HB0885 • 2026

Criminal Law - Causing Ingestion of an Abortion-Inducing Drug - Prohibition (Women's Freedom From Coercion Act)

Abortion

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Delegates Nkongolo , Arentz , Arikan , Baker , Chisholm , Ciliberti , Hornberger , Miller , T. Morgan , Reilly , Tomlinson , and Valentine
Last action: 2026-02-05
Official status: In the House - Hearing 2/17 at 1:00 p.m. (Judiciary)
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Criminal Law - Causing Ingestion of an Abortion-Inducing Drug - Prohibition (Women's Freedom From Coercion Act)

Prohibiting a person from knowingly and willfully causing another to ingest an abortion-inducing drug when the person knows or believes that the other person is pregnant and without consent, through fraud or coercion, or by force or threat of force.

What This Bill Does

Prohibiting a person from knowingly and willfully causing another to ingest an abortion-inducing drug when the person knows or believes that the other person is pregnant and without consent, through fraud or coercion, or by force or threat of force.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-05 House
Hearing 2/17 at 1:00 p.m. (Judiciary)
2026-02-04 House
First Reading Judiciary and Health
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Criminal Law - Causing Ingestion of an Abortion-Inducing Drug - Prohibition (Women's Freedom From Coercion Act)

Official Summary Text

Prohibiting a person from knowingly and willfully causing another to ingest an abortion-inducing drug when the person knows or believes that the other person is pregnant and without consent, through fraud or coercion, or by force or threat of force.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0885*

HOUSE BILL 885
E1 6lr2955
HB 1186/25 – JUD
By: Delegates Nkongolo, Arentz, Arikan, Baker, Chisholm, Ciliberti, Hornberger,
Miller, T. Morgan, Reilly, Tomlinson, and Valentine
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary and Health

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Criminal Law – Causing Ingestion of an Abortion–Inducing Drug – Prohibition 2
(Women’s Freedom From Coercion Act) 3

FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person from knowingly and willfully causing another to 4
ingest an abortion–inducing drug when the person knows or believes that the other 5
person is pregnant and without consent, through fraud or coercion, or through force 6
or threat of force; and generally relating to causing ingestion of abortion –inducing 7
drugs. 8

BY adding to 9
Article – Criminal Law 10
Section 3–216 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15

Article – Criminal Law 16

3–216. 17

(A) IN THIS SECTION , “ABORTION–INDUCING DRUG ” MEANS A DRUG , 18
MEDICINE, OR A MEDICINAL OR CH EMICAL PREPARATION F OR INTERNAL HUMAN 19
CONSUMPTION THAT IS DESIGNED TO INDUCE AN ABORTION. 20

(B) A PERSON MAY NOT KNOWI NGLY AND WILLFULLY C AUSE ANOTHER TO 21
INGEST AN ABORTION–INDUCING DRUG: 22

2 HOUSE BILL 885

(1) WHEN THE PERSON KNOW S OR BELIEVES THAT T HE OTHER 1
PERSON IS PREGNANT; AND 2

(2) (I) WITHOUT CONSENT; 3

(II) THROUGH FRAUD OR COERCION; OR 4

(III) BY FORCE OR THREAT OF FORCE. 5

(C) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS GUIL TY OF A FELONY AND 6
ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 10 YEARS. 7

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 8
October 1, 2026. 9