A core principle of the WLC’s mission is to implement systemic change by influencing the passage of laws that impact women and their families in Maryland. WLC achieves this by actively monitoring legislation to identify relevant bills and then testifying when appropriate either for or against the proposed legislation.
During the Maryland General Assembly (MDGA) legislative session this year, WLC monitored 187 pieces of legislation, provided written testimony on 71 bills, appeared in committee 8 times to provide in-person testimony, and sent out weekly legislative alerts and action items for 46 bills. Of the bills we supported this session, 47% passed!
WLC and its coalition of partners had several important victories, including a bill expanding temporary protective order terms from 7 days to 14 days to enable more time for survivors and their attorneys to prepare their cases, a bill prohibiting school resource officers from engaging in sexual activity with students at the school wherein they work, a bill strengthening the penalties for using deepfake technology against survivors, a bill that will make more trauma-informed human trafficking trainings available for survivor service providers, and more.
Read the full bill outcome report here!
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