William C. Smith Jr.

William C. "Will" Smith Jr. (born February 6, 1982) is an American politician who currently represents District 20 in the Maryland State Senate. He previously served as a delegate representing District 20, which includes large portions of Silver Spring and the entirety of Takoma Park, in the Maryland General Assembly.

This article is about the Maryland state legislator. For other people with the same name, see William Smith.
Will Smith
Member of the Maryland Senate
from the 20th district
Assumed office
December 21, 2016
Preceded byJamie Raskin
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 20th district
In office
January 14, 2015 – December 21, 2016
Preceded byTom Hucker, Heather Mizeur
Succeeded byJheanelle Wilkins
Personal details
Born (1982-02-06) February 6, 1982
Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Married
Children1 daughter
ResidenceSilver Spring, Maryland
EducationBarrie School
Alma materCollege of William and Mary
Johns Hopkins University
National Intelligence University
OccupationAttorney
Websitewillsmithformaryland.com
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Navy Reserve
RankLieutenant
Battles/warsWar in Afghanistan (2001-present)

Early life and education

Smith was born on February 6, 1982 and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland,[1] attending the Barrie School until his graduation in 2000.[2] With the support of his family, Smith became a first generation college student, graduating from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in Government in 2004. Following his graduation, Smith earned a M.A. in government from Johns Hopkins University in 2006, and returned to the College of William and Mary for a J.D., graduating in 2009. In 2016 Smith was selected by his Naval Reserve unit to attend a training program at the National Intelligence University. In 2019 Smith graduated from National Intelligence University with a Masters in Strategic Intelligence (MSSI).

Military service

Smith serves as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserves and is currently assigned to a unit at the Pentagon. In March of 2019, Smith deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, serving in Kabul, Afghanistan until October of 2019. In Afghanistan Smith served as the Branch Chief for the Governance and the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) divisions within the Combined Joint Intelligence Operations Center- Afghanistan (CJIOC-A). As Branch Chief, Smith ensured key leaders and planners maintained continuous situational awareness of emergent Afghan government and security force issues by providing timely and well-researched intelligence assessments and products during a particularly demanding and volatile period in Afghanistan's political history. Smith drove Command understanding of the Afghan presidential election, a Commander Resolute Support Priority Intelligence Requirement, by collaborating with the Combined Joint Operations Center (CJOC), North Atlantic Treaty Organization analytical fusion cell, and other coalition-partner organizations to provide timely intelligence and advice to senior leaders.

Prior to his service in Afghanistan Smith supported his unit's Afghanistan/Pakistan task force, and supported NATO Headquarters Allied Maritime Command in support of Operation Active Endeavor in Europe.

Military commendations

Afghanistan Campaign Medal

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Joint Service Achievement Medal

Non-Article 5 NATO Medal

National Defense Service Medal

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Joint Meritorious Unit Award on two instances

Information Dominance Warfare Officer Pin

Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

Public service

Following his graduation from William and Mary, Smith worked as a legislative assistant at the ACLU under executive directors Laura Murphy and Caroline Frederickson. His work there focused on first and fourth amendment issues. Smith has served on the board of several local organizations, including IMPACT Silver Spring[3] which focuses on promoting community ties in traditionally under served communities in Silver Spring. Smith also has served on the board of multiple organizations focusing on improving educational opportunities, including the Gandhi Brigade, the GapBuster Learning Center and his former high school, the Barrie School. In 2011, Smith was appointed as a director of the Homeland Security Advisory Council; in his time on the council Smith worked in conjunction with other council members to advise Janet Napolitano, then-Secretary of Homeland Security.[2]

Maryland legislature

Smith was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in November 2014, succeeding Heather Mizeur.[2] Smith served on the House Judiciary Committee and quickly became one of the most effective legislators in Annapolis. Smith was the lead sponsor of 14 successful bills during his tenure in the House,[4] including HB 1009 the Good Samaritan Law, which ensured those who report drug and alcohol related medical emergencies would not be prosecuted.

Following Jamie Raskin's election to the United States House of Representatives, Smith was appointed to the Maryland Senate.[5] Smith had a successful first session in Maryland's upper chamber. Smith was the lead sponsor of 14 successful pieces of legislation during 2017. He shepherded through legislation including SB 651,[6] which barred Maryland public schools from suspending and expelling children in prekindergarten up to and including second grade; SB 943 which established a dispute resolution process between preschools and parents with children with disabilities, and the Hire our Veterans Act of 2017, which created income tax credits to incentivize small businesses to hire veterans. Smith also was the lead sponsor on the Home Act, which would have barred landlords from discriminating against renters with housing vouchers and a Gun-Free Higher Education bill. Smith is a member of the Legislative Black Caucus,[7] one of the first men to join the Women's Caucus,[8] and is the Chair of the Veterans' Caucus.

Smith has earned various legislative awards during his tenure as a Maryland legislator,[2] including:

  • Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility Leadership Award (2015)
  • Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility Leadership Award (2016)
  • The Arc Maryland Legislator of the Year Award (2017)

In 2019 Smith became the 50th Chairman of the Judicial Proceedings Committee. He is the first African American to hold that post. With Smith as Chairman the committee has moved in a decidedly more progressive direction. As Chairman Smith championed robust criminal justice reform measures and has led efforts to dismantle housing discrimination.

