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Call for 2027 Legislative Proposals

Sep22
MLAW will host its annual Legislative Agenda Conference, Our State! Our Voice! Our Agenda!, on Saturday, November 14, 2026. MLAW is inviting/encouraging organizations (lead groups) and legislators to submit legislative proposals for consideration at the conference.

Selected legislation will comprise our 2027 Legislative Agenda.

Legislation must meet the following criteria:
*Addresses an issue related to women’s health, women’s personal safety at home, in public, in school, and in the workplace; the ability to achieve and maintain economic independence; or freedom from discrimination in Maryland’s economic, educational, judicial, political, and social system;
*Can be addressed through the legislation in the Maryland General Assembly;
*Has a reasonable chance to move successfully through the legislative process;
*Has at least one legislative sponsor;
*Has an identifiable, sustainable lead group that can shepherd the bill. The lead group must be a Maryland-based group or a national group with a strong on-the-ground presence in Maryland and have issue-area expertise and/or a track record of supporting legislation/advocacy in areas related to this proposal.

All proposals MUST be submitted no later than October 31st. If accepted, you or someone from your organization must attend our conference on November 14th to present your bill.

To submit a proposal, complete this online form. Please note that all information must be entered at one time into this Google form. You cannot save it and come back later to finish. A helpful tip is to type out your narrative answers in a Word document and paste them into the form. If you have submitted a proposal in the past, we have added a few questions and changes this year. To view a sample of how the information you provide will be presented at our conference, please view our 2026 Agenda document. Information will be compiled as entered in the form; we will not edit your information, so please answer the questions as you wish them to be provided to our attendees.

For questions or help, contact Jessica at mdlegagenda4women@yahoo.com.

Register Now for our 2026 Legislative Agenda Conference

Sep20

OUR STATE! OUR VOICE! OUR AGENDA!
Register Today for MLAW’s 2026 Legislative Agenda Conference!

We will host our annual legislative conference on Saturday, November 14, 2026. This year’s conference will again be held in person at The Meeting House in Columbia, MD. Join us as we advocate for progressive legislation for Maryland’s women and families!

The Conference will provide information and strategies to activate and energize participants to successfully advocate for legislation impacting women and families during the 2027 Maryland General Assembly session.

Join us to:
• Gain valuable insights from advocates and legislators presenting 2027 legislative proposals
• Network with other MLAW supporters, advocates, and legislators from around Maryland about these important issues.
• Hear from guest speakers (pending). Stay tuned!

Please visit our conference website for more details and to register. Tickets are $45 through 10/31; late registration after is $50. Student tickets are available for $25. Current MLAW members will receive a $5 off coupon towards their registration. There will be no on-site registration, so please register early.

For more information, call 443-519-1005 or email mdlegagenda4women@yahoo.com. We hope to see you at the conference in November!

https://www.zeffy.com/…/2026-legislative-agenda-conference

Remembering Delegate Carolyn J.B. Howard

Sep20

Today, MLAW joins Marylanders across the state in mourning the loss of Delegate Carolyn J.B. Howard, who passed away at the age of 87. A lifelong educator, former principal, and dedicated public servant, Delegate Howard represented Prince George’s County in the Maryland House of Delegates for more than three decades and served as Deputy Speaker Pro Tem from 2007 to 2019. Her leadership, unwavering commitment to public service, and advocacy for her community leave a lasting legacy. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, former colleagues, and all those whose lives she touched.

2026 Session of the General Assembly has Come to a Close!

Apr14
Last night at midnight, the 449th session of the Maryland General Assembly came to a close. What was the outcome for MLAW’s Agenda? Five of our bills passed, while the remaining four did not make it through the process.   Below is a brief summary of which MLAW bills passed and which did not. We are also planning our 2026 Legislative Wrap-Up, which will be held in May. Please watch your email for more information once the date is set, and plan to attend to learn more about how our bills progressed during the session.  

Thank you for your advocacy and for responding to our legislative alerts. While not all of our bills succeeded this year, your voice made a difference. We also extend our sincere thanks to the legislators who sponsored these bills aimed at improving the lives of women and families in Maryland, as well as to the partner organizations that worked alongside MLAW to advance these important issues.  

