ANNAPOLIS, MD — The Maryland General Assembly closed its 90-day legislative session at midnight Monday with numerous bills passed, including ones focused on abortion rights, guns, child sexual abuse lawsuits, and more.
Here's a look at some of the top bills passed in 2023:
Maryland voters will decide next year whether to enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution as lawmakers aim to make the state a haven for those seeking the procedure. In March, the General Assembly decided to send the proposed constitutional amendment to voters, who will see the referendum on the 2024 ballot. If voters approve the referendum, Maryland residents would have a "fundamental right to reproductive freedom, "which would include the right to obtain an abortion.
The Associated Press reported that lawmakers passed new gun laws after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a New York state law similar to Maryland's "good and substantial reason" standard for permits to carry concealed handguns. One bill allows private property owners to decide whether to allow guns on their property, while the other removed the "good and substantial reason" language from the state's law, according to The AP.
The General Assembly also passed a bill removing the state's statute of limitations for when child sexual abuse lawsuits can be filed against public and private institutions.
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