HB 551 repeals specific sections of Maryland's Criminal Law that prohibited certain drug paraphernalia and controlled paraphernalia. It removes prohibitions related to items like syringes, packaging materials, and cutting agents used with controlled substances (excluding cannabis). The bill directly affects individuals who might possess these items under current law, as the repeal eliminates criminal penalties for such possession. This change modifies Maryland's legal definitions and prohibitions regarding drug paraphernalia by deleting the referenced sections from the Annotated Code.
HB 414 changes Maryland's jury service rules by removing a disqualification for people currently on parole or probation for crimes punishable by more than one year in prison. Previously, individuals serving such sentences (including parole) were barred from jury duty, but this bill eliminates that specific barrier. The bill maintains disqualifications for crimes involving perjury, witness intimidation, jury intimidation, or certain offenses under Maryland's Criminal Law (Title 8). It also preserves requirements that jurors must understand English to complete qualification forms. This change would allow more people with past convictions to serve on juries, provided they meet all other eligibility criteria.
HB 398 prohibits Maryland state and local law enforcement agencies from using persistent aerial surveillance (like drones recording continuous video of people's movements) in criminal investigations, except under seven specific exceptions. These exceptions include having a valid search warrant, executing arrest warrants, conducting active search/rescue operations, locating escaped prisoners, preventing imminent harm, or responding to specific terrorism threats with federal approval. The law directly affects police departments and state agencies that previously used such surveillance methods. It takes effect October 1, 2026, and defines "persistent aerial surveillance" as recording video/images showing a person's actions over time.
HB 438 establishes the Adult Prison School Board Model Development Committee to create a school board system for correctional education in Maryland's prisons and juvenile facilities. The committee, composed of state officials, correctional education representatives, and experts (including formerly incarcerated individuals and nonprofit advocates), must develop a funding and operational plan by June 2028, examining costs for staff, materials, and budget management. This procedural bill does not enact immediate policy changes but sets a timeline for recommendations to the Governor and legislature. It expires automatically on June 30, 2028, after its two-year study period.
SB 433 extends the timeframe for temporary protective orders in Maryland from 7 to 14 days after service and requires final protective order hearings to occur within 14 days of service, rather than 7 days. It also adds new provisions allowing judges to order respondents to pay specific costs incurred due to abuse, including medical/dental care, property repairs, shelter, transportation, court fees, and attorney fees. The bill clarifies that monetary awards under these provisions do not prevent petitioners from seeking additional compensation later for unawarded expenses. This directly affects individuals seeking protection from abuse (petitioners) and those accused of abuse (respondents) in family law cases. The changes take effect October 1, 2026.
HB 667 requires Maryland to create a dedicated facility for female incarcerated individuals transitioning from prison, directly affecting women at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women eligible for prerelease. The bill mandates a separate facility with specific security features (based on low violence/escape risk and good behavior), located in Baltimore City on at least 3 acres away from other prisons, and designed to accommodate 1.25 times the current eligible population. It sets strict deadlines for planning (by June 2021), construction (starting September 2021), and operation (by June 2023), with detailed requirements for housing, accessibility, program spaces, and medical services. The Department of General Services must oversee procurement, and the Correctional Ombudsman must verify compliance with these requirements.
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.
This bill expands Maryland's expungement options by allowing individuals to have certain criminal records sealed if their case ended without a conviction. Specifically, it adds a new provision (Section 10-110(j)) permitting expungement for cases disposed of with a "no finding" designation or formally terminated without a finding by the court. This directly affects people who completed diversion programs or had cases dismissed without a formal conviction, such as in pretrial diversion or dismissals without judgment. The change modifies existing expungement law to include these non-conviction dispositions, making it easier for affected individuals to clear their records.
HB 463 prohibits incarcerated individuals serving sentences for specific first-degree murder convictions from earning time-off credits (diminution credits) that reduce their prison terms. It directly affects people convicted of murder under Maryland law, including those convicted of murder involving a child under 16 (under older statutes), repeat child murder offenders, or any first-degree murder (§2-201 of the Criminal Law Article). The bill amends Maryland’s Correctional Services law to block these credits for the specified offenses, effective October 1, 2026. This change applies only to sentences for offenses committed on or after that date, not past cases.
HB 550, titled the "No Kings Act," creates a civil remedy in Maryland for individuals harmed when federal law enforcement officers violate their constitutional rights under color of law. The bill allows victims to sue such officers directly, with provisions mirroring federal Section 1983, including awards for attorney fees and a 5-year filing deadline. It applies retroactively to cases arising since March 1, 2025, affecting both current lawsuits and future claims against federal officers. The law specifically targets violations of the U.S. Constitution, Maryland Declaration of Rights, or federal/state laws, while preserving standard legal defenses like qualified immunity.
