| Thankfully the 2021 Maryland legislative session is behind us. To make a long story short, it was a very difficult year for citizens to be heard in Annapolis. But Health Choice Maryland worked hard to inform you of troubling bills and worked hard to contact legislators and testify as needed. Thanks to our collective efforts and your response to calls to action, we were able to defeat 6 of the 8 bills which threatened health choice, informed consent, parental rights and health privacy.
Of the two targeted bills which passed, the one allowing pharmacists to vaccinate children 3 years and older will expire when the state of emergency ends on July 1, 2021. However, the bill which allows children 12 and older to consent as an adult to mental health therapy (but not to medication) without parental permission is now law. During coming months with the pandemic behind us, we should take the opportunity to reconnect with our legislators, thank them for supporting us regarding the bills that were defeated and develop relationships for working together in the future. |