Criminal Justice

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 20, 2026

HB 1320: Criminal Procedure - Victim Notification - Request at the Time of Charging

HB 1320 requires law enforcement officers and district court commissioners to inform victims or their representatives (such as family members of minors, deceased, or disabled victims) at the time of charging about their right to request notifications regarding a defendant’s custody status and court hearings. The bill mandates that requests be processed through Maryland’s electronic court system (MDEC), ensuring victims receive timely updates without needing to proactively seek them later. It amends existing law to make this notification process automatic upon initial contact in criminal cases, replacing previous procedures that allowed for later requests. This change directly affects victims and their representatives in all criminal cases filed in Maryland.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires victim notification at charging, enhancing victim rights and transparency in criminal proceedings per Maryland's court system.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 20, 2026

HB 194: Incarcerated Individual Apprenticeship Pilot Program

HB 194, the Incarcerated Job Training Act, requires Maryland's Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to create a paid apprenticeship program for incarcerated individuals in skilled trades. The bill mandates that participants earn at least the state minimum wage, with earnings deposited into their personal accounts for use after release. Employers - such as state agencies, local governments, or private businesses - can participate, but may reject assignments or withdraw from the program. Successful completers receive a certificate within 30 days of release, and the program must prioritize developing marketable job skills. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates paid job training for incarcerated individuals to reduce recidivism and support post-release reintegration through earned wages.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates state minimum wage for incarcerated participants in job training, protecting compensation rights and advancing reentry employment opportunities.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 19, 2026

HB 1058: Youth Delinquency Prevention Fund - Establishment

HB 1058 establishes Maryland's Youth Delinquency Prevention Fund to provide grants to community-based programs, including youth service bureaus, that offer preventive services like delinquency prevention, youth suicide prevention, substance use prevention, and youth development. The fund, administered by the state office, is funded through state budget appropriations and interest earnings, and it must be used exclusively for these preventive services without replacing existing funding. The bill requires annual reports detailing grant distribution, the number of children served (disaggregated by age, region, race, and ethnicity), and whether served youth later interacted with justice systems. The fund is non-lapsing, meaning money remains available year-to-year and cannot revert to the General Fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes new state fund requiring budget appropriations for youth programs, explicitly increasing public service funding without replacing existing resources.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill establishes fund for youth delinquency prevention programs, directly advancing criminal justice reform by reducing future involvement through preventive services like substance use and youth development.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 19, 2026

HB 310: Correctional Services - Restrictive Housing - Individuals With Developmental or Intellectual Disabilities

HB 310 limits the use of restrictive housing (locked cell confinement for 22+ hours daily) for incarcerated individuals in Maryland state facilities who have a developmental or intellectual disability. It requires a licensed clinical professional to assess new inmates for these disabilities during intake and to recommend against placing them in restrictive housing for more than 15 consecutive days within any 30-day period. This 15-day limit does not apply if the individual commits a "prohibited act," such as causing serious injury, making threats, or possessing weapons. The bill directly affects incarcerated people with these disabilities and mandates correctional facilities to follow this assessment and limitation process.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestricts restrictive housing for disabled inmates, requiring clinical assessments and limiting confinement duration - aligns with criminal justice reform to protect civil rights and improve correctional conditions.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates clinical assessments for disabilities and restricts harmful confinement, protecting vulnerable inmates' mental health access through healthcare standards.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 5, 2026

HB 821: Judiciary Department - Judicial Removal - Disqualification From Future Judicial Office

This constitutional amendment prohibits judges or justices removed or retired for misconduct from holding any future judicial position. It directly affects judges disciplined by the Commission on Judicial Disabilities, adding a new provision that explicitly bars such individuals from future judicial office. The key mechanism requires the Supreme Court to remove or retire judges found guilty of misconduct, with the amendment ensuring these individuals lose eligibility for any subsequent judicial role. This change modifies Article IV of the Maryland Constitution and requires voter approval in the November 2026 election.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens judicial accountability by barring misconduct-removed judges from future judicial office, directly addressing court integrity within criminal justice.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 5, 2026

HB 477: Criminal Procedure - Admission of Out-of-Court Statements - Assault in the Second Degree

HB 477 modifies Maryland's evidence rules to allow certain out-of-court statements in assault in the second degree cases where the defendant caused the witness's unavailability. It permits such statements as evidence if the court finds by a preponderance of evidence that the defendant engaged in wrongdoing to make the witness unavailable. The bill requires statements to have been given under oath, written and signed, or recorded verbatim, and mandates early notice to the defense about the statement's use. This directly affects criminal trials for assault in the second degree by expanding admissible evidence while adding procedural safeguards. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeModifies evidence rules to require preponderance standard for witness unavailability and mandates early defense notice, protecting defendant rights in criminal procedure.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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