Criminal Justice

passed both · Maryland · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 823: Correctional Services - Maryland Parole Commission - Members

SB 823 changes how Maryland Parole Commission members are appointed. It replaces the current process where the Governor appoints members with Senate approval, requiring instead a new panel to submit at least three nominees per vacancy. The panel includes specific officials (like the Public Safety Secretary and Public Defender) plus representatives from mental health, education, social work, community organizations, prisoners' rights, victims' rights, and the general public. This bill directly affects the Commission's membership structure and takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill reformulates parole appointments with prisoner/victim rights stakeholders, advancing equitable corrections oversight per reform indicators85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 10, 2026

HB 577: Criminal Law - Firearm Crimes - Machine Gun Convertible Pistols

HB 577 prohibits the manufacture, sale, purchase, possession, or transfer of "machine gun convertible pistols" in Maryland after a specified date. These are defined as semiautomatic pistols with a special trigger mechanism that can be easily converted to automatic fire using common tools or a "pistol converter" device. The bill creates new criminal penalties for violating this ban, with key exceptions allowing law enforcement use, licensed dealer transactions for specific purposes, and inheritance by qualified individuals. It does not affect standard semiautomatic firearms or restrict existing lawfully owned weapons.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill bans machine gun convertible pistols to prevent public safety risks, a direct measure supporting law enforcement and criminal justice goals.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 9, 2026

HB 687: Criminal Procedure - Evidence - Protecting Artists' Creative Expression (PACE Act)

HB 687 (the PACE Act) protects criminal defendants and juvenile respondents in Maryland from having their creative works (like music, poetry, visual art, or film) used as evidence against them in court. It blocks such evidence unless a court finds, by a preponderance of evidence, that the creator intended the work to be literal (not fictional), it directly references the specific facts of the alleged crime, and it's relevant to a disputed fact. The bill explicitly excludes this protection for juvenile cases where creative expression is used to evaluate mental health or diversion programs. This law directly affects artists facing criminal or juvenile charges in Maryland, changing how their original creative expression can be considered as evidence. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProtects defendants' creative expression from misuse as evidence, strengthening civil rights and defendant protections in court proceedings per bill's explicit intent.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 25, 2026

HB 921: Juvenile Law - Confinement and Restrictive Housing - Limitations

HB 921 limits when minors in Maryland juvenile facilities can be placed in restrictive housing (isolation or special confinement). It prohibits using restrictive housing for discipline, punishment, or staff convenience, and requires facilities to use it only for immediate safety risks (like harm to self/others or facility security) for the shortest time possible (max 6 hours). Minors can request restrictive housing or withdraw that request at any time, and facilities must provide mental health screenings within 1 hour of placement. The bill also mandates that minors in restrictive housing receive the same access to phone calls, visits, medical care, education, and recreation as other minors, unless safety is at risk.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill restricts punitive use of juvenile solitary confinement, mandates safety justification, limits duration, and prioritizes mental health - core criminal justice reform principles reducing unnecessary confinement.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates mental health services during restrictive housing for minors, directly supporting mental health care access in juvenile facilities per bill's requirements.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 25, 2026

HB 16: Correctional Services - Maryland Parole Commission - Members and Hearing Examiners

HB 16 restructures Maryland's Parole Commission by increasing its membership from 10 to 15-20 members and changing how they are appointed. The bill requires the Governor to appoint members from a panel of 8 specific experts (including the Public Defender, a mental health specialist, and a prisoners' rights advocate), with the panel only needed for initial appointments. It eliminates the Commission's authority to use hearing examiners for parole hearings, replacing that role entirely. These changes directly affect parole commissioners, the parole hearing process, and individuals seeking parole in Maryland.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAdds prisoners' rights advocate and mental health specialist to parole commission, requiring diverse expert appointments to enhance oversight and protect defendant rights per reform indicators.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 20, 2026

HB 432: Municipalities - Vagrancy - Repeal of Authority to Prohibit

HB 432 repeals a provision in Maryland law that allowed municipalities to prohibit "vagrancy" (laws targeting homeless or loitering individuals without clear purpose). The bill directly affects local governments by removing their legal authority to enforce such vagrancy prohibitions under Section 5-207(c)(2) of the Maryland Annotated Code. Key mechanisms include deleting "vagrancy" from the list of activities municipalities could ban, while preserving other related powers like prohibiting gambling or vice. The change takes effect October 1, 2026, and represents a concrete policy shift in local law enforcement authority.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRepeals vagrancy laws criminalizing homelessness/loitering, reducing unnecessary arrests and aligning with criminal justice reform principles.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingRepeals vagrancy laws criminalizing homelessness, removing barriers for unhoused individuals and aligning with housing access protections90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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signed · Maryland · Senate Feb 17, 2026

SB 245: Public Safety - Immigration Enforcement Agreements - Prohibition

Maryland's SB 245 prohibits state, local governments, county sheriffs, and their agencies from entering new agreements with federal authorities to enforce civil immigration law. It defines such agreements as contracts under federal laws like 8 U.S.C. § 1103 or § 1357. Existing agreements must be terminated by July 1, 2026, or immediately upon the bill's effective date of June 1, 2026. The law directly affects all Maryland local law enforcement entities and state agencies that previously collaborated with federal immigration enforcement.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProhibits local law enforcement from collaborating with federal immigration enforcement, reducing potential civil rights violations and aligning with criminal justice reform principles.85% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationProhibits state/local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, directly limiting such agreements per bill text.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice