The Maryland State legislative session ended April 9. WDC submitted testimony on twenty-five bills related to WDC’s priority issue areas that also met WDC’s endorsement criteria. WDC monitored the status of another twelve bills but did not submit testimony. Thirteen bills were passed by the State legislature and enacted into law. Many of these bills were sponsored or co-sponsored by our Montgomery County Senators or Delegates. Several bills were also priorities of WDC’s partner, the Maryland Legislative Agenda for Women (MLAW).
Among the important State bills that passed were one that requires age-appropriate instruction on the meaning of “consent” as part of the public school Family Life and Human Sexuality Curriculum; makes improvements to the General Assembly’s anti-sexual harassment policies, including referral to an independent investigator; terminates the parental rights of rapists; allows past evidence of sexual offenses to be admitted as evidence; prohibits a defendant in a domestic crime from possessing a firearm; extends the insurance coverage for contraceptives from six months to twelve months; and increases the reimbursement rate for the State’s Child Care Subsidy Program.
Click here for the Advocacy Committee’s report on WDC Legislative Accomplishments for 2018 to find a more detailed discussion of WDC’s advocacy on behalf of State and County bills.
The Advocacy Committee thanks all WDC members who signed up for the Advocacy Alert Team and contacted their State Senators and Delegates, and County Council members in support of WDC’s bill priorities. If you have not already done so, please sign up for future Advocacy Alerts.