2023 Salisbury PFLAG Legislative Priorities
Salisbury PFLAG strives to move equality forward and that includes engaging in legislative advocacy work at the State and local levels. For the 2023 Maryland General Assembly legislative session, Salisbury PFLAG is focused on the following priorities.
*Civil Remedies for Hate Crimes
*Comprehensive Health Education
* Places of Public Accommodation and Public Buildings - Gender-Inclusive Signage
*Expanding Distribution of HIV Prevention Drugs
*Comprehensive Delivery of Reproductive and Sexual Health Services in Higher Education
*Opposing So Called "Parents Rights" Bills
*Opposing Anti-Trans Discrimination in Sports
*Trans Respect and Dignity
*Trans Health Equity
*Birth Certificate Modernization
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MARYLAND LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
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MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY FIND MY REP
You are encouraged to contact your legislators and tell them how they can best represent you with respect to a bill or issue. mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Members/District | |||
Civil Remedy for Hate Crimes
Providing that a person who is the victim of an act that would constitute a violation of certain hate crime laws may bring a civil action against the person or persons who committed the act in a court of competent jurisdiction; and authorizing the court to impose an injunction and award certain economic and noneconomic damages..
Bill Number(s)- HB13/SB05
POSITION-SUPPORT
Read our testimony
| CIVIL REMEDIES FOR HATE CRIMES.pdf |
Places of Public Accommodation and Public Buildings - Gender-Inclusive Signage
Synopsis: Requiring that single-occupancy public restrooms be marked with gender-inclusive signage in certain places of public accommodation and certain public buildings; providing that a county is responsible for enforcing the signage requirement in places of public accommodation; and authorizing a county to set certain fines for second and subsequent violations after a certain period of time.
Bill Number(s)- HB40/SB80
POSITION-SUPPORT
Read out testimony
Synopsis: Requiring that single-occupancy public restrooms be marked with gender-inclusive signage in certain places of public accommodation and certain public buildings; providing that a county is responsible for enforcing the signage requirement in places of public accommodation; and authorizing a county to set certain fines for second and subsequent violations after a certain period of time.
Bill Number(s)- HB40/SB80
POSITION-SUPPORT
Read out testimony
| GENDER INCLUSIVE SIGNAGE FOR SINGLE OCCUPANY RESTROOMS |
Birth Certificate Modernization
Altering the circumstances under which the Secretary of Health is required to make a new certificate of birth due to the change of a sex designation of an individual; and establishing requirements and a prohibition related to the making of new certificates of birth.
Bill Number(s)- HB361
POSITION SUPPORT
POSITION-SUPPOR
Altering the circumstances under which the Secretary of Health is required to make a new certificate of birth due to the change of a sex designation of an individual; and establishing requirements and a prohibition related to the making of new certificates of birth.
Bill Number(s)- HB361
POSITION SUPPORT
POSITION-SUPPOR
| BIRTH CERTIFICATE MODERNIZATION |
Comprehensive Health and Sexual Educationn
Requiring the State Department of Education, in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Health, to develop a comprehensive health education framework; requiring each county board of education to create an age-appropriate curriculum that is consistent with the comprehensive health education framework; requiring each county board to establish a method by which a parent or guardian may opt out of certain topics, subject to certain requirements; etc.
Bill Number(s)- HB119/SB84
POSITION-SUPPORT
Read our testimony
Requiring the State Department of Education, in collaboration with the Maryland Department of Health, to develop a comprehensive health education framework; requiring each county board of education to create an age-appropriate curriculum that is consistent with the comprehensive health education framework; requiring each county board to establish a method by which a parent or guardian may opt out of certain topics, subject to certain requirements; etc.
Bill Number(s)- HB119/SB84
POSITION-SUPPORT
Read our testimony
| COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH EDUCATION |
Comprehensive Reproductive and Health Services
Requiring, on or before August 1, 2024, each public senior higher education institution, in consultation with students, to develop and implement a reproductive health services plan to provide at the institution or to refer students to a comprehensive range of reproductive health services; and requiring the Maryland Department of Health, on request, to provide assistance to a public senior higher education institution in developing the plan.
