HB 501 amends Maryland law to prohibit individuals in positions of authority (such as teachers, coaches, or school staff working with minors) from engaging in sexual contact with minors who are at least six years younger. It increases penalties for violations: first offenses carry up to one year in jail or a $1,000 fine, while repeat offenders face up to three years in jail or a $1,000 fine. The bill also adds this offense as a predicate crime for sexual solicitation of minors and updates definitions related to sex offender registry tiers. It directly affects educators, program leaders, and others in supervisory roles working with minors under age 18.
HB 187 expands eligibility for expunging criminal records in Maryland by allowing expungement for cases terminated without a conviction. Specifically, it adds a new provision (Section 10-110(j)) permitting expungement when a case was resolved by the court with a "no finding" designation or terminated without a finding. This directly affects individuals whose cases were dismissed, dropped, or otherwise concluded without a guilty verdict or conviction. The bill modifies existing expungement rules (previously limited to certain convictions) to include these non-conviction dispositions, applying to records maintained by state or local government. It takes effect October 1, 2026.
HB 329 prohibits school resource officers (SROs) in Maryland from engaging in sexual activity, contact, or intercourse with students enrolled in schools where they are assigned. The bill amends Maryland's Criminal Law (Section 3-314) to explicitly add students at an SRO's assigned school as a protected group under this prohibition, with penalties including up to 3 years in jail or a $3,000 fine for violations. It defines "school resource officer" in Education Law (Section 7-1501) to clarify the scope of the restriction. The law applies directly to law enforcement officers serving in school settings and takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 491 prohibits law enforcement agencies from requesting verbal acknowledgments from victims of sexually assaultive behavior that could limit investigations, prevent prosecutions, or restrict victims' legal rights. It specifically bans forms or requests that: relieve the agency of obligations to the victim, define investigation scope, block prosecutions, or limit private legal actions. The bill requires agencies to thoroughly document any victim request to limit or suspend an investigation and follow up per Maryland Police Commission guidelines. Agencies must adopt and submit compliance policies to the Maryland Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Committee by January 15, 2021, with the law taking effect October 1, 2026.
HB 829 requires drivers applying for for-hire or transportation network operator licenses (like Uber/Lyft drivers) in Maryland to complete human trafficking awareness training. The training must cover recognizing trafficking victims, responding appropriately, and connecting victims with resources. Licensed drivers who report suspected trafficking in good faith are protected from civil or criminal liability. This applies to taxi drivers, for-hire drivers, and transportation network operators seeking new or renewed licenses.
SB 473 requires new applicants for taxicab, for-hire driver, or transportation network operator (e.g., Uber/Lyft) licenses in Maryland to submit proof they completed human trafficking awareness training. This includes either the U.S. Department of Transportation’s "Leaders Against Human Trafficking" program or another nationally recognized training program. The bill also protects licensed drivers from civil or criminal liability when reporting suspected trafficking in good faith. These requirements apply specifically to new license applicants, not current license holders, and are designed to help identify and prevent trafficking through driver training and reporting.
SB 707 amends Maryland's Mental Health Law to clarify the definition of "danger to the life or safety of the individual or of others" for involuntary admission and emergency evaluations. It specifies that this danger includes four key scenarios: causing bodily harm, engaging in conduct likely to result in criminal justice involvement, inability to meet basic needs (food, shelter, medical care) creating serious risk, or substantial deterioration in judgment preventing informed treatment decisions. The bill directly affects individuals with mental disorders who may be assessed for involuntary care, as well as healthcare providers making those determinations under the law. This definition replaces the current standard in Maryland Code, Section 10-601, and takes effect October 1, 2026.
HB 281 requires background checks for individuals working with children in specific settings. It mandates licensed child care centers, family child care homes, foster care facilities, schools, camps, and similar organizations to obtain national and state criminal history checks for all employees, volunteers, and certain caregivers - including neighbors or friends providing sudden care due to a primary caretaker's unavailability. Facilities must submit fingerprints and pay a fee to the Criminal Justice Information System Central Repository. The bill directly affects providers serving minors and expands background check requirements to include new categories like "sudden caregivers" and individuals residing in homes where informal child care occurs.
HB 265 requires Maryland's State Board of Elections to designate a contact person for the Address Confidentiality Program, which helps survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, harassment, or human trafficking keep their real addresses private. The bill mandates that local election offices use participants' actual addresses for election purposes (like absentee ballots) but must not disclose these addresses publicly except for law enforcement requests or court orders. The designated contact person will handle all inquiries from election offices and participants about implementing the program's rules. This bill updates existing election law to clarify administrative procedures for the program, effective June 1, 2026.
This bill creates a new misdemeanor offense called third-degree assault in Maryland, which prohibits intentionally causing offensive contact, attempting to cause such contact, or engaging in conduct meant to make someone fear offensive contact. The law defines offensive contact as nonconsensual physical contact that a reasonable person would find offensive, but explicitly excludes contact that causes physical injury, creates a risk of serious injury, or involves domestic or sexual crimes. People convicted of this offense could face up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both. The bill also updates legal procedures by clarifying how third-degree assault charges must be written in court documents and ensures that physical injury from a third-degree assault cannot be used as a defense against that charge. Additionally, it adjusts jurisdiction rules so that District Courts handle third-degree assault cases exclusively.
