2025 Calls to Action

Posted on February 1, 2025 By Informed Choice MarylandNo Comment
STATUSBill NumberSynopsisICM CommentsHearing Call to ActionCLICK HERE TO FIND YOUR REP(S)/SENATORClick to join our email list for more detailed talking points.
*Bills labeled as WATCH can change status as we gather more information.
BILL KILLED!HB380Criminal Law - Prohibition on Sale of Contraceptives and Contraceptive Devices by Vending Machine in School - RepealBILL KILLED!BILL KILLED!OPPOSE
OPPOSEHB161Primary and Secondary Education - Comprehensive Health Education Framework - EstablishedRepeat of the last two years' bills re; gender curricula/opt outs in school.3/20 at 1pmOPPOSE - EMAIL THE SENATE EEE COMMITTEE - It is VERY likely that the legislature will try to push this through swiftly in the last week of session!
SUPPORTHB1251Health Care Facilities and Medical Professional Liability Insurers - Obstetric Services Policies (Doula and Birth Policy Transparency Act)3/25 at 1pmSENATE FINANCE
SUPPORTHB763Education - Sexual Abuse and Assault Awareness and Prevention Program - Human and Sex Trafficking3/20 at 1pmSUPPORT - SENATE EEE
SUPPORT w/amendmentHB1208Public Health - Prohibited Ingredients in FoodRequest amendments to add red dye 40 at mininum3/27 at 1pmThis bill is outside the purview of ICM, but most of our members may be interested in supporting it
WATCHHB1315Health Insurance - Coverage for Child Wellness Services - ImmunizationsChanges to current law. Many citizens are interpreting this bill wrong and reaching out to us wondering why we are not opposing it. The law allowing pharmacists to vaccinate children already exists. This makes minor changes to it.3/27 at 1pmSENATE FINANCE
WATCHHB771Student Health - Program for Student Dental Health - EstablishedThis is a barrier to entry to access a public education, which is unconstitutional. Dental health poses no threat of communicable disease in a school setting. There is no reason to mandate dental health certificates for entry to school, and such legislation is a stark reminder of the state's interest in policing parent choice. Language requiring certificates of dental health to attend school has been removed.3/27 at 1pmEEE
WATCHSB854Health Occupations - Licensed Direct-Entry Midwives - Revisions4/1 at 1pmHGO
HB838Health Occupations - Licensed Direct-Entry Midwives - RevisionsFAVORABLE REPORT SEN FINANCE
WATCHHB1143Dental Services - Dental Hygienists in Schools and School-Based Health Centers and the Maryland Collaborative to Improve Children's Oral Health Through School-Based ProgramsAdding dental care to School-Based Health Centers furthers intrudes upon parental oversight during healthcare appointments. It is the parent's decision whether their child receives dental work, including but not limited to fillings, fluoride treatments, sealants, and much more. Removing the parent from the provider-minor patient appointment opens the door to a substantial risk of violating informed consent. This not only places children at risk, but also increases the liability risk of legal retaliation toward the schools and DOE. Language that would have allowed dental care in SBHC's has been removed!THIRD READING PASSEDFINANCE
SB988Dental Services - Dental Hygienists in Schools and School-Based Health Centers and the Maryland Collaborative to Improve Children's Oral Health Through School-Based Programs2/25 at 1pm
WATCHHB935Public Schools - Venue-Specific Emergency Action Plans - High School Football Games3/27 at 1pmSENATE EEE
WATCHHB974Health Insurance - Preventive Services - Enforcement Authority3/27 at 1pmSENATE FINANCE
WATCHHB879Task Force to Improve Attendance and Reduce Chronic Absenteeism in SchoolsWatch for prying into family homes3/27 at 1pmSENATE EEE
WATCHHB386Pesticides - PFAS Chemicals - ProhibitionsTHIRD READING PASSED!This bill is outside of ICM's purview, but many members may be interested in supporting it. REFERRED TO EEE
SB3452/18 at 1pm
WATCHHB930Public Health Abortion Grant Program - EstablishmentThird reading passedFINANCE CMTE - and - BUDGET AND TAXATION CMTE
SB848LAID OVER - ADOPTEDREFERRED TO HGO
WATCHHB1480Child Advocacy Centers - Continuity of Care Standards for Health Care Professionals and Reports of Violations4/1 at 1pmJUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS
WATCHHB1316Primary and Secondary Education - Student Technology and Social Media Resource GuideTHIRD READING PASSEDREFERRED TO EEE
WATCHHB1474Licensed Professional Counselors - Telehealth - Students Enrolled in Institutions of Higher Education3/25 at 1pmSENATE FINANCE
WATCHHB0820Health Insurance - Utilization Review - Use of Artificial Intelligence3/27 at 1pmFINANCE
WATCHHB1253Maryland Department of Social Equity - Established3/26 at 1pmEEE
WATCHSB109Maryland Public Ethics Law – School Boards – Compliance CertificationUnsure of relevance; could be problematic - Passed Senate - Referred to House Environment and Transportation3/27 at 1pmENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORTATION
WATCHHB1314Health Care - Prior Authorizations - Prohibiting Fees and Use of Artificial Intelligence3/26 at 1pmSUPPORT - SENATE FINANCE
OPPOSEHB939Maryland Commission for Women - Maryland Collaborative to Advance Implementation of Coverage of Over-the-Counter Birth ControlThe law already allows minors to have access to birth control through state health departments and doctors without parental consent or notification. This bill is the first step toward over-the-counter sales, which would then allow for children of ANY AGE to buy birth control at local stores without a parent or guardian.THIRD READING PASSEDSENATE FINANCE
SB6743/20 at 1PMHGO
OPPOSEHB334Universal Newborn Nurse Home Visiting Services - Program Establishment and Insurance CoverageWell-intentioned but opens the door to intruision on citizens' privacy and overmedicalizationFAVORABLE W/ AMENDMENTSOPPOSE - SENATE FINANCE
SB1563/19 at 2:30pmOPPOSE - HGO
OPPOSEHB514Health Occupations - State Board of Chiropractic Examiners - RevisionsThis bill would allow anyone to file false claims against chiropractic care offices in the state, opening those offices up to unannounced raids without due process. This could be used by former patients, personal contacts, or even other practitioners seeking to hinder the business practices of the chiroprator for which the claim is filed. However well-intentioned, the state should not pass legislation that paints a target on care providers' backs.Third Reading Passing Out of HouseOPPOSE - SENATE FINANCE
SB523/18 at 1pmOPPOSE - SENATE FINANCE
SUPPORTHB1385Children - Parental Rights - Educational Rights3/3 at 11am
SB948Children - Parental Rights - Educational Rights3/7 at 1pm
SUPPORTSB468Public Middle, High, and Charter Schools - Start Time for Instruction3/5 at 1pm
HB1015Public Middle, High, and Charter Schools - Start Time for Instruction2/24 at 11amSUPPORT - EMAIL THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
SUPPORTSB965Public Health - Women's Health Care Data - Report3/6 at 1pmSUPPORT - EMAIL THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
HB13572/27 at 1pmSUPPORT - EMAIL THE HGO COMMITTEE
SUPPORTHB773Public Middle and High Schools - Student Discipline (Right to Teach Act of 2025)3/3 at 11amThis bill is somewhat out of our purview but we believe many ICM members would support it.
SB4822/21 at 930am
SUPPORT HB1399Health Occupations - Cross-Sex Hormone Therapy for Minors - Prohibition (Protect the Kids Act)3/11 at 1pm
SUPPORT HB1449Public Health - Milk Products - Direct-to-Consumer Sale of Raw Milk for Human Consumption3/10 at 1pmThis bill is outside the purview of ICM, but most of our members may be interested in supporting it
WATCHHB672School Health and Wellness Personnel Assessment and Maryland Council on Advancement of School-Based Health CentersTHIRD READING PASSEDSENATE FINANCE
SB4862/11 at 1pm
WATCHHB664Health Occupations - Licensed Direct-Entry Midwives - Disciplinary Actions3/20 at 1pm
SUPPORTHB1186Criminal Law - Causing Ingestion of an Abortion-Inducing Drug - Prohibition (Women's Freedom From Coercion Act)3/6 at 1pm
SB9332/26 at 1pmSUPPORT - EMAIL JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS COMMITTEE
SUPPORTHB394Civil Actions - Distribution of Obscene Material to Minors and Age Verification Information2/5 at 2pm
SUPPORTHB583Primary and Secondary Education - Virtual Schools - Alterations2/12 at 1pm
SUPPORTHB223Family Law - Child Abuse and Neglect Investigations ("Know Before They Knock" Family Right to Notice Act)2/13 at 1pm
WATCHHB1180Education - Primary and Secondary Schools - Alternative School Options (Right to Learn Act)3/3 at 11am
WATCHHB1373Education - Virtual Schools - Operation by For-Profit Entities3/3 at 11am
WATCHHJ0005Elementary and Secondary Education - Curriculum - Importance of Diversity3/3 at 12pm
SJ00053/7 at 1pm
WATCHHB1025Local Education Agencies - Educator Screening - NASDTEC Clearinghouse (School Personnel Vetting and Hiring Transparency Act)3/3 at 11am
SB8453/26 at 1pmWAYS AND MEANS
WATCHHB867State Board of Physicians - Naturopathic Doctors - Prescriptive Authority and Administration of Medication3/4 at 1pm
WATCHHB822Declaration of Rights - Religious Freedom, Religious Tests, and Oaths and Affirmations3/4 at 1pm
WATCHHB1019Human Relations - Protection of the Free Exercise of Religion3/4 at 1pm
WATCHSB0790Maryland Department of Health - Workgroup to Implement Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Requirements3/4 at 1pm
HB10833/5 at 1pm
WATCHHB1313Education - Student Behavior - Parent and Guardian Notice and Required Counseling (Parent and Guardian Accountability Act)MD Democrats have been trying to pass this bill since 2020. We encourage you to reference the same bill over the last four years and listen to the hearings to apprise yourself of the trajectory they intend to take with this.3/5 at 1pm
WATCHSB916Education - Curriculum Standards - Requirements (Educate to Stop the Hate Act)3/5 at 1pm
WATCHHB1112PFAS Chemicals - Civil Actions and Prohibition on Consumer Product Sales3/5 at 1pm
WATCHSB506Maryland Medical Assistance Program – Use of Reimbursement Funds by SchoolsPaid internships for SBHC healthcare providers3/5 at 1pm
HB6892/25 at 1pm
WATCHHB1185Homeschool Students in Maryland - Right to Play3/5 at 1pm
WATCHHB1272Youth Sports Safety Advisory Commission3/5 at 1pm
WATCHHB1342Pesticide and Pest Control - State-Owned Property - Pesticide Use Restrictions and Pollinator Habitat3/5 at 1pm
SB09322/18 at 1pm
WATCHSB564Catastrophic Event Account - Transfer of Funds - State Disaster Recovery Fund3/6 at 1pm
HB865Senate Budget and Taxation
WATCHHB1483Public Schools - High School Sports Officiating Services - Procurement Requirements3/6 at 1pm
WATCHSB879Institutions of Higher Education - Dually Enrolled Students - AlterationsWould open up grants for homeschoolers (this is *not* a good thing in most cases)3/7 at 1pm
HB7252/25 at 1pm
WATCHHB1268Health Insurance - Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Illnesses - Long-Term Antibiotic Treatment3/11 at 1pm
WATCHHJ0004Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - The American Dream3/10 at 3pm
SJ00033/13 at 1pm
WATCHHB993Education - Public Middle Schools - Course on Consequences of a Felony Murder Conviction2/24 at 11am