Bill Number(s)- SB341
Position Support
Requiring, on or before August 1, 2024, each public senior higher education institution, in consultation with students, to develop and implement a reproductive health services plan to provide at the institution or to refer students to a comprehensive range of reproductive health services; and requiring the Maryland Department of Health, on request, to provide assistance to a public senior higher education institution in developing the plan.
Bill Number(s)- SB341
Position Support
| REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES.pdf |
Interscholastic and Intramural Junior Varsity and Varsity Teams and Sports – Designation Based on Sex (Save Women’s Sports Act)
Requiring certain interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams or sports sponsored by certain schools to be expressly designated based on biological sex; prohibiting certain entities from taking certain adverse actions against a school or county board of education for maintaining separate interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams and sports for students of the female sex; and providing that certain individuals have the right to bring a civil action under certain circumstances.
Bill Number(s)- HB359
Position STRONG OPPOSITION
Requiring certain interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams or sports sponsored by certain schools to be expressly designated based on biological sex; prohibiting certain entities from taking certain adverse actions against a school or county board of education for maintaining separate interscholastic and intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams and sports for students of the female sex; and providing that certain individuals have the right to bring a civil action under certain circumstances.
Bill Number(s)- HB359
Position STRONG OPPOSITION
| OPPOSITION TO ANTI TRANS SPORTS BILL HB359 |
Transgender Respect and Dignity Act
Requiring the Commissioner of Correction to report certain information regarding the gender identities of inmates and the housing status of transgender, nonbinary, or intersex inmates; prohibiting an employee of a correctional facility from discriminating against inmates on the basis of certain protected classes; requiring the managing official of a correctional facility to develop a written nondiscrimination policy regarding inmates; etc.
Bill Number(s)- HB426/SB761
Position Support
Requiring the Commissioner of Correction to report certain information regarding the gender identities of inmates and the housing status of transgender, nonbinary, or intersex inmates; prohibiting an employee of a correctional facility from discriminating against inmates on the basis of certain protected classes; requiring the managing official of a correctional facility to develop a written nondiscrimination policy regarding inmates; etc.
Bill Number(s)- HB426/SB761
Position Support
| TRANS RESPECT AND DIGNITY ACT |
Trans Health Equity Act
Requiring, beginning on January 1, 2023, the Maryland Medical Assistance Program to provide gender-affirming treatment in a nondiscriminatory manner; requiring that the gender-affirming treatment be assessed according to nondiscriminatory criteria that are consistent with current clinical standards; prohibiting the issuance of an adverse benefit determination related to gender-affirming treatment unless a certain experienced health care provider has reviewed and confirmed the appropriateness of the determination; etc.
Bill Number(s)- SB460/HB283
Position Support
Requiring, beginning on January 1, 2023, the Maryland Medical Assistance Program to provide gender-affirming treatment in a nondiscriminatory manner; requiring that the gender-affirming treatment be assessed according to nondiscriminatory criteria that are consistent with current clinical standards; prohibiting the issuance of an adverse benefit determination related to gender-affirming treatment unless a certain experienced health care provider has reviewed and confirmed the appropriateness of the determination; etc.
Bill Number(s)- SB460/HB283
Position Support
| TRANS HEALTH EQUITY ACT |
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.
Bill Number(s)- HB666/SB566
Position Support-STRONG OPPOSITION
| PARENTAL RIGHTS BILL.pdf |
DIRECTIONS FOR TRACKING BILLS AND SUBMITTING TESTIMONY
Signing up for and submitting testimony requires a MyMGA account. This is a simple process that takes just a few moments. You will be asked to provide some identifying information and a confirmation will be sent to your provided email address.
When you return to the Maryland General Assembly website you will want to make a habit of clicking on MY MGA located on the upper right portion of your screen as shown here.
When logged in to your My MGA account you will be able to do a variety of things from a drop down menu or the right hand navigation pane, including making a bill tracking list and signing up as a witness. You can click the ADD LIST button to create lists by session or interest area and then use the search box to locate bills by number where you will see the bill information including the sponsors, committee, where it is in the process, upcoming dates etcetera. By clicking on the THUMBTACK you can add the bill to your tracking list.
