Today, the House Appropriations Committee heard testimony on a bill aimed at helping out federal workers impacted by the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) blunt cuts to the federal workforce.
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HB1424, nicknamed the Protect Our Federal Workers Act, is co-sponsored by 40 delegates, though it doesn't have a Senate cross-file.
If passed, the bill would rename and expand the current fund that offers loans to federal employees during a government shutdown to also offer loans to federal workers "in connection with a closure, relocation, or mass layoff of a unit of the federal government."
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Delegate Jazz Lewis (D - District 24), the primary sponsor of the bill, represents a district in Prince George's County that borders the nation's capital.
"This legislation is designed to reaffirm Maryland's commitment to our federal employees," he told the committee, "providing them with essential protections as they face potential job losses due to the current administration's destabilizing actions."
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Lewis added that around 142,000 federal employees call Maryland home, and the down-sizing of the government has led to uncertainty for many people.
Also testifying in favor of the bill was Paul Schwartz, the vice president of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) and a retired federal employee with 37 years of service.
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"I take what's happening today personally," he said. "The dismantling of the federal workforce by the current White House and the devastation it is causing to families across the country and this state has never been seen before."
The bill would allow people who had been laid off by the federal government, due to closure, relocation, or mass layoff, to apply for an interest-free loan of $700.
The application would need to be submitted within 6 months of the layoff, and the bill's effective date is July 1, 2025.
No witnesses testified against the bill in person.
