Current Status - Maryland

As of June 2025, Maryland continues to maintain broad and durable protections for women’s rights.

In 2026, lawmakers passed new protections related to emergency pregnancy care, over-the-counter contraception access at colleges and universities, menopause-related healthcare, and support services for pregnant and parenting students. Maryland also enacted new laws involving deepfake exploitation, stalking protections, sexual assault procedures, and survivor privacy rights.

A new state Voting Rights Act expands protections against vote dilution at the local level, while legislation signed in May codifies emergency pregnancy care requirements for hospitals, including when pregnancy termination is medically necessary to stabilize a patient.

At the same time, several proposals involving firearm surrender enforcement in domestic violence cases, gender identity documentation, and conversion therapy did not pass before the legislative session ended.

Maryland’s legislative session has now concluded, although implementation of several newly enacted laws will continue over the coming months.

Top 5 Things to Know

New laws are improving care during pregnancy and after birth.
Recent changes expand mental health screening, emergency care protections, and support systems for pregnant and postpartum women.
Maryland expanded voting-rights protections. A new state Voting Rights Act creates additional legal protections against vote dilution in local elections and provides new tools to challenge discriminatory election systems.
Protections for survivors are getting stronger.
New laws change how cases are handled, aiming to reduce barriers for victims of sexual assault and improve accountability.
Colleges are expanding support for students’ health and caregiving needs
Schools must now provide contraception access and build systems to support pregnant and parenting students.
Maryland strengthened emergency pregnancy-care protections. Hospitals must provide stabilizing treatment for emergency pregnancy-related conditions, including pregnancy termination when medically necessary.

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.

In 2026, Maryland enacted SB169, requiring hospitals to provide stabilizing treatment for emergency pregnancy-related medical conditions, including pregnancy termination when medically necessary. The law mirrors key protections found in the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) and was adopted amid ongoing national debate over emergency abortion care requirements.

Healthcare access

Maryland has one of the more expansive healthcare systems in the country, with policies that support maternal, reproductive, and preventive care. Medicaid expansion provides broad access to healthcare coverage, including maternal and postpartum services.

Recent legislation has expanded support for perinatal mental health, requiring screening and strengthening referral pathways during pregnancy and the postpartum period. In 2026, Maryland also expanded access to over-the-counter contraception at public colleges and universities and advanced policies related to menopause care and support services for pregnant and parenting students.

As a regional access point for reproductive healthcare, Maryland continues to face some capacity pressures, including provider availability and appointment wait times. That said, lawmakers also advanced policies related to maternal mental health, menopause care, and support services for pregnant and parenting students, reflecting broader efforts to expand women’s healthcare access beyond abortion and pregnancy care alone.

Workplace rights

Maryland’s workplace policies support pay equity and caregiving, though implementation continues to shape how these protections function in practice.

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.

A new law in 2026 strengthens protections for survivors of sexual assault, including changes to law enforcement practices and court procedures aimed at reducing barriers to reporting and protecting victims’ rights.

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 broad access to voting, with early voting, mail-in voting, and same-day registration contributing to high participation and relatively few structural barriers.

Recent updates further improve access by making it easier for eligible voters to register after incarceration, increasing transportation access to early voting sites, and strengthening confidentiality protections for participants in the Address Confidentiality Program.

In 2026, Maryland enacted a state Voting Rights Act that prohibits local election systems that dilute the voting power of protected classes and creates new legal pathways for challenging discriminatory election practices. The law expands state-level voting-rights protections even as federal voting-rights standards continue to evolve.

Education

Maryland’s education policies generally support student access and equity, with protections that extend to health services, anti-discrimination measures, and school-based support systems.

Recent laws expand support for student health and caregiving needs, including requirements for public colleges to provide access to over-the-counter contraception and to implement plans supporting pregnant and parenting students through resources, referrals, and accommodations.

Because many education policies intersect with federal law—particularly around discrimination and student protections—federal guidance and enforcement continue to influence how these policies are applied in practice.

Voters Choose Reproductive Freedom in Maryland (Dec 25)
Maryland funds abortion access expansion (Dec 25)
Maryland delays workplace benefits until 2028 (Dec 25)