Abortion in Maryland is legal at all stages of pregnancy.[1][2][3] A voter referendum adding abortion rights to the state constitution passed in 2024.[4] The first laws regulating abortion in the state were passed in 1867, banning abortion except by a physician to "secure the safety of the mother."[5] In 1968, Maryland enacted a law allowing abortion in hospital settings in cases of rape, severe fetal deformity, or when life and health were endangered.[6]
In 1973, the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade made abortion legal without restrictions until the third trimester of pregnancy, overruling Maryland law. After Roe, clinics opened in the state to provide abortions outside of hospitals, and Planned Parenthood began providing outpatient abortion services.[7] In 1991 the Maryland General Assembly passed a law that codified Roe v. Wade, which was upheld in a public referendum.[6]
Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned the federally-protected right to abortion in 2022; abortion remains legal in Maryland, and a referendum amending the state constitution to enshrine abortion rights passed in 2024.[8][4]
- ^ Institute, Guttmacher. "Interactive Map: US Abortion Policies and Access After Roe". states.guttmacher.org. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ "Where Can I Get an Abortion? | U.S. Abortion Clinic Locator". www.abortionfinder.org. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ "Abortion Care Access". Maryland.gov Enterprise Agency Template. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
- ^ a b "AP Race Call: Maryland voters approve constitutional amendment enshrining abortion". AP News. 2024-11-06. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ The Maryland Code: Public general laws. J. Murphy & Company. 1868. pp. 105–106.
- ^ a b Segers, Mary C.; Byrnes, Timothy A. (2016-09-16). Abortion Politics in American States. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-315-28671-6.
- ^ Kobren, G (Apr 24, 1977). "Planned Parenthood battle not over yet". The Baltimore Sun. pp. T1. ProQuest 541132398. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
- ^ Cox, Erin (March 30, 2023). "Maryland voters to see constitutional referendum on abortion rights". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 30, 2023.