URGENT ACTION NEEDED - PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL WITH SUPPORT FOR SB411
5% of rape victims of reproductive age (age 12-45) became pregnant as a result of rape, with the majority of pregnancies in adolescents. Under Maryland state law, rapists who impregnate women in the course of sexually assaulting them have full parental rights.
Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee heard Senate Bill 411, legislation to change this. This bill will allow rape victims who become pregnant as a result of rape to ask the family law court to end the parental rights of the rapist. The high standard of proof used in other termination of parental rights cases would be required: clear and convincing evidence. Rape victims should have to meet the same standard used in other termination of parental rights cases – no more, no less.
This bill has overwhelming support from:
- Maryland Legislative Agenda for Women
- Women's Law Center of Maryland
- Maryland National Organization for Women
- Maryland Chapter of the National Social Workers Association
- NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland
- Maryland Catholic Conference
- Planned Parenthood of Maryland
- Adoptions Together
- Governor Martin O'Malley
- Attorney General Douglas Gansler
- Maryland Department of Human Resources
This bill has made it through the full Senate and a majority of the House of Delegates co-sponsoring the bill, but has never had a vote in the House Judiciary Committee. At yesterday's hearing, the bill's lead sponsors, Senator Jamie Raskin and Delegate Kathleen Dumais, presented amendments addressing concerns that were raised at an earlier hearing. The bill is ready for a vote.
Please call the members of the House Judiciary Committee and let them know that the time has come to let this bill out of committee and support rape survivors who choose to have a child conceived through rape. Urge support for SB411.
Your voices make a difference -
please call or email as soon as possible -- it is critical that the Committee know you support rape survivors who become pregnant as a result of rape.
Lisae
Lisae C. Jordan
Executive Director and Counsel
House Judiciary Committee: Phone Numbers & Emails
Allegany County
Kevin Kelly
Phone:
410-841-3404
Email:
[email protected]
Baltimore City
Curt Anderson
Phone:
410-841-3291
Email:
[email protected]s
Jill P. Carter
Phone:
410-841-3283
Email:
[email protected]
Luke H. Clippinger
Phone:
410-841-3303
Email:
[email protected].us
Frank M. Conaway, Jr.
Phone:
410-841-3189
Email:
[email protected]s
Sandy (Samuel) Rosenberg
Phone:
410-841-3297
Email:
[email protected]d.us
Baltimore County
John W. E. Cluster, Jr.
Phone:
410-841-3526
Email:
[email protected]
Cecil, Caroline, Kent, & Queen Anne's Counties
Michael D. Smigiel, Sr.
Phone:
410-841-3555
Email:
[email protected].us
Cecil & Harford Counties
Glen Glass
Phone:
410-841-3280
Email:
[email protected]
Frederick & Washington Counties
Michael J. Hough
Phone:
410-841-3472
Email:
[email protected]s
Harford County
Susan K. McComas
Phone:
410-841-3272
Email:
[email protected]s
Montgomery County
Kathleen M. Dumais, Vice-Chair
Phone:
410-841-3052
Email:
[email protected].us
Sam Arora
Phone:
410-841-3528
Email:
[email protected]
Susan C. Lee
Phone:
410-841-3649
Email:
[email protected]
Luiz R. S. Simmons
Phone:
410-841-3037
Email:
[email protected]
Jeffrey D. Waldstreicher
Phone:
410-841-3130
Email:
[email protected].md.us
Prince George's and Calvert Counties
Joseph F. Vallario, Jr., Chair
Phone:
410-841-3488
Email:
[email protected].us
Prince George’s County
Darren M. Swain
Phone:
410-841-3692
Email:
[email protected]
Kriselda Valderrama
Phone:
410-841-3210
Email:
[email protected].us
Geraldine Valentino-Smith
Phone:
410-841-3101
Email:
[email protected]e.md.us
Washington County
Neil C. Parrott
Phone:
410-841-3636
Email:
[email protected]
Wicomico & Worcester Counties
Michael A. McDermott
Phone:
410-841-3431
Email:
[email protected].us