MLAW Bills that Passed:  
HB 444/SB 245 – Public Safety – Immigration Enforcement Agreements – Prohibition
HB 935/SB 187 – Comprehensive Rehabilitative Prerelease Services – Female Incarcerated Individuals
HB 450/SB 294 – Criminal Procedure – Protection of Identity of Victim of Sexual Assault or Stalking
HB 497/SB 433 – Family Law – Temporary and Final Protective Orders – Duration and Relief
HB 329/SB 81 – Criminal Law – School Resource Officers – Prohibition on Sexual Activity with Students  

MLAW Bills that Did Not Pass:  
HB 465/SB 295 – Civil Actions – Immunity – Disclosure of Allegations of Sexually Assaultive Behavior (Stop Silencing Survivors Act)
HB 83/SB 20 – Family and Law Enforcement Protection Act
HB 1198 – Civil Actions – Coerced Debt – Debtor Protections
HB 1131 – Public Health – Pregnancy Loss – Prohibited Actions (Pregnancy Outcome Protection Act)
If you find these alerts helpful, please consider joining MLAW or making a donation to support our advocacy efforts. 

2026 Legislative Briefing

Jan22

MLAW’s Annual Legislative Briefing will be held online on Tuesday, February 3rd at 5:30pm. Please join us as we announce our 2026 Legislative Agenda. Hear from legislators and advocates who will present each of the bills on the 2026 Agenda and explain how they will impact Maryland women and families. You will hear what you can do to help pass these bills and become involved in the legislative process. Your voice in Annapolis is needed! 

This year’s briefing will be virtual and hosted on Zoom. There is no charge to attend the briefing, but you must register in order to receive the link to the briefing.  

We invite you or your organization to co-sponsor the briefing. Your sponsorship supports our legislative efforts in Annapolis. Sponsorship includes your logo displayed in the published Agenda, on our website and our Facebook page, and recognition during the online briefing. Click here to co-sponsor. Questions? Contact us at mdlegagenda4women@yahoo.com. We hope to see you at the virtual briefing on February 3rd!

Sponsorships are available!

Sponsorships are only $50 and include:

  • Your name or your organization’s name listed on our website, including a link to your website (if applicable)
  • Your logo included in our 2026 Agenda briefing materials and displayed on our website
  • Your name and logo featured on our Facebook and Bluesky pages
  • Your logo on our post-event correspondence to our members and legislators

MLAW is funded exclusively through public support and your sponsorship helps make our advocacy efforts in Annapolis possible. To become a sponsor, click here.

2026 MLAW Legislative Briefing PacketDownload

Thank you 2026 Briefing Co-Sponsors!


AAUW Maryland
AWFCS LLC
Aubrey Jackson Soller
Delegate Nicole Williams
DMP Advocacy, LLC
Elizabeth Joyce
For All Seasons, Inc.
League of Women Voters of Baltimore County
Lisae C Jordan, Esq.
Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)
Maryland NOW
Melissa Curtin
Michaele Cohen
Montgomery County Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Montgomery County Business and Professional Women
Montgomery County Commission for Women
Montgomery County Women’s Democratic Club
Ms. Sheena Foster, MLAW Board Member
National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Baltimore Metro Chapter
Nicole Smith
Self-Reflections: Social-Emotional, Behavioral and Advocacy Services, LLC
THE REST OF A LIFE (TROAL)
Women’s Law Center of Maryland
Hon. Yonelle Moore Lee, Esq.

MLAW’s 30th Anniversary Conference

Nov25

Thank you!  Many thanks for attending MLAW’s 30th Anniversary Conference on Saturday. It was so great to see you all in person. It was truly a busy, yet productive day and we are excited that so many of you joined us.  For those who arrived a little later in the day, be sure to watch our 30th Anniversary Video. We would also like to know what you thought of the conference so please take a minute to complete a short survey.  

Thank you to the advocates and legislators who presented their legislative proposals for the upcoming 2025 session of the Maryland General Assembly. Fourteen bills in all were presented.  Of these bills, 6-8 will make up MLAW’s 2025 Agenda.

