---
type: "Bill"
title: "Criminal Law - Sexual Crimes - Repeal of Spousal Defense"
description: "Criminal Law - Sexual Crimes - Repeal of Spousal Defense"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2023"
identifier: "SB 129"
citation: "Maryland SB 129 (2023)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Beidle", "Kelly"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 16
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2022-11-01"
last_action: "2023-05-16"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/6457aeac-3718-4abb-9b32-3df6c08283e7"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0129?ys=2023RS&search=True"
source_hash: "12cff2b8b5578bdfa759fa8b493008c075ed9afbbb9fe9e0c0f6559b61aee0d1"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-md"]
---

# Maryland SB 129 (2023) — Criminal Law - Sexual Crimes - Repeal of Spousal Defense

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Chapter - Criminal Law - Sexual Crimes - Repeal of Spousal Defense** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2023RS/Chapters_noln/CH_729_sb0129t.pdf)
2. **First - Criminal Law - Sexual Crimes - Repeal of Spousal Defense** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2023RS/bills/sb/sb0129f.pdf)
3. **Third - Criminal Law - Sexual Crimes - Repeal of Spousal Defense** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2023RS/bills/sb/sb0129t.pdf)

## Sponsors

- Beidle — primary (person)
- Kelly — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2022-11-01** Pre-filed `introduction`
- **2023-01-11** First Reading Judicial Proceedings `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-01** Hearing 3/08 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2023-03-01** Hearing canceled
- **2023-03-01** Hearing 3/09 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2023-03-16** Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-16** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-16** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2023-03-17** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2023-03-20** Referred Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-22** Hearing 3/28 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2023-03-30** Favorable Report by Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-30** Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-04-04** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2023-04-05** Returned Passed
- **2023-05-16** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 729 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/6457aeac-3718-4abb-9b32-3df6c08283e7`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).