Significant legislation

SB 530 - Housing Opportunities Made Equal Act – HOME ACT (2020)[9]

  • Ending the practice of housing discrimination based on one's legal source of income. Home Act seeks to deconcentrate poverty by providing additional opportunities for tenants utilizing public subsidies to live in certain neighborhoods; prohibiting a person from refusing to sell or rent a dwelling to any person because of source of income; establishing qualifications and limitations on the prohibition against discrimination in housing based on source of income; etc.

SB 1048 – Secure and Accessible Registration Act (Enacted over Governor's Veto) (2018)[10]

  • Redesignating electronic voter registration agencies as automatic voter registration agencies; requiring automatic voter registration agencies to inform an applicant completing an applicable transaction that the applicant shall be registered to vote or shall have a voter registration record updated unless the applicant declines these services or is not eligible to register to vote; requiring automatic voter registration agencies to implement automatic voter registration by July 1, 2019

SB 651 – Public Schools - Suspensions and Expulsions (Enacted over Governor's Veto) (2017)[11]

  • Prohibiting the suspension or expulsion of prekindergarten, kindergarten, first grade, or second grade students from public schools with specified exceptions for an expulsion required by federal law or a suspension for not more than 5 school days under specified circumstances

SB 196 - Vehicle Laws - Licenses, Identification Cards, and Moped Operator's Permits - Indication of Applicant's Sex (2019)[12]

  • Requiring an application for a license, an identification card, or a moped operator's permit to allow an applicant to indicate the applicant's sex as female, male, or unspecified or other; requiring the Motor Vehicle Administration to ensure that the license, identification card, or moped operator's permit of an applicant who indicates that the applicant's sex is unspecified or other displays an "X" in the location on the license, identification card, or permit that indicates the applicant's sex; etc.

SB 531 – The CROWN Act - Discrimination – Definition of Race – Hair Texture and Hairstyles (2020)[13]

  • Defining "race", for the purposes of certain laws prohibiting discrimination, to include certain traits associated with race, including hair texture, afro hairstyles, and protective hairstyles; defining "protective hairstyle" as one that includes braids, twists, and locks; and authorizing an employer to establish and require an employee to adhere to reasonable workplace standards related to the nature of the employment of the employee and that are not precluded by any provision of State or federal law, subject to a certain exception.

SB 328 - Labor and Employment - Noncompete and Conflict of Interest Clauses (2019)[14]

  • Providing that certain noncompete and conflict of interest provisions that restrict the ability of an employee to enter into employment with a new employer or to become self-employed in the same or similar business or trade are null and void as being against the public policy of the State; providing the Act does not apply to an employment contract or similar document or agreement with respect to the taking or use of a client list or other proprietary client-related information; etc.

SB 766 - Public Schools - Student Discipline - Restorative Approaches (2019)[15]

  • Requiring the State Board of Education to provide technical assistance and training to county boards of education regarding the use of restorative approaches on request; requiring certain regulations to incorporate the use of restorative approaches; requiring the State Department of Education to submit to the Governor and the General Assembly, on or before October 1 of each year, a student discipline data report that includes a description of restorative approaches in the State and a review of disciplinary practices and policies; etc.

SB 767 - Criminal Procedure - Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits - Analysis (2019)[16]

  • Requiring that a sexual assault evidence collection kit be submitted to a forensic laboratory for analysis unless a certain requirement is met; requiring that a victim who wishes to remain anonymous and not file a criminal complaint be informed that the victim may initiate a criminal complaint at a future time; requiring a certain law enforcement agency that receives a sexual assault evidence collection kit to submit the kit and all requested associated reference standards for forensic analysis within 30 days of receipt of the kit; etc.

SB 949 – Criminal Procedure - Expungement - Possession of Marijuana (Enacted over Governor's Veto) (2017)[17]

  • Authorizing a person to file a petition for expungement at a specified time if the person was convicted of possession of marijuana

References
  1. "Biography". Will Smith for Maryland Senate – District 20. Will Smith for Maryland. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  2. "William C. Smith, Jr., Maryland State Senator". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. March 18, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  3. "The IMPACT Silver Spring Board". IMPACT Silver Spring. 2017. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  4. "GAM-Delegate Smith Legislation 2016 Regular Session". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  5. Turque, Bill (December 8, 2016). "Del. William Smith named to fill Raskin's Md. Senate seat". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  6. "GAM-Senator Smith Legislation 2017 Regular Session". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  7. "Members". Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, Inc. 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  8. Wiggins, Ovetta (April 4, 2015). "Four men join the Maryland Women's Caucus". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  9. "Housing Opportunities Made Equal Act 2020". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  10. "Secure and Accessible Registration Act 2018". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  11. "Public Schools - Suspensions and Expulsions 2017". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  12. "Licenses and IDs - Indication of Applicant Sex 2019". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  13. "The Crown Act 2020". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  14. "Fast Food Non-Competes 2019". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  15. "Student Discipline - Restorative Approaches 2019". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  16. "Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits - Analysis 2019". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  17. "Marijuana Conviction Expungement 2017". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
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