Many thanks to our local elected officials who took time from their busy schedules to join our conference: Lt. Governor Aruna Miller, US Senator Chris VanHollen, Delegate Bonnie Cullison, Delegate Charlotte Crutchfield, Delegate Michelle Guyton, Delegate Pamela Guzzone, Delegate Nicole Williams, Delegate Jessica Feldmark, Delegate Ken Kerr, Delegate Linda Foley, and Delegate Sara Love.

We are in the process of preparing a ballot to all MLAW members in good standing to vote on the issues that were presented at the conference.  Not all initiatives will be included in the 2025 Agenda; in fact, we will select only 6-8 from the 14 submitted.  Your voice in this process is important!  If you are not a current member of MLAW, please join or renew your membership today so that you can vote on the issues important to you and which you think should comprise the Agenda.  Membership information is on our website. Ballots will be sent on a rolling basis until the voting deadline.

To read about the issues that were presented at the conference, you can view or download the proposal packet on our website.

If you would like to add your name in support of the 2025 Agenda, and have your name listed in our Agenda Document, please complete this very simple form.

Finally, if you are not on our email listserv, please join! We communicate exclusively through email so it is important to be on MLAW’s list.  During the session, you will receive important legislative alerts that require your action.  You will also receive news and information about our events, like our upcoming Legislative Briefing, date TBA.  To join our email list, simply send an email to us at mdlegagenda4women@yahoo.com and ask to be added.  

Thank you to our conference sponsors who are listed below.  Without them, the conference would not be possible. Download our beautiful program booklet here, created by the talented Lucie Camp.

Finally, thank you to the dedicated folks who staffed our conference: Kayla Morgan, Sydney Spencer, Andrea Rafter, and Allie Post. Photos from the conference are located in our Facebook album– tag yourself!

Thank you again for your participation on Saturday. We look forward to working with you during the legislation session to pass the laws that will improve the lives of Maryland’s women and families!

MLAW Board of Directors

Join or Renew Your MLAW Membership for 2024-25

Aug9
2024 is an exciting year for MLAW. We are celebrating 30 years of incredible success. Since 1994, MLAW has supported 119 successful pieces of legislation. In 2024,7 of the 9 bills on the MLAW Legislative Agenda PASSED the General Assembly. MLAW support makes a difference!  

This year MLAW also hired our first, part-time Executive Director, Catherine Hill, who will enhance MLAW’s capacity to advocate for women’s and family issues by expanding the engagement of organizations and individuals, increasing our visibility across the state, and bringing new resources to our 30 years of successful advocacy.   

MLAW is the only statewide coalition of women’s groups and individuals that provides a non-partisan, independent voice for Maryland women and families. We mobilize networks, groups, and individuals from all over the state to ensure the passage of key legislation.   

Every year, the Maryland legislature considers hundreds of bills, and every year a high percentage of MLAW-supported bills become law. These laws make a difference for women and families throughout Maryland. MLAW is an effective, volunteer-run organization that depends entirely on dues and private contributions to do its work. We need your help to continue our work on behalf of Maryland women and families.  

If you are already an MLAW member, please renew your membership today. If you are not a current member, please sign up right away. And this year, please consider an additional donation of $30 for our 30th Anniversary “$30 for 30” campaign to support our vital work.   

We hold an annual fall conference to develop our MLAW Legislative Agenda, a briefing during the legislative session to introduce the Agenda, and a wrap-up to celebrate our successes.  These events focus legislators’ attention on our issues and raise our visibility throughout the state. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, November 23, 2024 for our 2024 Legislative Conference. This year, paid MLAW members will receive a discount on your conference registration. We distribute the annual Legislative Agenda to every Maryland legislator. In collaboration with our advocacy partners, we submit testimony, advocate for bills, and promote our Agenda through our website, Facebook page, X, and other social media.  

Your paid membership entitles you to VOTE for the legislative issues that will be included on the MLAW Legislative Agenda.  

Your membership and additional contributions fund MLAW’s efforts to maintain a strong voice for women and families in the Maryland legislature. We appreciate your commitment to women’s rights, and we ask for your generous support.  And please consider a special donation to this year’s $30 for 30 campaign to support our advocacy efforts.  Print and complete the membership form and mail in your membership and/or donation. You may also join or donate online by visiting https://mdlegagendaforwomen.org/join-mlaw/. Thank you!