2025 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 2025 Maryland General Assembly legislative session, Salisbury PFLAG is focused on the following priorities.
SUPPORTING Birth Certificate Modernization SB 0314
SUPPORTING Protecting Funding for Gender Affirming Care
SUPPORTING Commission on History Culture & Civics
SUPPORTING Public Schools - Inclusive and Diverse English Language Arts - Development of Content Standards and Implementation
SUPPORTING - Comprehensive Health Education HB0161
SUPPORTING Homeless Shelter Certification HB0093/SB0234
SUPPORTING Maryland Commission on Health Equity SB0129
OPPOSING Public Schools - Sexually Explicit Materials - Prohibited in Libraries and Media Centers HB0282
OPPOSING Interscholastic and Intramural Junior Varsity and Varsity Teams - Designation Based on Sex HB0156
OPPOSING Public Schools - Medical and Psychological Treatment in School-Based Health Centers and Public Schools - Parental Notice
OPPOSING- Fundamental Parents Rights
SUPPORTING Birth Certificate Modernization SB 0314
SUPPORTING Protecting Funding for Gender Affirming Care
SUPPORTING Commission on History Culture & Civics
SUPPORTING Public Schools - Inclusive and Diverse English Language Arts - Development of Content Standards and Implementation
SUPPORTING - Comprehensive Health Education HB0161
SUPPORTING Homeless Shelter Certification HB0093/SB0234
SUPPORTING Maryland Commission on Health Equity SB0129
OPPOSING Public Schools - Sexually Explicit Materials - Prohibited in Libraries and Media Centers HB0282
OPPOSING Interscholastic and Intramural Junior Varsity and Varsity Teams - Designation Based on Sex HB0156
OPPOSING Public Schools - Medical and Psychological Treatment in School-Based Health Centers and Public Schools - Parental Notice
OPPOSING- Fundamental Parents Rights
PFLAG Salisbury has decided to engage with and follow the priorities set forth by the Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs. Under the Governor’s Offices of Community Initiatives the Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs was created by the 2021 Maryland General Assembly by HB130. The commission reflects the gender, racial, ethnic and geographic diversity of Maryland. Members are required to know the issues facing our LGBTQIA+ communities, assess challenges, and provide recommendations and best practices for LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Commission website goci.maryland.gov/lgbtq/ Each year the Commission establishes a set of policy priorities.
PFLAG Nationals makes a number of resources and trainings available related to advocacy
PFLAG Advocacy Page https://pflag.org/jointhefight/
PFLAG Advocacy Tools https://pflag.org/find-resources/#give-me-the-tools-i-need
Tips for in-person meetings with legislators https://pflag.org/resource/lobbying-at-in-person-meetings/
Sharing your story to create change https://pflag.org/resource/pao-sharingyourstory/
Advocacy Guidelines for 501c3 organizations /pflag.org/resource/501c3-advocacy-guidelines/
PFLAG Nationals makes a number of resources and trainings available related to advocacy
PFLAG Advocacy Page https://pflag.org/jointhefight/
PFLAG Advocacy Tools https://pflag.org/find-resources/#give-me-the-tools-i-need
Tips for in-person meetings with legislators https://pflag.org/resource/lobbying-at-in-person-meetings/
Sharing your story to create change https://pflag.org/resource/pao-sharingyourstory/
Advocacy Guidelines for 501c3 organizations /pflag.org/resource/501c3-advocacy-guidelines/
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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 | |||
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 is only available two business day ahead of a bill's hearing between the hours of 8am and pm. To speak during a hearing on Monday, one must signup on the preceding Thursday..
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. Please, do not submit testimony on behalf of PFLAG Salisbury. 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. Please, do not submit testimony on behalf of PFLAG Salisbury. 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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