Health and safety are the focus of new state laws

Electronic bingo ban, domestic partner benefits and environmental protections also take effect next week

It makes Medicaid coverage available to parents of children enrolled in the Maryland Children’s Health Program and uninsured adults with incomes at 116 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, or $11,844 a year. It also included subsidies for businesses with from two to nine employees whose average wages are less than $50,000 a year.

In September, the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Maryland Health Care Commission, participating insurance carriers and advocates will begin enrolling eligible small-business employees in the Health Insurance Partnership.

‘‘In many cases, health insurance is too expensive and out of reach for many of Maryland’s small businesses,” Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) said in a statement. ‘‘This partnership will make health benefits more affordable, thus expanding access to quality healthcare for businesses and their employees.”

CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, Coventry Health Care, United HealthCare and Aetna will offer the health plan, which is projected to serve about 40,000 small-business employees. The Medicaid expansion is expected to insure about 60,000 childless adults.

Advocates have hailed the legislation as a first step toward universal health care in Maryland.

Another step in that direction taking effect July 1 is the Kids First Act, which requires the state comptroller to send application packets to low-income taxpayers whose dependents are eligible for the Maryland Medical Assistance Program or the Maryland Children’s Health Program.

Protecting children in automobiles is the aim of a safety seat bill that takes effect June 30, allowing the state to draw on a federal incentive grant program during the current federal fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.

The law requires parents to place children younger than 8 in safety seats unless the child is at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall or weighs more than 65 pounds. Violators could face a $25 fine.

Del. William A. Bronrott (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda said he is thankful for the earlier effective date.

‘‘In spite of the gas prices, it’ll still be a busy road travel summer,” said Bronrott who along with Sen. Jennie M. Forehand (D-Dist. 17) of Rockville sponsored the legislation.

Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) will join Bronrott, federal and state transportation officials, medical professionals and safety advocates for a news conference highlighting the new law today at Fitzgerald Auto Malls in Rockville.

In 2002, Brown (D) advocated for legislation that made Maryland the first Mid-Atlantic state to require the use of booster seats that allow seat belts to fit small children properly.

The bill was amended to apply to children under 6 or weighing 40 pounds or less, leaving the state with what Bronrott called a ‘‘half-strength law.”

‘‘We‘ve now done the job to close the gap in our law and put into practice what I think is a model child safety law,” Bronrott said.

On another child safety front, an amendment to the Safe Schools Reporting Act of 2005 allows a school staff member to report an incident of harassment or intimidation. The 2005 law requires school boards to report incidents that happen on school grounds, at school activities or on school buses. The legislature passed an indefinite extension of the law, which would have ended June 30, 2009, under the original legislation.

Another bill, sponsored by Del. Craig L. Rice (D-Dist. 15) of Germantown gives the state Board of Education until March 31 to develop a policy prohibiting bullying, harassment, and intimidation in schools.

County school boards will use the state policy to establish their own policies and anti-bullying education programs by July 1, 2009.

The Fitness and Athletic Equity for Students with Disabilities Act, which takes effect next week, requires school systems to give students with disabilities equal access to mainstream physical education programs and to allow them to try out for and, if selected, play interscholastic sports.