Hello Danielle,

In an effort to streamline our communications with you, we have compiled all of the coming week's calls to action in this single email. We will do our best to update you if any of the following bills change before their hearing date and time.

Please contact the bill sponsors of each bill, as well as the members of the committee that will hear the bill. Be sure to note the date and time of each bill's hearing. Every committee has specific rules regarding how and when testimony must be submitted.

You can find all relevant information on sponsors, committees, and hearing schedules by clicking on the bill number link. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have questions about how to find the committee a bill is assigned to, or where to locate the sponsor(s) and committee members' contact information. We're here to help you be a more effective citizen!

You can also see our entire chart of upcoming calls to action and bills we're watching on our website.

Good news! HB380 - Criminal Law - Prohibition on Sale of Contraceptives and Contraceptive Devices by Vending Machine in School - Repeal has been KILLED! Your advocacy helped to defeat this bill. The parents have spoken; no condoms in schools!

MORE good news! The language in HB771 that previously would have required dental health certificates to be admitted to school has been removed!

EVEN MORE good news! The language in HB1143 that previously would have allowed dentists to be included among care practitioners providing services in School-Based Health Centers has been removed!

THIS IS OUR WHY! KEEP UP THE GRASSROOTS OUTREACH! WE CAN WIN!

Hearing Dates: March 20 at 1PM | in the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee

TESTIMONY FOR THIS HEARING MUST BE SUBMITTED ON TUESDAY, MARCH 18 BETWEEN 8AM AND 6PM! YOU CAN FIND DETAILS ON THE SUBMISSION PROCESS HERE.

If passed, this bill will remove parents' rights to opt their children as young as age 4 out of gender identity and sexual orientation studies in school.

Call to action: Please contact Delegate Atterbeary and Delegate Fair and the members of the EEE committee.

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; and requiring each county board to establish policies, guidelines, and procedures for a parent or guardian to opt out of the family life and human sexuality topics for a certain student, subject to a certain prohibition.

Hearing Dates: March 25 at 1PM | in the Senate Finance Committee

Call to action: Please contact the sponsors of HB1251, as well as all members of the Senate Finance Committee, and ask them to support this bill.

Text of bill: "Requiring certain hospitals to adopt certain policies relating to obstetric services and to provide evidence to the Maryland Department of Health that the hospital has the policies; requiring the Maryland Department of Health to provide certain policies to the public on request; and requiring insurers that issue or deliver medical professional liability insurance policies in the State to provide the Maryland Department of Health, on request, with information regarding the insurer's policy regarding coverage of obstetric services."

We support this bill because it will require hospitals to deploy a protocol to facilitate a smoother transfer for home birth patients coming into the hospital system. This bill would also require hospitals to allow doulas to accompany patients, even if they already have a family member or support person with them - and doulas are not limited by certifications that the MD DOH dictates. Further, this bill would reinforce the need for informed consent during childbirth.

Hearing Dates: TBD | in the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee

Call to action: Please contact all HB763 sponsors, as well as all members of the Senate EEE committee. Watch the most recent bill hearing here.

TESTIMONY FOR HB763 MUST BE SUBMITTED ON MONDAY, MARCH 25TH, BETWEEN 8AM AND 6PM! FIND THE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES HERE.

Text of bill: "Requiring that a certain program on the awareness and prevention of sexual abuse and assault include, for students in grades 6 through 8, material promoting the awareness and prevention of human and sex trafficking."

This Week's Watch List

ICM has screened more than 2500 bills over the last two months to keep you apprised of the legislative changes that could impact your family's safety residing in Maryland. Not every bill can be acted upon, but over 100 worrisome bills are on deck on our watch list. Please visit our Call to Action page on our website and look for the orange color-coded "watch" bills.

Informed Choice Maryland is a volunteer-run organization. Please help us to continue serving Marylanders who rely on our work. Your generous donations help us pay for our annual accounting, tax filings, website costs, email service, and other business-related expenses. Donations are accepted here.

Please don't hesitate to connect with us via email at info@informedchoicemaryland.com or join our discussion group on Telegram if you have any questions about the legislative session or other issues, or if you have thoughts to share about how we can support our community most effectively. We would love to hear from you!

Many thanks for all you do to protect parental rights and informed medical choice in our state!

Thank you,

The ICM Team 

Informed Choice Maryland is a 501(c)4 organization run entirely by volunteers. Your contributions, no matter the amount, make our work possible. Please consider donating to support our efforts.

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