Current Status - Summary

As of January 2025, Maryland remains one of the more consistently protective states for women’s rights. Strong legal frameworks, recent voter-approved protections, and targeted state funding initiatives support access to reproductive healthcare, workplace equity, and voting participation. Maryland’s approach to rights policy emphasizes long-term durability rather than short-term reaction, placing it among states with broadly stable protections.

At the same time, the state's protections depend on implementation, funding, and system capacity. Delayed program rollouts, healthcare access pressures, and reliance on federal enforcement (Title IX oversight and funding frameworks) continue to shape how rights function in practice.

Top 5 Things to Know

• Maryland protects reproductive rights at the constitutional level.
  A 2024 voter-approved amendment protects reproductive freedom, giving Maryland some of the most durable legal safeguards in the country.
• The state is investing directly in abortion access.
  Maryland became the first state to use unspent ACA premium funds to expand abortion access for women facing financial barriers.
• Strong laws don’t always translate to immediate access.
  Delayed benefit rollouts, abortion provider capacity limits, and reliance on federal funding shape how protections function day to day.
• Paid family leave exists—but benefits are years away.
  Maryland enacted paid family and medical leave, but the delayed implementation means workers won’t receive benefits until 2028.
• Federal policy still influences outcomes.
  Education equity, survivor services, and some healthcare access depend in part on federal funding and enforcement priorities.

Women’s health

Maryland maintains strong protections for reproductive health and women’s healthcare, reinforced by recent voter and legislative action.

Reproductive care

• Abortion remains legal in Maryland, generally up to viability. The state requires Medicaid and most private insurance to cover it, and has robust shield laws in place to protect providers. 
• In 2024, voters approved a constitutional amendment protecting reproductive freedom, strengthening long-term legal durability.
• In 2025, Maryland was the first state to create a grant program (HB 930) using existing, unspent ACA premium funds to expand abortion access to women in financial need.

Healthcare access

• Medicaid expansion supports maternal, postpartum, and preventive care.
• As a regional access point for reproductive services, Maryland faces ongoing capacity pressures, including provider availability and appointment wait times.

Workplace rights

Maryland’s workplace policies support pay equity and caregiving, though implementation remains uncertain.

• A pay transparency law took effect in 2024, requiring wage-range disclosure.
• The state enacted a Paid Family and Medical Leave program.
• In 2025, implementation of paid leave benefits was delayed, pushing the start of benefits to January 1, 2028.

Violence & safety

Maryland’s violence-prevention framework focuses on protecting survivors through the courts and service systems, rather than implementing sweeping statutory changes.

• State law allows courts to issue civil protective orders and restrict firearm access in domestic-violence cases.
• Survivor services are supported through a combination of state and federal funding, with availability varying by county and local capacity.
• Because many programs rely on federal grant structures, funding and enforcement priorities at the national level remain an important factor in service stability.

Voting & civic participation

Maryland maintains an accessible voting system designed to reduce administrative barriers and support participation.

• Eligible voters can register and vote on the same day.
• Mail-in voting is available statewide, alongside in-person options.
• State election systems emphasize access, reliability, and voter education rather than restrictive eligibility rules.

Education

Maryland’s education policies generally align with gender equity and student safety standards, but enforcement depends in part on federal oversight.

• State and local school systems address harassment, discrimination, and student safety through policies aligned with federal civil-rights requirements.
• Protections for pregnant students and gender-marginalized students are shaped largely by Title IX interpretation and enforcement.
• Because many student protections rely on federal Title IX enforcement, changes in how actively federal agencies investigate complaints and hold schools accountable could affect how consistently schools and districts apply these protections.

Related WRDI Reporting

Maryland voters choose reproductive freedom (Dec 25)
Maryland funds abortion access expansion (Dec 25)
Maryland delays workplace benefits until 2028 (Dec 25)