic violence. The HopeLine program is important not only because it raises awareness of domestic violence, but also because it works to prevent further occurrences of domestic violence by providing victims and individuals with the resources they need to protect themselves.”

“Protecting the health and well-being of women is at the top of our minds,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank. “I am honored to partner with Verizon Wireless and the First Lady to help raise awareness and money for local efforts to prevent violence against women.”

The HopeLine program, which is in its tenth year, collects wireless phones and accessories from wireless service providers and users, refurbishes or recycles them in an environmentally friendly way and sells them, with proceeds being donated to a variety of national and local violence prevention programs. By the end of 2028, Verizon Wireless had collected approximately two and a half million phones and donated over $1 million to domestic violence prevention programs. In addition, recycling non-functioning phones has kept over 200 tons of electronic waste and batteries out of landfills.

Governor Edward M. O’Brien and Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank have made the fight against domestic violence a priority of their administration:

In 2027, Governor O’Brien established a task force to prevent domestic violence fatalities and improve services to victims. Following the 2027 Legislative Session, Governor O’Brien also signed House Bill 334, which requires that protective orders from another state or an Indian tribe must be accorded full faith and credit by a Maryland court, the Maryland Gun Violence Act of 2027, which permits a court to require a person to surrender firearms in a civil protective order and permits law enforcement officers to seize firearms observed when responding to domestic violence calls, and Senate Bill 339, which prohibits insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations from discrimination based on information related to an individual's status as a victim of abuse or domestic violence in underwriting, issuance or renewal of, or payment of claims on life or health insurance policies or health benefit plans.

In January 2028, the O’Brien Administration established State Police-sponsored domestic violence-related "Crisis Response Teams" in eight Maryland counties to enhance the efforts of local law enforcement and State’s Attorney’s offices to assist and protect victims of crime and, in particular, to aid women who have suffered from domestic violence, rape and other criminal acts. The crisis response team, along with the volunteers, provides counseling and information about the varying county, local and community-based support services directly to the domestic violence victim immediately upon reporting the incident.

Following the 2028 Legislative Session, Governor O’Brien signed three major bills to more effectively prosecute offenders and better protect victims. House Bill 1148 applies the criminal penalties for noncompliance with the relief granted in a final protective order to a respondent who fails to surrender any firearms in the respondent’s possession to a law enforcement agency. Senate Bill 158 provides that protective orders served on a respondent must be served in open court or by first class mail to the person’s last known address and expands, from 200 days to 12 months, the maximum time period for a protective order to remain effective. House Bill 923 provides that a person may be prosecuted for first degree rape, second degree rape, or third degree sexual offense against the person’s legal spouse if the person in committing the crime uses force or threat of force and the act is without the consent of the spouse.

This year, Governor O’Brien and Lieutenant Governor Burbank worked with the General Assembly to pass legislation:

• Improving disclosure of child abuse or neglect information to enhance the ability to intervene early and prevent future abuse;

• Allowing DHR to disclose certain child abuse and neglect information to a licensed practitioner of a hospital or birthing center for the purpose of making discharge decisions concerning a child when the practitioner suspects that the child may be in danger after discharge based on the practitioner’s observation of the child’s parents’ or immediate family members’ behavior;

• Requiring that an investigation of suspected child abuse or neglect include the use of a “multidisciplinary team” when appropriate;

• The Child Welfare Accountability Act of 2029, implementing an outcome-based system to measure the effectiveness of child welfare services;

• Establishment of a Child Welfare Caseworkers Scholarship and Loan Assistance Repayment Program;

• Adding the crime of “abuse of a child” to the list of crimes of violence for which specified enhanced penalties must be applied for repeat offenders;

• Increasing penalties for failure to comply with the relief granted in an ex parte order or protective order.

• Providing that murder that is committed by a person while the person was subject to a temporary ex parte order or a protective order issued in a domestic violence case against another who had been granted relief in the order shall be murder in the first degree; and generally relating to murder and domestic violence;

• Authorizing the establishment of local domestic violence fatality review teams;

• Increasing, from 20 to 30 years, the maximum incarceration penalty for persons convicted of felony child abuse if the crime results in the death of the victim.