Maryland
Md. House committee holds hearing on transgender health care bill
Activists rallied in support of Trans Health Equity Act in Annapolis
A Maryland House of Delegates committee on Tuesday held a hearing on a bill that would expand coverage of transgender-specific health care in the state.
The House Government Operations Committee heard testimony on House Bill 283, or the Trans Health Equity Act. The measure would require the Maryland Medical Assistance Program “to provide gender-affirming treatment in a nondiscriminatory manner” and mandate” the gender-affirming treatment be assessed according to nondiscriminatory criteria that are consistent with current clinical standards.” The bill would also prohibit “the issuance of an adverse benefit determination related to gender-affirming treatment unless a certain experienced health care provider has reviewed and confirmed the appropriateness of the determination.”
The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on an identical bill, Senate Bill 460, on Feb. 28.
The House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 21 will hold a hearing on House Bill 426, or the Trans Respect, Agency and Dignity Act.
This measure would require the Maryland Division of Corrections “to report certain information regarding the gender identities of inmates and the housing status of transgender, nonbinary or intersex inmates.” HB 426 would also prohibit “an employee of a correctional facility from discriminating against inmates on the basis of certain protected classes” and require “the managing official of a correctional facility to develop a written nondiscrimination policy regarding inmates.”
An identical bill, Senate Bill 761, has been introduced in the state Senate.
The two bills are among FreeState Justice’s legislative priorities during this year’s legislative session.
The advocacy group also opposes House Bill 757, which would prevent trans athletes from school sports teams that do not correspond to their gender identity. The House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday is scheduled to hold a hearing on the measure.
Meanwhile, state Sen. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City) is among those who participated in a rally in support of Trans Health Equity Act. that took place on Lawyer’s Mall in front of the State Capitol in Annapolis on Tuesday.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Thursday signed a bill that seeks to combat efforts to ban books from state libraries.
House Bill 785, also known as the Freedom to Read Act, would establish a state policy “that local school systems operate their school library media programs consistent with certain standards; requiring each local school system to develop a policy and procedures to review objections to materials in a school library media program; prohibiting a county board of education from dismissing, demoting, suspending, disciplining, reassigning, transferring, or otherwise retaliating against certain school library media program personnel for performing their job duties consistent with certain standards.”
Moore on Thursday also signed House Bill 1386, which GLSEN notes will “develop guidelines for an anti-bias training program for school employees.”
Maryland
Health care for Marylanders with HIV is facing huge cuts this summer
Providers poised to lose three-quarters of funding
BY MEREDITH COHN | By the end of June, health care providers in Maryland will lose nearly three-quarters of the funding they use to find and treat thousands of people with HIV.
Advocates and providers say they had been warned there would be less money by the Maryland Department of Health, but were stunned at the size of the drop — from about $17.9 million this fiscal year to $5.3 million the next. The deep cuts are less than three months away.
The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Maryland state Del. Joe Vogel (D-Montgomery County) on Friday held a “Big Gay Canvass Kickoff” event at his congressional campaign’s headquarters.
LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Vice President of Outreach and Engagement Marty Rouse and John Klenert, a member of the DC Vote and Victory Fund Campaign board of directors, are among those who participated alongside members of Equality PAC. Vogel spoke before Rouse, Klenert and others canvassed for votes in the area.
“Joe brings a fresh new perspective to politics,” said Gabri Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, deputy field director for Vogel’s campaign.
Vogel, 27, is among the Democrats running for Congressman David Trone’s seat.
Trone last May announced his bid to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) in the U.S. Senate.
The Democratic primary is on May 14. Vogel would be the first Latino, the first gay man and first Gen Zer elected to Congress from Maryland if he were to win in November.
“We need a new generation of leadership with new perspectives, new ideas, and the courage to actually deliver for our communities if we want things to get better in this country,” Vogel told the Washington Blade last month during an interview in D.C.
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