Police Discipline - Administrative Charging Committees - Additional Charging Committee

HB 985 allows Maryland counties to establish a second administrative charging committee for reviewing police misconduct complaints, if the county governing body determines one committee is insufficient to serve all countywide and local law enforcement agencies. This bill amends existing law by adding a new provision (Section 3-104(a)(1)(II)) that permits counties to authorize a second committee under specific circumstances. The key mechanism requires county officials to formally decide that a single committee cannot adequately handle the volume of cases, without changing the committee composition or disciplinary standards. The bill directly affects county governments and law enforcement agencies by providing administrative flexibility in handling misconduct investigations.