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CFW Special Edition: End of Session Legislative Update

Montgomery County Maryland sent this bulletin at 04/16/2026 08:00 PM EDT

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Special Edition: End of Session Update

This past Monday, the 449th session of the Maryland General Assembly came to a close. This session, the Montgomery County Commission for Women supported nine priority bills to improve the lives of women and families throughout Maryland. The Commission extends a warm thank you to the legislators, advocacy groups, and constituents who worked to pass these bills.

Thank you to our Policy and Legislation Committee, led by Commissioner Liz Richards. The members of this committee championed each of these bills, wrote testimony, monitored bill movement and hearing dates, and consistently provided a strong voice on behalf of the Commission for these priorities.

We also want to thank our MSW graduate intern, Kelsea Sprague, for keeping committee members informed and up to date on all important developments related to our priority bills.

Below is a summary of each bill and its status.

Priority Bills That Passed

Four of our priority bills passed. These include:

HB 1365 / SB 892 Public Health – Perimenopausal, Menopausal, and Postmenopausal Conditions: This bill requires health occupations boards that require licensees or certificate holders to complete certain continuing education to grant a certain number of hours for every hour of continuing education for menopause and menopause-associated symptoms; requiring certain insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations to provide coverage for the evaluation and management of menopause and menopause-associated conditions.

HB 1280/ SB 809 Feasibility Study on Direct Stipend to Caregivers: This bill authorizes a study to assess the financial security of caregivers, directing the Maryland Department of Human Services to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study on establishing the Supporting Our Caregiver Infrastructure (SOCI) Program.

HB 935/ SB 187 Monica Cooper Prelease Act: This legislation implements requirements for the construction of a prerelease center for women that will provide comprehensive prerelease services for female incarcerated individuals. Specifically, the bill includes several key features designed to specifically remedy shortcomings of the facility and location originally proposed.

HB 497/ SB 433 Family Law - Temporary and Final Protective Orders: This bill lengthens the unreasonably short 7-day window between a TPO and FPO hearing to 14 days, affording petitioners a more realistic chance of meeting all of the procedural requirements to seek a final order while simultaneously meeting their needs for crisis assistance. Adding a week will help petitioners address immediate health, housing or other needs, as well as legal needs for the final hearing.

Priority Bills That Did Not Pass

Five of our priority bills did not pass. These include:

HB 465/ SB 295 Stop Silencing Survivors Bill: This bill would have provided additional protections from retaliatory litigation for sexual assault survivors, while preserving the right to sue for intentional or reckless disclosure of false information or malicious allegations of assault.

HB 724 Maryland Caregiver Employment Protection Act: This bill would have amended Maryland’s employment anti-discrimination law to add “caregiver status” as a protected trait, making it unlawful for employers to discriminate based on caregiving responsibilities.

HB 1198 Coerced Debt Bill: The coerced debt bill would have established a framework for survivors to prove debt incurred through domestic violence, relieve survivors of repayment obligations, and allow creditors to pursue the abusive individual, supporting long-term safety and financial stability.

HB 83/ SB 20 Family and Law Enforcement Protection Act: This bill would have strengthened firearm transfer requirements within the civil court proceedings for protective orders. Specifically, it mandates that the firearm be removed at the temporary order stage. This provision builds on current policy, which requires removal at the final stage. The bill also provides clear follow-up protocols to ensure compliance.

HB 1589/ SB 626 Birth Certificate Modernization Act: This bill would have modernized the process to update the sex designation on birth certificates and other identification documents to align with their gender identity. The bill would have expanded sex designation options to include female, male, or unspecified/other.

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Montgomery County Commission for Women| 240-777-8333
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