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To signup to testify log into your MY MGA account and select WITNESS SIGNUP either from the drop down or on the left hand navigation pane. The signup window for Senate bills is only available one business day ahead of a bill's hearing between the hours of 8am and 3pm. To speak during a hearing on Monday, one must signup on the preceding Friday. The signup window for House bills is only available two business days ahead of a bill's hearing between the hours of 8am and 3pm. If a bill is scheduled to be heard on Monday or Tuesday, signup is available on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
When submitting testimony you can identify yourself with an organization- which you should only do if the organization has given you permission to speak for them otherwise leave this blank- then select whether your position is favorable or unfavorable. Finally, you will decide whether you want to provide oral testimony or written testimony or both. You will then be able to upload a file.
You can revist the MGA to see your submitted testimony or schedule.
You can watch hearings and votes as they are happening via the various YouTube channels that can be accessed by clicking the YouTube button next to the MY MGA button.
If submitting testimony is too much, you can quickly use the look up tool to find your legislators and contact them to tell them your opinion.
When submitting testimony you can identify yourself with an organization- which you should only do if the organization has given you permission to speak for them otherwise leave this blank- then select whether your position is favorable or unfavorable. Finally, you will decide whether you want to provide oral testimony or written testimony or both. You will then be able to upload a file.
You can revist the MGA to see your submitted testimony or schedule.
You can watch hearings and votes as they are happening via the various YouTube channels that can be accessed by clicking the YouTube button next to the MY MGA button.
If submitting testimony is too much, you can quickly use the look up tool to find your legislators and contact them to tell them your opinion.
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2022 Legislative Priorities
2022 Testimony
*Inclusive and Diverse English Language Arts (did not pass)
*Inclusive Schools (passes enacted)
*Policies and Prohibition Against Discriminatory Traffic Stops (did not pass)
*Certificates of Birth – Issuance of New Certificates – Sex Designation (did not pass)
*Establishing the American Studies and Social Equity Standards Advisory Board (did not pass)
*Marriage Records After Name Change. (passed enacted)
* Places of Public Accommodation and Public Buildings - Gender-Inclusive Signage. (withdrawn)
*Correctional Facilities Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act (did not pass)
*Opposing Anti-Trans Sports Legislation (died in committee)
| testimony_sb116.pdf |
| testimony_hb0850_sb0666.pdf |
| testimony_hb1046.pdf |
| testimony-hb0369-sb0377.pdf |
| testimony_hb0572_sb0486.pdf |
| testimony-hb0352-sb0888.pdf |
| testimony-hb0453_sb0550.pdf |
| testimony-hb0757.pdf |
2021 TESTIMONY
2021 PRIORITIES
*Name and Gender Marker Changes (passed enacted)
*Inclusive Schools (died in committee)
*Ending Panic Defense (passed enacted)
*Establishing A Statewide Commission on Civics and Cultural Education (died in committee)
*Nondiscrimination and Equitable Access (died in committee)
*Issuance of New Marriage and Birth Certificates (did not pass)
*Mental Health Access (passed enacted)
*Name and Gender Marker Changes (passed enacted)
*Inclusive Schools (died in committee)
*Ending Panic Defense (passed enacted)
*Establishing A Statewide Commission on Civics and Cultural Education (died in committee)
*Nondiscrimination and Equitable Access (died in committee)
*Issuance of New Marriage and Birth Certificates (did not pass)
*Mental Health Access (passed enacted)
| HB132/SB0041 Testimony |
| HB155/SB0098 Testimony |
| hb1088-sb768-testimony__2_.pdf |
| hb-1203-testimony.pdf |
| HB140 Testimony |
| HB231/SB46 Testimony |
| HB39 TESTIMONY |
LEARN MORE ABOUT LGBTQIA+ LEGISLATION BY VISITING FREE STATE JUSTICE
Free State Justice is Maryland's statewide advocacy non-profit that seeks to improve the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (“LGBTQ”) Marylanders. Free State Justice has information about their legislative priorities, maintains a legislative calendar, and holds weekly update sessions during the Maryland General Assembly Legislative Session.
Free State Justice 2021 Legislative Tools
Free State Justice 2021 Legislative Tools