top of page

Civil Rights, LGBTQ+ Issues and the 2024 Session

The LGBTQ+ Task Force is inactive, but we are tracking legislation involving civil rights: 

​

For information on HB 283  / SB0460 - Maryland Medical Assistance Program – Gender–Affirming Treatment (Trans Health Equity Act) -  please see the 2023 Session page under Healthcare. It was designated a priority issue and supported by the Healthcare Advocacy Team.

​

This year, UULM-MD gave strong testimony in opposition two two dangerous bills, both of which were voted down in committee:

  • HB 47 / SB 381 - Education - Interscholastic and Intramural Junior Varsity and Varsity Teams - Designation Based on Sex (Fairness In Girls' Sports Act)

  • HB 25 - Public Schools - Sexually Explicit Materials - Prohibited in Libraries and Media Centers

​

Subject
Bill Number
XFile Bill Number
Title
Synopsis
Current Status
Current Location
Position
Affirming Equal Rights Amendment
HJ0001
SJ0001
Affirming the Federal Equal Rights Amendment
Urging the Administration of President Joseph R. Biden to publish the federal Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and for the U.S. Congress to affirm, by joint resolution, the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment.
Hearing 3/11 at 1:00 p.m.
Rules and Executive Nominations
Affirming Equal Rights Amendment
SJ0001
HJ0001
Affirming the Federal Equal Rights Amendment
Urging the Administration of President Joseph R. Biden to publish, without delay, the federal Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and for the U.S. Congress to pass a joint resolution affirming the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment.
Returned Passed
Passed
Civil Suits by Commission on Civil Rights
HB0368
SB0666
Maryland Commission on Civil Rights - Monetary Relief
Altering certain maximum amounts of monetary relief the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights is authorized to award if the Commission finds that a respondent has engaged in a discriminatory act under provisions of law regarding public accommodations and persons licensed or regulated by the Maryland Department of Labor; and requiring, by July 1, 2025, and by each July 1 for the next 4 years, the Commission to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on the impact of the Act on persons against whom complaints were filed.
First Reading Judicial Proceedings
Judicial Proceedings
Civil Suits by Commission on Civil Rights
SB0666
HB0368
Maryland Commission on Civil Rights - Monetary Relief
Altering certain maximum amounts of monetary relief the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights is authorized to award if the Commission finds that a respondent has engaged in a discriminatory act under provisions of law regarding public accommodations and persons licensed or regulated by the Maryland Department of Labor; requiring, by July 1, 2025, and by each July 1 for the next 4 years, the Commission to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on the impact of the Act on persons against whom complaints have been filed; etc.
Passed Enrolled
Governor
Coercing Abortions
HB0884
SB0862
Public Health - Pregnancy - Coercion (Protecting Pregnant Women Against Coercive Abuse and Human Trafficking)
Prohibiting an individual from committing or threatening certain actions, including certain actions related to sex trafficking, with the intent of coercing a pregnant woman to have an abortion; providing that a pregnant minor is considered an emancipated minor for purposes of eligibility for public assistance if the minor is denied financial support from a parent or guardian due to the minor's refusal to have an abortion; etc.
Hearing 3/15 at 1:30 p.m.
Health and Government Operations
Oppose
Coercing Abortions
SB0862
HB0884
Public Health - Pregnancy - Coercion (Protecting Pregnant Women Against Coercive Abuse and Human Trafficking)
Prohibiting an individual from committing or threatening certain actions, including certain actions related to sex trafficking, with the intent of coercing a pregnant woman to have an abortion; providing that a pregnant minor is considered an emancipated minor for purposes of eligibility for public assistance if the minor is denied financial support from a parent or guardian due to the minor's refusal to have an abortion; etc.
Hearing 3/13 at 1:00 p.m.
Finance
Oppose
Discrimination by Religious Employers
HB0469
Employment Discrimination - Exceptions - Religious Activities of Religious Employers
Specifying that the exception for religious employers to certain prohibitions against employment discrimination applies only to the religious activities of the employers.
Unfavorable Report by Economic Matters; Withdrawn
Oppose
Employment Discrimination-LGBTQ+
HB0602
Employment Discrimination – Sexual Orientation
Altering certain provisions of law prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of sex and gender identity to also prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Returned Passed
Governor
Equal Opportunity for All Marylanders
HB1397
SB0590
Human Relations - Discrimination - Protected Characteristics
Altering certain provisions of law prohibiting discrimination based on certain protected characteristics to include prohibitions on discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, race, religious beliefs, marital status, and disability.
Passed Enrolled
Governor
Equal Opportunity for All Marylanders
SB0590
HB1397
Human Relations - Discrimination - Protected Characteristics
Altering certain provisions of law prohibiting discrimination based on certain protected characteristics to include prohibitions on discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, race, religious beliefs, marital status, and disability.
Special Order until later today (Senator Simonaire) Adopted
Senate Floor
Equal Pay for Equal Work
HB0649
SB0525
Labor and Employment - Equal Pay for Equal Work - Wage Range Transparency
Altering the requirement that an employer disclose certain wage information to an applicant for employment; requiring an employer to disclose certain wage information in certain postings and to certain employees at certain times; requiring an employer to set the wage range disclosed in good faith; requiring the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to develop and make available to employers a form that an employer may use to comply with certain wage disclosure requirements; prohibiting certain retaliatory action by an employer; etc.
Returned Passed
Governor
Equal Pay for Equal Work
SB0525
HB0649
Labor and Employment – Equal Pay for Equal Work – Wage Range Transparency
Altering the requirement that an employer disclose certain wage information to an applicant for employment; requiring an employer to disclose certain wage information in certain postings and to certain employees at certain times; requiring an employer to set the wage range disclosed in good faith; requiring the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to develop and make available to employers a form that an employer may use to comply with certain wage disclosure requirements; etc.
Returned Passed
Governor
Freedom to Read
HB0785
SB0738
Freedom to Read Act
Establishing a State policy that local school systems operate their school library media programs consistent with certain standards; requiring each local school system to develop a policy and procedures to review objections to materials in a school library media program; prohibiting a county board of education from dismissing, demoting, suspending, disciplining, reassigning, transferring, or otherwise retaliating against certain school library media program personnel for performing their job duties consistent with certain standards; etc.
Passed Enrolled
Governor
Freedom to Read
SB0738
HB0785
Freedom to Read Act
Establishing a State policy that local school systems operate their school library media programs consistent with certain standards; requiring each local school system to develop a policy and procedures to review objections to materials in a school library media program; prohibiting a county board of education from dismissing, demoting, suspending, disciplining, reassigning, transferring, or otherwise retaliating against certain school library media program personnel for performing their job duties consistent with certain standards; etc.
Passed Enrolled
Governor
Indigenous People's Day
HB0179
Indigenous Peoples' Day - Rule of Interpretation and Replacement of Columbus Day
Replacing references to Columbus Day in certain provisions of law with references to Indigenous Peoples' Day; and establishing that Indigenous Peoples' Day is to be observed on October 12 or, if the United States Congress designates another day for the observance of Columbus Day, the day designated by the United States Congress.
Hearing 3/14 at 1:00 p.m.
Health and Government Operations
Insurance Discrimination LGBTQ+
HB1283
Insurance - Discrimination - Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Prohibiting discrimination based on an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity by an insurer, an insurance producer, a surety insurer, and a health network when engaging in certain insurance-related business practices.
Hearing 3/07 at 1:00 p.m.
Economic Matters
Parental Rights
HB0553
SB0438
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.
Hearing 2/15 at 1:00 p.m.
Judiciary
Parental Rights
SB0438
HB0553
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.
Hearing 2/14 at 1:00 p.m.
Judicial Proceedings
Reparations
SB0622
Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund - Funding (Maryland Reparations Act of 2024)
Requiring that a certain amount of revenue from the State individual income tax and Maryland estate tax be distributed to the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund; altering the rates and rate brackets under the State income tax on certain income of individuals; providing for an additional State individual income tax rate on the net capital gains of individuals; altering a certain limit on the unified credit used for determining the Maryland estate tax; increasing the rate of the sales and use tax for cannabis from 9% to 14%; etc.
Hearing 2/14 at 1:00 p.m.
Budget and Taxation
School sports - anti-trans
HB0047
SB0381
Education - Interscholastic and Intramural Junior Varsity and Varsity Teams - Designation Based on Sex (Fairness In Girls' 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 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.
Unfavorable Report by Ways and Means
Oppose
School sports - anti-trans
SB0381
HB0047
Education - Interscholastic and Intramural Junior Varsity and Varsity Teams - Designation Based on Sex (Fairness In Girls' 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 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.
Hearing 2/07 at 2:00 p.m.
Education, Energy, and the Environment
Oppose
Sexually Explicit Materials
HB0025
Public Schools - Sexually Explicit Materials - Prohibited in Libraries and Media Centers
Prohibiting sexually explicit materials in elementary, middle, and secondary public school libraries and media centers; defining sexually explicit materials as books and auditory and visual material that contain graphic or obscene depictions of sexual activity that are not age appropriate or used as part of the approved instructional materials for instruction on family life and human sexuality; etc.
Unfavorable Report by Ways and Means
Oppose
Threats and Stalking - Recklessness
HB0941
Criminal Law - Threats and Stalking - Recklessness
Altering the mental state required as an element of certain threat crimes and stalking from knowledge to recklessness.
Hearing 2/22 at 1:00 p.m.
Judiciary
bottom of page