HB 403 Maryland House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Public Information Act - Divorce Records

HB 403 amends Maryland's Public Information Act to restrict public access to divorce records. It requires custodians (like court clerks) to deny inspection of divorce-related documents - including divorce applications, financial records submitted during divorce, settlement agreements, and custody orders - unless the requester is a party to the divorce (a "person in interest"), their lawyer, or has a court order authorizing access. The bill directly affects individuals seeking divorce records, making most such records confidential by default. It takes effect October 1, 2026, and does not apply to final divorce decrees.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 22, 2026 Last action Mar 12, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Public Information Act - Divorce Records → Third - Public Information Act - Divorce Records · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill adds committee approval and adoption status information, reorganizes the definitions section to clarify who qualifies as an 'Applicant' and 'Custodian', and maintains the existing restrictions on accessing divorce records while preserving exceptions for interested parties, attorneys, and court-authorized individuals.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on public records access regarding divorce proceedings, with no substantive changes to the core restrictions or exemptions.

TECHNICAL

Added committee report status showing favorable approval and adoption by the House, along with second reading date.

Added signature lines for Governor, Speaker of the House, and President of the Senate at the end of the bill.

Removed page headers and footers that were part of the original document formatting.

DEFINITION

Reorganized the definitions section to clarify the meaning of 'Applicant' and 'Custodian' with clearer numbering and structure.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Feb 27, 2026

How they voted

136–0

Passed · 6 other

Total votes 142

Feb 27, 2026

D Democratic103

98 Yea 5

95% Yea

R Republican39

38 Yea 1

97% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 12, 2026

Committee

Referred Judicial Proceedings

upper

Mar 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Mar 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable Adopted

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable Report by Government, Labor, and Elections

lower

Feb 27, 2026

House Of Delegates · Passed

House of Delegates Vote: pass (136-0-6)

house of delegates

Jan 22, 2026

Committee

First Reading Government, Labor, and Elections

lower

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors