| ALERT! | SB798 | THE REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM AMENDMENT IS NOT JUST ABOUT ABORTION - THAT EVERY PERSON, AS A CENTRAL COMPONENT OF AN INDIVIDUAL’S RIGHTS TO LIBERTY AND EQUALITY, HAS THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE ABILITY TO MAKE AND EFFECTUATE DECISIONS TO PREVENT, CONTINUE, OR END ONE’S OWN PREGNANCY. THE STATE MAY NOT, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, DENY, BURDEN, OR ABRIDGE THE RIGHT UNLESS JUSTIFIED BY A COMPELLING STATE INTEREST ACHIEVED BY THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE MEANS. | Please read the final version of the amendment, passed in 2023. The bill language is grossly misleading and many Marylanders think it is about abortion and nothing else. Passage of this amendment into our state constitution would open the door for ANY person, from ANY state, of ANY age to seek ANY TYPE OF CARE under the umbrella of "reproductive" care. Yes, this amendment would open the door to MINORS being transitioned, castrated, and given other forms of gender-affirming care - WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT. Further, its enactment into our state constitution would invalidate existing laws that aim to protect against such drastic measures in healthcare and parental rights. MD republicans attempted to amend this bill in committee, asking for an exemption for minors and gender-related services. MD Democrats voted AGAINST that amendment and passed the all-encompassing "reproductive freedom" bill. Don't be fooled. The text eplicitly states, "including but not limited to...pregnancy" for a reason. We encourage you to place the safety of all our nation's children - and parental rights - ahead of abortion. Abortion access is not under attack or at-risk in MD. Our children are! Please vote against this amendment, and demand your legislators keep their agenda against children and parents separate from abortion! | NOVEMBER | This amendment will appear on the November ballot. Make sure you know what supporting this amendment to our constitution really means. We urge you to vote against it. Abortion access can be protected without giving blanket coverage to the state to treat and operate on minors without parental consent! There is no way to oppose this bill with the legislature now. That ship has sailed. Whether it is enshrined in our constitution now lies in the hands of Maryland voters. Please share the truth about the Reproductive Freedom amendment far and wide in advance of the November election. | | |
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| OPPOSE! | HB76/SB18 | Health Occupations - Pharmacists - Administration of Vaccines | Pharmacists do not have complete patient histories. Pharmacists do not have the experience that doctors do to know when a vaccination is contraindicated based on patient medical history. | PASSED | This bill is on its way to Gov Moore | | |
| OPPOSE! | SB119/HB691 | Legally Protected Health Case - Gender-Affirming Treatment | Altering the definition of "legally protected health care" to include certain gender-affirming treatment, including medications and supplies, for the purposes of certain provisions of law that prohibit health occupations disciplinary actions and certain actions in criminal and civil proceedings and the use of certain resources in furtherance of certain investigations and proceedings related to legally protected health care. | SB119 PASSED | This bill is on its way to Gov Moore | | |
| OPPOSE! | HB558 | Primary and Secondary Education - Comprehensive Health Education Framework - Established | This is a repeat of last year's HB119/SB199 re; gender curricula/opt outs in school. | 3/27 @ 1PM in Senate EEE committee | Contact the members of the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee | | |
| OPPOSE! | HB167 | Public Schools - Student Health - Certificate of Dental Health | Oral health is not communicable among classmates. Poor oral health should not preclude a child from being able to attend school. | 4/2 @ 1PM | Contact Delegate Harrison and members of the Ways and Means committee - bill amended to remove requirements. | | |
| SUPPORT! | HB25 | Public Schools - Sexually Explicit Materials - Prohibited in Libraries and Media Centers | Applies guardrails for existing law that mandates specific sexual health curricula. | 1/31 @ 1PM | Unfavorable Report - Contact Delegate Mangione and members of the Ways and Means committee | | |
| SUPPORT! | SB355/HB671 | Criminal Law - Display of Obscene Material to Minors - Prohibition | Altering the definition of "item" relating to the prohibition against displaying or distributing obscene material to minors to include a drawing or illustration; and prohibiting certain public schools from displaying certain obscene material under certain circumstances. | 2/2 @ 10:30AM Senate & 2/14 @ 1PM in House Ways and Means Committee | Contact Senator Salling and members of the Judicial Proceedings committee | | |
| SUPPORT! | SB381/HB47 | Education - Interscholastic and Intramural Junior Varsity and Varsity Teams - Designation Based on Biological Sex (Fairness in Girls Sports) | Protecting the right of schools/athletic teams that designate members based on biological sex, and protecting such entitles from adverse action for designating members based on biological sex; adds provisions to law that support civil action under certain circumstances | 2/7 @ 2PM - Senate Education, Energy and the Environment Committee | House Unfavorable Report - Contact BOTH bill sponsors and members of the Ways and Means committee and members of the Senate Education, Energy and the Environment committee - Unfavorable report from Ways and Means Committee | | |
