SB 798

EnactedConstitutional amendmentCrossfile HB 705

Declaration of Rights - Right to Reproductive Freedom

Sponsor: Bill Ferguson (District 46)Committee: FinanceSubject: Public HealthStatus: Approved by the Governor, assigned a chapter number, enactment subject to constitutional referendum - Chapter 244 (as of Nov 9, 2023)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Establishing that every person, as a central component of an individual's rights to liberty and equality, has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom; and prohibiting the State from, directly or indirectly, denying, burdening, or abridging the right unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (186)

MGA witness list

FAV 63FavorableUNF 122UnfavorableINFO 1Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Dumais, Brige	1199SEIU UHE	Written (PDF)
FAV	Pittman, Steuart	Anne Arundel County Executive	Written (PDF)
FAV	Greenberg, Joshua	Baltimore County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Drayton, Morganlobbyist	Common Cause MD	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hudson, Lee	Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hudson, Lee	Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bartlett, Olivia	DoTheMostGood	Position only
FAV	Fitzwater, Jessica	Frederick County Executive	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mullen, Katherine	If/When/How - University of Baltimore Law School	Written (PDF)
FAV	Houshmand, Dr. Layla	Individual Consumer	Oral
FAV	Miller Smith, Nora	League of Women Voters Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jordan, Lisae Clobbyist	Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jordan, Lisae Clobbyist	Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Duncan, Essita	Maryland Commission for Women	Written (PDF)
FAV	Morgan, Jessica	Maryland Legislative Agenda for Women (MLAW)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Morgan, Jessica	Maryland Legislative Agenda for Women (MLAW)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Shapiro, Melanielobbyist	Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence	Written (PDF)
FAV	Shapiro, Melanielobbyist	Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bogdan, Henrylobbyist	Maryland Nonprofits	Position only
FAV	Edwards, Donna	Maryland State & DC AFL-CIO	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bost, Cheryl	Maryland State Education Association	Written (PDF)
FAV	Themelis, Nina	Mayor's Office of Government Relations	Written (PDF)
FAV	Themelis, Nina	Mayor's Office of Government Relations	Written (PDF)
FAV	Koravos, JoAnne	Montgomery County Women's Democratic Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Richards, Elizabeth	Montgomery County's Commission for Women	Written (PDF)
FAV	Britt, Adiena	N/A	Position only
FAV	Maryland Chesapeake Chapter, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practition	National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners- MD Chesapeake Chapter	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kemerer, Hannibal	Office of Attorney General	Written (PDF)
FAV	Nelson, Karen	Planned Parenthood of Maryland	Oral
FAV	Blugis, Sharon	Pro-Choice Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Goldstein, Mathew	Secular Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Goldstein, Mathew	Secular Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Emerson, Jessica	The Human Trafficking Prevention Project	Written (PDF)
FAV	Emerson, Jessica	The Human Trafficking Prevention Project	Written (PDF)
FAV	Siri, Michellelobbyist	The Women's Law Center of Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Siri, Michellelobbyist	The Women's Law Center of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Egan, Ashleylobbyist	UULM-MD	Written (PDF)
FAV	Egan, Ashleylobbyist	UULM-MD	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stone, Judy	n/a	Written (PDF)
FAV	Arndt, Dave	Individual	Position only
FAV	Bagwell, Ashlielobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Elliott, Robynlobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Elliott, Robynlobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Elliott, Robynlobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Enagonio, Liz	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Esposito, Ashley	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Ferguson, Senator	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Finkelstein, Jodi	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Jasen, Debi	Individual	Position only
FAV	Johnson, Jakeya	Individual	Oral
FAV	Jonas, Rosalyn	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Kasemeyer, Pam	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Murphy, Melissa	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Olszewski, Jr., County Executive John	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Parsons, Sarah	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rock-Foster, Charlene	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rubinson, Harriet	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Senator Ferguson, Senator Fergusonlegislator	Individual	Oral

