The Maryland House of Delegates’ Judiciary Committee on Friday held a hearing on a bill that would waive the publication requirement for name change petitions and protect the privacy of transgender Marylanders and domestic violence survivors.
State Del. Emily Shetty (D-Montgomery Country) reintroduced House Bill 39 during the opening week of the 2021 legislative session.
The measure unanimously passed the House of Delegates last session only to fail to reach a vote in the state Senate due to the session’s early pandemic closure. “This bill will help simplify and update the name change procedures for those who go through our courts,” Shetty told hearing participants virtually via Zoom. “By removing the publication requirements for those