Many new laws in Maryland take effect on October 1st of the year they’re enacted, others in July. MCASA is a leading voice for survivors in Annapolis, and this year’s legislative advocacy helped support important progress for sexual assault survivors. Here are some highlights of the bills passed this session that are now law:
Rape Crisis Center Funding – PROTECTED
Chief among MCASA’s responsibilities is to ensure that sexual assault survivors and the programs that help them have critical resources. The state Legislature stood strong on the side of rape survivors and rejected proposals to cut funding and continued an allocation specifically for rape crisis programs. We are especially grateful to Chair Ben Barnes, House Appropriations, Chair Guy Guzzone, Senate Budget & Tax, and Chair Vanessa Atterbeary, House Ways & Means, for their leadership and genuine commitment to helping survivors.
Health Curricula – HB161 – PASSED
This bill was introduced in one form and passed with a different approach to meet the same goal. It will help ensure that local school districts include age-appropriate discussions of a range of topics as part of school health curricula, including family life and human sexuality; gender identity and sexual orientation; safety and violence prevention; and safe and appropriate social media and internet use. Learning about these important topics can be a lifeline for students facing abuse or risk of abuse. Lead sponsor: Chair Vanessa Atterbeary.
Revenge Porn and Deep Fakes – Criminal and Civil – SB360 – PASSED
This bill amends the criminal law and permits prosecution for distribution of revenge porn and "deep fake" images whether they are actual images, computer-generated images, or a combination of the two. Importantly, it also clarifies that a survivor has a civil cause of action and that a prevailing plaintiff may be awarded attorneys fees. This bill passed at 11:30pm on sine die. Special thanks to Chair Vanessa Atterbeary and Chair Will Smith for helping ensure this important bill was enacted. Lead sponsor: Senator Katie Fry Hester.
Rape Kits - SAKI & TeleSAFE Funding – HB675/SB669 – PASSED
A bill to ensure the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) receives continued support until the Maryland rape kit backlog is cleared. This bill would amend the Rape Kit Testing Fund to fund existing investigative and victim notification ONLY if the state does not continue to receive federal funding. This will ensure that Maryland fulfills its promise to survivors to not only test the rape kit backlog, but also investigate cases, consider prosecution, and support survivors. TeleSAFE projects will also be eligible for funding from the fund. Sponsors: Senator Shelly Hettleman and Vice Chair Sandy Bartlett.