WATCHHB852Educational Institutions - Opioid Overdose-Reversing Medications - Policy Requirements (Protecting Our Kids From Overdoses Act)2/25 at 1pm
WATCHHB373Health - Abortion Data - Submission to the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionData management between MD DOH and CDC2/27 at 1pm
WATCHSB905Criminal Law – Identity Fraud – Artificial Intelligence and Deepfake Representations2/26 at 1pm
WATCHSB806Agriculture - Confinement of Egg-Laying Hens in Commercial Egg Production - Prohibitions2/27 at 1pm
HB8342/19 at 1pm
WATCHSB314Certificates of Birth, Licenses, and Identification Cards - Sex Designation (Birth Certificate Modernization Act)2/5 at 2pm
HB13682/21 at 2pm
WATCHHB665Maryland Medical Assistance Program and Health Insurance - Annual Behavioral Health Wellness Visits - Coverage and Reimbursement2/6 at 1pm
SB3282/4 at 1pm
WATCHHB630County Boards of Education - Student Cellular Phone Use Policy - Establishment (Maryland Phone-Free Schools Act)Students need an accessible phone for emergency use2/12 at 1pm
SB3681/29 at 230pm
WATCHHB608Primary and Secondary Education - Student Immunization - Temporary Admission Period2/12 at 1pm
SB8212/21 at 1pm
WATCHHB612Public Schools - Lifesaver Schools Program - Establishment2/12 at 1pm
WATCHHB962Public Health - Pediatric Hospital Overstay Patients2/26 at 1pm
SB6962/18 at 1pm
WATCHHB940Criminal Procedure - Probation Before Judgment - Defendants Diagnosed With Autism or Intellectual Disabilities2/18 at 1pm
WATCHHB944Family Law - Children in Need of Assistance and Termination of Parental Rights2/20 at 1pm
WATCHHB52Election Law – Voting Age – Board of Education Elections (Your School, Your Voice Act)Would allow minors 16+17 to vote for school board candidates1/21 at 1pm
WATCHHB68Public Schools – Children Suspected of a Crime of Violence – Prohibition on In–Person Attendance (Student Protection Act of 2025)Suspends students who are suspects of violent crimes1/23 at 1pm
WATCHHB290Office of the Chief Medical Examiner – Disclosure of Autopsy Information and Maintenance of Investigative DatabaseWhy restrict data reported from autopsy reports?1/22 at 2pm
SB1151/16 at 3pm
WATCHSB0001Legally Protected Health Care - Reproductive, Fertility Preservation, and Contraceptive Treatment and Services (IVF and Contraception Shield Act of 2025)Hearing cancelled
WATCHSB786Correctional Services - Private Detention Facilities - Deprivation of Rights, Privileges, and ImmunitiesWithdrawn
HB1101Withdrawn
WATCHHB884Public Health - Sale of Diet Pills to Minors - Prohibition2/19 at 1pm
WATCHHB909Sewage Sludge Utilization Permits - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances - Concentration Limits2/26 at 1pm
SB7322/18 at 1pm
WATCHHB950Child Abuse and Neglect - Disclosure of Reports and Records2/20 at 1pm
WATCHHB951School Systems - Reportable Offenses - Alterations2/19 at 1pm
WATCHHB1240Health Care Providers and Health Insurance Carriers - Use of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care Decision MakingCancelled
WATCHHB1271Health - Abortion - Ultrasound and Wait TimeWithdrawn
WATCHHB1297Public Ethics - Local Government and School Boards - RequirementsReassigned
WATCHHB1493Health Occupations - Prescriptions for Children Subject to Shared Custody or Visitation Schedules3/13 at 3pm
WATCHHB875Commission on History, Culture, and Civics in Education2/24 at 11am
WATCHHB925Amendments Convention Called Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution - Delegation to the Convention3/3 at 12pm
SB8862/26 at 1pm
SUPPORTHB156Education - Interscholastic and Intramural Junior Varsity and Varsity Teams - Designation Based on Sex (Fairness in Girls' Sports Act)protects girls' sports; prevents biological males from playing on female sports teamsUNFAVORABLE BY WAYS AND MEANS
SUPPORTHB282Public Schools - Sexually Explicit Materials - Prohibited in Libraries and Media CentersUNFAVORABLE BY WAYS AND MEANS