Sen. Charles Sydnor

Maddy summarySB 292 requires police officers to document all reasons for traffic stops on citations or reports and to state their name, ID number, and agency to drivers at the start of a stop. It establishes that officers can only enforce vehicle registration violations as a "secondary" action - meaning they must have stopped a driver for another reason first. If officers fail to follow these rules, evidence collected during the stop becomes inadmissible in court, and the officer may face disciplinary action. The bill directly affects drivers during traffic stops and sets new standards for officer conduct and evidence handling in Maryland.

Maddy summarySB 77 prohibits counties, municipalities, and state government entities from using public funds to support the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA), including for membership dues, trainings, or conferences. It specifically bans local governments from funding CSPOA directly, prevents organizations receiving local or state public funds from redirecting those funds to CSPOA, and prohibits state officers from using appropriations for CSPOA-related expenses. The law applies to all public funds, including those allocated to units of local government or state agencies. It takes effect on June 1, 2025, and directly affects Maryland’s counties, cities, and any organizations receiving public funding. The bill creates a clear prohibition on using taxpayer money for CSPOA activities without exception.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland law establishes strict rules for how law enforcement agencies can use facial recognition technology in criminal investigations. It generally prohibits using the technology's results as evidence in court unless they are supported by additional, independently gathered proof. The bill also limits when officers can use these tools, allowing them only for serious crimes like violence, human trafficking, or stalking, and forbids scanning images of people engaged in lawful activities or those not intended to be identified. Furthermore, the law bans comparing suspect images against databases containing photos of individuals based on their race, religion, political beliefs, or other protected characteristics. Finally, any facial recognition results must be verified by a trained individual before they can be used in an investigation.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Maryland law to clarify that "damages" or "losses" in cases involving civil rights or consumer protections include reasonable nominal damages. It ensures that individuals can receive monetary compensation for the violation of their rights, even if they did not suffer significant financial harm. The legislation aims to preserve existing legal remedies against recent trends in federal courts that have limited such claims. By adding this definition to the state code, the law guarantees that courts continue to uphold these protections for Maryland residents.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill updates regulations surrounding automatic license plate readers to clarify how captured data is stored, owned, and shared. It explicitly includes data stored via cloud computing in the definition of historical data and establishes that such data remains the property of the law enforcement agency that collected it, prohibiting its sale or unauthorized transfer to other agencies. The legislation also expands criminal penalties to cover vendors contracted by police departments and mandates strict procedures for auditing data access and reporting security breaches. Additionally, the bill requires the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center and relevant agencies to report the number of unreadable license plates during a specific six-month period.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill requires anyone filing documents in criminal or juvenile cases to remove identifying details, such as names, that could reveal the identity of a minor victim. Unless a court finds good cause to allow otherwise, these redacted filings cannot be shared with non-participants in the case. The law also permits the Supreme Court to create rules allowing a sealed, unredacted copy of the document to be filed separately for official use. These protections apply to all parties and non-parties submitting electronic or paper filings, with the goal of keeping minor victims anonymous in public court records.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland law establishes a grant program to help reproductive health care clinics improve their physical security and safety operations. Administered by the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services, the program provides funding for specific upgrades such as better lighting, fencing, access control systems, and alarm networks. To qualify, clinics must offer legally protected reproductive health services, and the program includes strict rules to keep applicant information confidential to protect the safety of the recipients. The legislation authorizes an initial budget of $500,000 for fiscal year 2026, with up to 5% of those funds reserved for administrative costs.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland law strengthens penalties for individuals who solicit minors or law enforcement officers posing as minors to engage in illegal sexual acts. The bill defines "solicit" broadly to include requests made in person, over the phone, via mail, or through any electronic means like computers and the internet. It makes it a felony to encourage a minor or their parent to participate in activities that would otherwise be unlawful, such as producing or viewing child pornography or engaging in sadomasochistic abuse. Convictions carry prison sentences of up to ten years for a first offense and up to twenty years for repeat offenders, along with substantial fines.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Maryland Entertainment District Security Grant Program to help fund security operations in specific areas of the state. The program targets neighborhoods with high concentrations of bars, hookah lounges, or live entertainment venues that experience heavy foot traffic and frequent police calls for service. Eligible recipients include community organizations, nonprofits, and local governments, which must apply through the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services. The program is financed by a special state fund that will receive up to $1 million annually starting in fiscal year 2026, with money used solely for grants and administrative costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the rules for release proceedings for individuals committed to mental health facilities in Maryland. It requires courts to apply standard civil discovery rules to these hearings and mandates that courts and health officials promptly notify relevant parties if a violation of release conditions is reported. The legislation also clarifies that applicants must prove their case by a preponderance of the evidence and allows courts to modify release conditions, including extending them by up to five years, upon request.