In the realm of legislative action, having accurate and comprehensive data is paramount. But that can mean different things from state to state.
Our friends in Maryland have an interesting nuance in that the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House is often asked to sponsor legislation on behalf of the State's executive branch (By Request of Administration). You can imagine the friction when the Governor and the President aren't on the same political page, as it were. In addition, Maryland legislative professionals need to work with bills sponsored by committees.
Historically, it's been difficult in Engagifii to distinguish between a bill sponsored by a person vs. one sponsored by that person on behalf of the Governor or a committee.
But we've figured it out! As of right now, when tracking bills in Maryland, you'll have new filters and sponsor information at hand.
On the list views for bills, you'll see new filters available in the "Sponsors" section. Search for "by request" and there you go! All the various committees or other parties who might be requesting sponsorship of a bill.
Of course, that's echoed on the All State Bills and Tracked Bills pages too:
And in the Bill's header:
But don't stop at just finding bills and distinguishing based on who the real sponsors are. You can of course use these awesome new insights in your automated reports too! The Committee Calendar has been updated too!
Thanks to our amazing Maryland clients for giving us an interesting problem to solve. We hope you like what we've come up with!