Hello MFRW Officers, Club Presidents and Legislative Committee 

The deadline for introduction of bills has passed.  Any bills introduced after last Friday must go through the Rules Committee of their respective chamber before receiving any further consideration.  

Attached is the MFRW Legislative Update as of 2-10-2023.  Please take a few minutes to check the issue categories of importance to your Club.  

Also attached is an Excel file with all Delegates and Senators contact information in three formats -alphabetical, by Committee, and by Legislative District.  Thank you to Linda Stine Flint for preparing these lists.  Very soon we should have the Committee e-mail lists prepared by Linda Bradley posted on the MFRW website too. Thank goodness for Lindas.  Diana Waterman will work her magic at the website so you will be able to highlight the names and copy and paste them into an e-mail. 

Legislation on two very controversial issues was introduced last week that require your careful review and consideration.

SB 798 - Constitutional Amendment - Declaration of Rights - Right to Reproductive Freedom.

SB 845 - End of Life Options Act to authorize physician assisted suicide now called "physician-assisted aid in dying."

As mentioned in our mid-week ALERT - on February 15th the Ways and Means Committee of the Maryland House of Delegates will hold their hearing on HB 359 - Save Women's Sports Act to require Maryland public high school interscholastic & intramural junior varsity and varsity athletic teams to be expressly designated based on biological sex.  Teams may be (1) a boys, male, or men's team or sport; (2) a girls, female, or women's team or sport, or (3) a coeducational or mixed team or sport.  

We are grateful to Delegate Kathy Szeliga and the 32 Republican Delegates who are sponsoring HB 359 and have stepped up to protect the opportunities for girls and women to compete in interscholastic and intramural varsity and junior varsity teams.  Girls work hard for years to earn the opportunity to compete in their sport and to win scholarships for college. Some go on to professional sports careers.

Watch for our MFRW Action ALERTS this week.  Raise your Voice for fair and equal treatment of Girls and Women's Sports. Together, we can make a difference.

MFRW 2023 WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE UPDATE -2-10-2023.docx