Showing 60 of 186

Organizations on record

1199SEIU UHEFAV 1

2023UNF 1

40 Days for Life-LuthervilleUNF 1

AEMHUNF 1

Allegany County Republican Women's ClubUNF 1

American Center for Law and JusticeUNF 1

Anne Arundel County ExecutiveFAV 1

Association of American Physician & SurgeonsUNF 1

Baltimore CountyFAV 1

Baltimore Sidewalk Advocates For LifeUNF 1

Charlotte Lozier InstituteUNF 1

Christians Advocating for Life in AnnapolisUNF 1

church militantUNF 1

Church Militant ResistanceUNF 1

Common Cause MDFAV 1

Delaware-Maryland Synod, ELCAFAV 2

Democrats for Life of AmericaUNF 1

Democrats for Life of MarylandUNF 1

DFLA Education FundUNF 1

DoTheMostGoodFAV 1

Equity and Justice for All!UNF 1

Family Research CouncilUNF 1

Forest Hill Presbyterian ChurchUNF 1

Frederick County ExecutiveFAV 1

If/When/How - University of Baltimore Law SchoolFAV 1

IndividualUNF 1

Individual ConsumerFAV 1

League of Women Voters MarylandFAV 1

Maryland Catholic ConferenceUNF 2

Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)FAV 2

Maryland Commission for WomenFAV 1

Maryland Family InstituteUNF 2

Maryland Legislative Agenda for Women (MLAW)FAV 2

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 2

Maryland Legislative Lobby for Life, Inc.UNF 1

Maryland Network Against Domestic ViolenceFAV 2

Maryland NonprofitsFAV 1

Maryland Right to LifeUNF 2

Maryland State & DC AFL-CIOFAV 1

Maryland State Education AssociationFAV 1

Mayor's Office of Government RelationsFAV 2

Montgomery County Women's Democratic ClubFAV 1

Montgomery County's Commission for WomenFAV 1

n/aFAV 1

N/AFAV 1

naUNF 1

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners- MD Chesapeake ChapterFAV 1

noneUNF 1

Office of Attorney GeneralFAV 1

Planned Parenthood of MarylandFAV 1

PrivateUNF 1

Pro-Choice MarylandFAV 1

Secular MarylandFAV 2

selfUNF 1

Sidewalk Advocates for LifeUNF 1

Students for LifeUNF 1

The Hope MovementUNF 2

The Human Trafficking Prevention ProjectFAV 2

The Women's Law Center of MarylandFAV 2

UULM-MDFAV 2

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVDrayton, MorganCommon Cause MDRegistered for: Common Cause Maryland

FAVJordan, Lisae CMaryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA)Registered for: Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault

FAVShapiro, MelanieMaryland Network Against Domestic ViolenceRegistered for: Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence

FAVBogdan, HenryMaryland NonprofitsRegistered for: Maryland Nonprofits

FAVSiri, MichelleThe Women's Law Center of MarylandRegistered for: Maryland Legal Services Corporation; Women's Law Center of Maryland, Inc.

FAVEgan, AshleyUULM-MDRegistered for: UULM-MD

FAVBagwell, AshlieRegistered for: AbbVie Inc.; Aligned Data Centers; American Academy of Anesthesiology Assistants, Inc.; Atmosphere Data Centers LLC; Baltimore Civic Fund, Inc.; Beltway Fine Wine…

FAVElliott, RobynRegistered for: American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists; Amica Center for Immigrant Rights; CareForth; Chase Brexton Health System; Coordinating Center, The; Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition…

UNFQuinn, JohnDemocrats for Life of AmericaRegistered for: Baltimore Gas and Electric Company

UNFBarnwell, BrianMaryland Catholic ConferenceRegistered for: Maryland Catholic Conference

UNFAlexandre, JonathanMaryland Family InstituteRegistered for: Maryland Family Institute

UNFBrocato, DeborahRegistered for: Maryland Right to Life, Inc.

UNFMurray, PatrickRegistered for: Veterans of Foreign Wars

UNFRak, AlexandraRegistered for: State Freedom Caucus Network