| OPPOSE! | HB456/SB386 | County Boards of Education - Student Members -Voting Rights and Participation in Executive Sessions | This bill would grant the student members of county BOE's the right to vote on policy matters that shape Maryland schools and their students, regardless of the fact that student members are not elected by the people. | 2/7 @ 2:30PM for House hearing and 2/7 @ 2PM Senate hearing | Contact bill sponsors and the members of the Ways and Means & the Education, Energy, and the Environment committees | | |
| SUPPORT! | HB553/SB438 | Family Law - Fundamental Parental Rights | Establishing that a parent has the fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, care, and welfare of the parent's child; and prohibiting the State or a political subdivision from infringing on a parent's fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, care, and welfare of the parent's child unless the State or political subdivision can demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence certain factors. | 2/14 @ 1PM for Senate hearing and 2/15 @ 1PM for House hearing | Contact both bill sponsors and members of the Judiciary committee and members of the Judicial Proceedings committees - House bill withdrawn | | |
| SUPPORT! | HB722 | Health - Minors - Gender and Sex Transition Procedures | Prohibiting a health care provider from knowingly engaging in or causing certain medical or surgical procedures to be performed on a minor without the consent of the parent, guardian, or custodian of the minor if performed for the purpose of attempting to alter the appearance of, or affirm the minor's perception of, the minor's gender or sex and the appearance or perception is inconsistent with the minor's sex; establishing certain penalties for a violation of the Act. | 2/21 @ 1PM | Contact all bill sponsors and members of the Health and Government Operations Committee | | |
| SUPPORT! | HB1430 | Education - Public Schools - Parents' Rights (Education Bill of Rights for Families Act) | Providing that parents of children in public schools have certain rights regarding information and communication from the children's local school system about education and school-related topics. | 3/6 @ 1pm in the House Ways and Means Committee | Contact Delegate Miller, all co-sponsors, and members of the House Ways and Means Committee | | |
| SUPPORT! | SB911/HB1421 | Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics - Gene Structure- and Function-Modifying Products - Labeling | Prohibiting a person from offering for sale in the State a gene structure- or function-modifying product unless the product is labeled in a prominent and conspicuous manner with the words "Gene structure- or function-modifying product" and all potential risks, side effects, adverse effects, and other reasonably possible effects that the product may have; and establishing penalties for a violation of the Act. | 3/7 @ 1pm in Senate Finance committee & 3/7 @ 1PM in Health and Govt Operations Committee | Contact Senator McKay and members of the Senate Finance Committee | | |
| SUPPORT! | SB914/HB1422 | Human Relations - Protection Against Discrimination - Genetic Procedures | Prohibiting discrimination based on an individual's refusal to undergo a genetic procedure in education, public accommodations, commercial leasing, housing, and employment and by certain licensed or regulated persons. | 3/8 @ 2pm House; 2/29 @ 1pm Senate; | Contact Senator McKay and members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, as well as Delegates S. Johnson and A. Johnson, and members of the House Health and Government Operations Committee | | |
| SUPPORT! | HB65 | Public Schools - Medical and Psychological Treatment in School-Based Health Centers and Public Schools - Parental Notice | This bill would require that parents be notified of consultations, diagnoses rendered, or treatment given to a student. | 3/13 @ 1PM | Contact Delegate April Miller and members of the Ways and Means committee, as well as members of the Health and Government Operations committee | | |
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| WATCH | HB126 | Prince George's County - Board of Education - Family Life and Human Sexuality Instruction | Requiring the Prince George's County Board of Education to require the curriculum for family life and human sexuality instruction in Prince George's County schools begin no later than grade 6, provide age-appropriate instruction, include certain medically accurate information about contraception options, and include trauma-informed discussion of molestation and pedophilia and that these actions are reportable crimes than can result in imprisonment. | - | Contact Delegate Taveras and the members of the Ways and Means committee | | |
| WATCH | SB210 | Emergency Medical Services - Paramedics - Immunizations Administration - Effective Date | Delaying the effective date to January 1, 2030, of certain provisions of law that repeal the authority of paramedics to administer influenza and COVID-19 immunizations under certain circumstances.
