Legislative Highlights & Issues

Since taking office in 2019, I have focused on making Maryland more competitive, inclusive and sustainable. I am honored to have been named “Legislator of the Year” three times for championing innovation and small businesses and awarded the “Public Policy Leadership Award” from the Center for Nonprofit Advancement of the National Capital Region.

My leadership roles in the House of Delegates include:

Chair, Business Regulation Subcommittee of the House Economic Matters Committee.
Chair, Montgomery County Delegation’s Economic Development Committee.
Co-Chair, Joint Committee on Federal Relations

Among my legislative accomplishments are bills passed that led to:

An implementation framework for Maryland’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program
A state green bank to fund clean energy projects and clean energy innovation
A matching grant fund to boost advanced manufacturing for Industry 4.0 technology adoption
Programs to provide financial and technical assistance for tech and bio companies
Stronger data privacy and consumer protection in genetic testing
The Governor’s Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs
Transparency of homecare workers’ pay and classification by Medicaid funded providers

I have also been advocating for election fairness to be more friendly for the growing independent voters and new American voters. For more details of my legislative work, please see below section on “Bills Passed.”

Accomplishments

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Bills Passed

Thanks to your advocacy and ideas, I have introduced over 60 pieces of legislation over the past five sessions and seen 27 of them passed on a broad range of issues, including:

Establishing an implementation framework for Maryland’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) Program (HB988)
Strengthening public utilities’ cybersecurity standards and reporting requirements (HB969)
Allowing local breweries, wineries and distilleries to continue delivery to customers (HB595)
Boosting Maryland manufacturing (“Making it in Maryland”) through a matching grant fund (HB622 HB658)
Creating a Maryland green bank and a clean energy accelerator (HB419)
Growing bio and tech industries and jobs (HB514, HB521, HB654, HB987 )
Removing barriers for small businesses (HB356, HB839)
Supporting Agritourism in Poolesville with a special clubhouse license for the Crossvines project (MC23-22)
Establishing the Governor’s Commission on LGBTQ Affairs (HB130)
Addressing homecare worker shortage crisis (HB652, HB544) through data sharing on wage and benefits for Medicaid-funded providers
Updating Maryland’s consumer protection laws on genetic testing to protect consumer privacy (HB866)
Requiring county public schools to track and report Asian and mixed-race student performance data as it does other racial groups (MC24-22)
Establishing a mobile laundry pilot program for the homeless (HB189)
Fighting employment discrimination in state and local governments (HB257)

In addition, I have worked with the State Board of Elections to remove language barriers in voter registration for people with limited English proficiency. See BOE’s page for downloadable multilingual registration forms.

Please see my 2021 End-of-Session Legislative Summary and 2022 End-of-Session Legislative Summary for details. Your input and ideas are always valued.

Recognitions

As a first-term legislator, I am extremely humbled to have been recognized numerous times by several leading organizations for my work.

“Legislator of the Year,” Maryland Tech Council, 2020

“Legislator of the Year,” Maryland Retailers Association, 2022

“Public Policy Leadership Award,” Center for Nonprofit Advancement of the National Capital Region, 2020

“Power 30 Manufacturing,” The Daily Record, 2021

Where I Stand

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Education

As a proud parent of a graduate from Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), I know quality education is still the key to success for most Americans, the bedrock of our community’s quality of life, and the best incentive to attract workforce and employers. Currently, 1 in 3 MCPS students receive free and reduced-price meals (FARMs), but we continue to operate under the assumption that our demographics are the same as generations ago. As your representative in Annapolis, I will strongly advocate for our changing community needs to expand opportunities and at the same time, demand greater accountability to improve our school systems’ overall standing and competitiveness. This includes advocating for expanding magnet programs in Upcounty areas that are seeing explosive growth, making universal Pre-K a statewide priority and supporting our excellent public institutions like Montgomery College and the Universities at Shady Grove to meet our growing industries’ workforce needs.

Transportation

Transportation is the lifeblood of our economy and community vitality. We need a greater sense of urgency to relieve Upcounty traffic, which requires 21st century infrastructure that serves today’s Montgomery County and our multigenerational lifestyles. Montgomery County’s planned multimodal transportation networks, which include public transit, improved roads and walkable communities to move people and commerce efficiently demands our continued support. We require the State’s support to advance both the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on MD 355 between Bethesda and Clarksburg and the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT) that will serve our biotech corridor; continue to improve I-270, and expand MD 355 along the rapidly-growing District 15. Locally, I support and applaud the County’s efforts to expand bikeshare near transit, dense residential areas and major activity centers.

Economy

We need good jobs near home that match our residents’ diverse educational backgrounds, career aspirations, and a strong tax base to pay for the schools, parks, and roads. With unrivaled human capital and R&D assets, Montgomery County should be a global leader in innovation, entrepreneurship and business vitality. We need smart policies and sensible regulations that stimulate economic activities, grow industries of the future, and make it easier to start and grow businesses. Examples include targeted tax credits, a state matching fund for federal SBIR grant recipients, removal of barriers for small businesses, and partnership with industries to invest in workforce that leads to middle-wage and high wage-jobs. We also need to embrace our vast Ag Reserve for food production and exporting, ag tourism, and the growing craft brewery, distillery and winery industries in this national movement for “grow-local,” “source-local” and healthier eating food economy. I have spent the last few years helping Montgomery County become more competitive and revamp our economic development work. Now I want to help all of Maryland embark on the same forward-looking path and be bolder and hungrier in pursuing economic opportunities.

Environment

Environmental stewardship and job creation can work together to address the global climate change crisis. As a Delegate, I will advocate for measures to accelerate Maryland’s investments in clean and renewable energy and in workforce development that helps grow the “green” industries of the future. Locally, our vast agricultural reserve in District 15 makes Montgomery a national model in environmental protection in an urbanizing metropolitan area. The Ag Reserve not only improves air quality and reduces carbon footprint, but also justifies smarter in-fill development that leads to efficient living and smart investments in public transit rather than suburban sprawl. Montgomery County is a community full of environmentally conscious residents and I will bring our concern to the state level.

Inclusiveness

As an immigrant, I know why America should remain the land of opportunities for all and be a beacon for what is good and just. My passion for justice and equal opportunity is deeply rooted in my struggle to find my place and my voice by overcoming cultural and economic barriers as well as stereotypes along the way. Over the years, I served on the Montgomery County Commission for Women and chaired the Governor’s Commission for Asian American Affairs under Governor O’Malley. I have spoken and written about issues ranging from LGBTQ rights to civil rights and immigrant engagement and led efforts to revamp County government services for people with limited English proficiency. I will work to make our election system more inclusive to all communities, to ensure the rights of all communities to be treated with fairness and dignity, and to advance policies that empower and expand opportunities for all.