2026 Legislative Priorities
Anne Arundel County National Organization for Women's 2026 priorities include securing expanded access to reproductive health care services, advocating for stronger workplace protections against gender discrimination and harassment, and implementing comprehensive, inclusive sex education programs in local schools. These efforts aim to promote health, equality and education for all our Anne Arundel and Maryland community members.
Senate Bills
| Body | Bill | Issue | Bill Description | Latest Action/Hearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | SB0020 – Family and Law Enforcement Protection Act | Domestic Violence and Firearms | Requires respondents in protective orders to surrender firearms and licenses within 24 hours; authorizes verification and seizure; provides victim safety resources. | |
| Senate | SB0129 – Domestic Violence – Warrantless Arrests | Domestic Violence | Allows warrantless arrest for abuse of recent sexual partners; aligns protections with spouses and cohabitants. | |
| Senate | SB0220 – Lifetime Sexual Offender Supervision | Criminal Justice | Tightens lifetime supervision requirements and discharge standards; expands reporting and victim notice. | |
| Senate | SB0221 – Child Pornography – Penalties | Child Protection | Creates new felony thresholds for large quantities and images of children under 13; clarifies CG image treatment. | |
| Senate | SB0138 – PATH Act | Domestic Violence Sentencing | Allows courts to consider domestic violence victimization as a mitigating factor at sentencing. | |
| Senate | SB0187 – Monica Cooper Prerelease Act | Incarcerated Women | Creates a gender-responsive prerelease facility and mandates trauma-informed prerelease services statewide. | |
| Senate | SB0019 – Women’s Health Commission | Health | Establishes a commission to study a state women’s hospital and statewide women’s health access. | |
| Senate | SB0050 – Fairness in Girls’ Sports | Education | Requires sex-based designation of school sports teams. | |
| Senate | SB0169 – Emergency Pregnancy Care | Health | Requires hospitals to stabilize pregnant patients with emergency conditions. | |
| Senate | SB0081 – Protection of Students from Sexual Exploitation | Sexual Violence | Criminalizes sexual contact between school-assigned law enforcement officers and enrolled students. |
House Bills
| Body | Bill | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House | HB0083 – Family and Law Enforcement Protection Act | Domestic Violence/Firearms | House cross-file of SB0020; strengthens firearm surrender enforcement in protective orders. | |
| House | HB0025 – Grandparent Visitation | Family Law | Expands grandparent visitation rights; undermines parental constitutional protections. | |
| House | HB0063 – Fairness in Girls’ Sports | Education | Mandates sex-segregated teams and locker rooms. | |
| House | HB0166 – Henrietta Lacks Commission | Health/Ethics | Creates commission on ethics in medical research and education honoring Henrietta Lacks. |
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