Much like last week, the bulk of the action in Annapolis remains on the floors of both chambers where agendas are frequently determined on a day to day basis.

Lawmakers are working to beat the deadline known as cross-over day—March 18 this year--when bills must cross from one house to the other to be guaranteed full consideration. In fact, Senate President Mike Miller has suggested he might schedule two floor sessions a day in order to get bills through.

But that doesn’t mean nothing’s happening in the committees. Legislative leaders have scheduled hearings on bills involving medical marijuana, sports betting, voter registration and abortion, among other issues.

Here is a partial listing of committee hearings and other items of interest in Annapolis this week.

SENATE

Subcommittees of the Budget and Taxation Committee have scheduled hearings on a number of bond bills for various senior centers, recreation centers, parks and other facilities. And the capital budget subcommittee has hearings on capital budgets for Maryland’s colleges and universities.

Executive Nominations Committee has scheduled hearings on Governor Larry Hogan’s nominees for various local and state level boards and commissions.

HOUSE

Subcommittees of the Appropriations Committee have scheduled hearings on many of the same bond bills as the Senate committees.

The Economic Matters Committee has scheduled hearings on several bills, including one that bans employers from discriminating against people using medical marijuana and one that requires employers to make accommodations for pregnant women.

SENATE

Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee has scheduled hearings on several bills, including one that would give waterfront property owners the ability to block permits for aquaculture operations in front of their property.

Judicial Proceedings Committee has scheduled hearings on a number of bills, including the governor’s bill to require convicts sentenced to life to serve at least 25 years before being eligible for parole, one that would require Baltimore City School police officers to be armed while on duty and one aimed at creating an offender rehabilitation and reentry program.

HOUSE

Health and Government Operations Committee has scheduled hearings on a bill to repeal the state song, “Maryland My Maryland,” and create an advisory panel to pick a new one, as well as the House versions of bills to make the long tailed salamander the state amphibian and to create several commemorative days, including Missing Child Day, Pongal Day, International Day of the Girl, Caribbean Day and Freedom of the Press Day.

Environment and Transportation Committee has scheduled a hearing on the House version of the bill would give waterfront property owners the ability to block permits for aquaculture operations in front of their property.

Judiciary Committee has scheduled hearings on a bill that would prohibit convicts serving sentences for first and second degree murder one from accruing what are known as “good time credits” that might help shorten their sentences, one to require state and local correctional facilities to turn undocumented immigrants convicted of a crime over to federal authorities and one to repeal the handgun permit review board.

SENATE

Budget and Taxation Committee has scheduled a hearing on a bill that would allow you to bet on the Ravens or the Orioles, or whatever other sports teams you might want to wager on, as long as you do it at a slots parlor or a horse track.

Finance Committee has scheduled a hearing on a bill aimed at protecting mobile home purchasers.

Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee has scheduled a hearing on the bill that would require Baltimore City School police officers to be armed while on duty that Judicial Proceedings took up on Tuesday.

HOUSE

Economic Matters Committee has scheduled a hearing on a bill that would require radio and TV stations to warn viewers and listeners that some of what they hear on a news analysis show may not be wholly factual.

SENATE

Finance Committee has scheduled a hearing on a bill to forbid testing of cosmetics on animals.

Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee A bill to establish voter registration centers at public and private high schools where employees and students who are old enough could register to vote.

SENATE

Finance Committee has scheduled a hearing on a bill that requires doctors, hospitals or other institutions performing abortions to file reports on each one, including information on the age, race, marital status of the patient and the reason for seeking the abortion.

For more detailed information go to http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frm1st.aspx?tab=home