| Crossed Over | | | |
| WATCH | SB492/HB522 | Public Schools - Student Telehealth Appointments - Policy and Access | Requiring each county board of education to establish a policy to accommodate students who need to participate in telehealth appointments during the school day; requiring each public middle and high school to designate a space that meets certain requirements for student telehealth appointments; and requiring the Department, on request, to provide technical assistance to a county board to establish the student telehealth policy. | 2/28 @ 1PM Senate &2/7 @ 2:30 pm House Hearing | Please note the law allowing telehealth in schools has already passed. Opposing this bill would not negate such. This bill aims to set up the infrastructure for those appointments which the law already permits. | | |
| WATCH | SB335/HB499 | Health Occupations - Private Dental Offices - Infection Control | Requires private dental offices to follow guidelines for infection control per the CDC | 2/13 @ 1PM for both Senate and House hearings | | | |
| WATCH | HB367/SB527 | Community Colleges - Contraception - Access Requirements | Requiring on or before October 1, 2024, each community college to develop and implement a plan to provide students with access to over-the-counter contraception; requiring each community college to submit a certain report to the Maryland Higher Education Commission on or before a July 1 each year; requiring the Commission to submit a certain report to the General Assembly on or before a September 1 each year; and authorizing the Maryland Department of Health, on request, to provide certain assistance to a community college. | 2/13 @ 12PM House Appropriations Committtee and 2/14 @ 1PM Senate | | | |
| WATCH | HB267 | Health - Abortion Data - Submission to the CDC | Requiring the Maryland Department of Health to submit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention any data regarding abortion requested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unless submitting the data would violate federal or State law. | 3/15 @ 2PM | | | |
| WATCH | SB427 | Public Health - Overdose and Infectious Disease Prevention Services Program | This would allow safe injections site in Maryland, where drug users can obtain supplies and use drugs under supervision for their safety, without persecutation. Safe injection sites in other cities have increased drug crime and violence in the areas they are brought into. While this bill is outside the purview of ICM, it may interest many of our members. | Senate 2/20 @ 1PM & House 3/1 @ 2PM | | | |
| WATCH | HB370 | Maryland Department of Health - Study on the Effects of and Preparedness for Long Covid-19 | Requiring the Maryland Department of Health, in consultation with the Maryland Department of Labor and the Department of Human Services, to conduct a study on the preparedness of health facilities in the State to respond to viral illnesses and the effects of post-viral illnesses resulting from long COVID-19; and requiring the Department, on or before July 1, 2025, to report its finding and recommendations to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Health and Government Operations Committee. | - | | | |
| WATCH | HB1219/SB1024 | Public Schools - Cardiac Emergency Action Plan - Requirements | Requiring each public school to develop and implement a cardiac emergency response plan beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. | Both hearings 2/28 @ 1PM | | | |
| WATCH | HB1257/SB917 | Public Schools - Restorative Practices Schools - Establishmnt | Parents concerned about Social Emotional Learning and more should pay close attention to this bill | 2/28 @ 1pm & 3/6 @ 1pm | | | |
| WATCH | SB1073/HB1202 | Amendments Convention Called Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution - Delegation to the Convention | Requiring the General Assembly to appoint a delegation to an amendments convention called under Article V of the U.S. Constitution and an advisory committee under certain circumstances and in accordance with certain requirements; providing for the membership of the delegation; providing for the qualifications, oath, compensation, and duties of a commissioner to the delegation; establishing the operations of the delegation and the advisory committee; etc. | 3/1 @ 9AM senate | | | |
| WATCH | HB1200 | Primary and Secondary Education - Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment Count - Alterations (Truancy Reduction Act 2024) | Altering the definition of "full-time equivalent enrollment" in the calculation for State education aid to include the average number of students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 on September 30, December 31, March 31, and the last day of the prior school year; and applying the Act to the calculation of education funding for fiscal years beginning after June 30, 2025. | 3/5 @ 12PM | | | |
| WATCH | SJ0004 | Division of Children and Youth - Student Truancy from School - Unit, Policies and Report | Encouraging the State Department of Education to add a section or unit dedicated to addressing student truancy from school to further the purposes and goals of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future; and requiring the Division of Children and Youth in the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services to develop certain strategies relating to student truancy from school. | 3/6 @ 1pm | | | |
| WATCH | HB704 | Primary and Secondary Education - Education Savings Account Program - Established | Establishing the Education Savings Account program in the State administered by the State Department of Education; providing that the State shall deposit into an account of an eligible student a certain percentage of the per pupil amount of State and local funds for each education program in the resident school district for which the eligible student would be included in the enrollment count; and allowing a subtraction modification under the Maryland income tax for deposits into an education savings account. | 3/6 @ 1PM | | | |
| WATCH | HB1373 | Calvert County Public Schools - Extracurricular Activities for Homeschooled Students - Pilot Program and Workgroup | Watch for financial ties, requirements that homeschoolers follow public school requirements (such as compulsory vaccination) to participate in extracurricular activities | 3/6 @ 1pm | | | |
| WATCH | HB1372 | Health and Taxation - Digital Social Media Services and the Mental Health Care Fund for Children and Youth | Watch for access to software, apps, tools, or healthcare that is concealed from parents | 3/7 @ 1PM | | | |
| WATCH | SB820 | Hospital - Care of Infants After Discharge | Requiring a hospital to provide certain oral and written instructions on safe sleep environments for infants to the parent or legal guardian of an infant before the hospital discharges an infant into the care of the parent or legal guardian; requiring a hospital before discharging an infant to ask a parent or legal guardian to describe the environment in which the infant will sleep; and requiring the Maryland Department of Health to develop a certain list of resources available for an infant's parent or legal guardian. | 3/8 @ 1PM | | | |
| WATCH | HB184 | Public Health - Healthy Maryland Program - Establishment | As it stands, this bill is outside of ICM's wheelhouse, but it may interest many of our members | 3/12 @ 1PM | | | |
| WATCH | HB884/SB862 | Public Health - Pregnancy - Coercion (Protecting Pregnant Women Against Coercive Abuse and Human Trafficking) | Prohibiting an individual from committing or threatening certain actions, including certain actions related to sex trafficking, with the intent of coercing a pregnant woman to have an abortion; providing that a pregnant minor is considered an emancipated minor for purposes of eligibility for public assistance if the minor is denied financial support from a parent or guardian due to the minor's refusal to have an abortion; etc. | 3/13 @ 1PM in Senate Finance & House 3/15 @ 2PM | | | |
| WATCH | HB1233 | Public Health - Abortion | Abortion is outside the scope of ICM but we do monitor this issue for matters of informed consent and minor healthcare | 3/15 @ 2PM | | | |
| WATCH | HB1415 | Education - Community Schools - Report | Requiring each county board of education to submit a report on community schools to the State Department of Education on or before December 1, 2024; and requiring the Department to submit a report summarizing the reports received from county boards to the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2025. | | | | |
| WATCH | HJ0005 | Commitment to Free Speech, Academic Freedom, and Open Public Discourse | Reaffirming the Maryland General Assembly's commitment to free speech, academic freedom, and open public discourse; and upholding the right of individuals to express views on matters of foreign policy. | | | | |
| WATCH | HB355 | Health Occupations - Licensed Direct-Entry Midwives - Previous Cesarean Section | Allowing a licensed direct-entry midwife to assume or take responsibility for a client who had a previous cesarean section and regulating the circumstances under which the responsibility may be assumed or taken; altering the required contents of a certain informed consent agreement; and requiring the State Board of Nursing, in consultation with certain stakeholders, to develop a transport protocol for clients who had a previous cesarean section. | Withdrawn | | | |
| WATCH | SB189 | Public Schools - Inclusive and Diverse English Language Arts - Development of Content Standards and Implementation | Requiring the State Board of Education to develop content standards for inclusive and diverse English language arts to be included in certain State standards for English language arts by December 1, 2025; requiring each county board of education to develop and implement certain curriculum guides for inclusive and diverse English language arts; and requiring each public school to include inclusive and diverse English language arts in the English language arts curriculum beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. | 1/17 @ 3PM | | | |
| WATCH | HB200/SB161 | Community Schools - Alterations | Monitoring re: social and emotional learning and other additions to school-based health center laws | 1/30 @ 1PM & 1/24 @ 1PM | | | |
| WATCH | HB299 | Public Safety - Militia - Active Duty Combat (Defend the Guard) | This is outside of ICM's purview, but may interest many of our members | 1/30 @ 230PM | | | |
| WATCH | HB485/SB1165 | Public Health - Prohibition on Transfer of HIV - Repeal | Repeals the law that makes it illegal to knowing transmit or attempt to transmit HIV to another person. | 2/6 @ 1PM | | | |
| WATCH | HB177 | Hospital - Care of Infants After Discharge | Requiring a hospital to provide certain oral and written instructions to the parent or legal guardian of an infant before the hospital discharges the infant into the care of the parent or legal guardian; requiring a hospital before discharging an infant to inquire as to whether a parent or legal guardian is able to provide the infant with a safe sleep environment and a bassinet, crib, or portable crib, inform a parent or legal guardian of certain matters, and provide each parent or legal guardian with a certain form; etc. | 2/7 @ 2:30PM | | | |
| WATCH | HB416/SB432 | Public Schools - Active Shooter Safety Drills or Training - Requirements | This is outside of ICM's purview, but may interest many of our members | 2/7 @ 2:30PM House and 2/7 @ 2PM senate (Favorable report from House) | | | |
| WATCH | SB59 | Safe Sleep for Infants - Awareness and Certification | Requiring the Maryland Department of Health to develop and implement a public awareness campaign to promote education regarding safe sleep for infants; establishing the Maryland Safe Sleep Certification Program and requiring child care centers to be certified by the Program; and requiring hospitals and freestanding birthing centers to be certified by the Cribs for Kids' National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification program. | 2/8 @ 1PM | | | |
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