HB 236 Maryland House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Peace Orders and Criminal Harassment - Intentional Visual Surveillance

HB 236 allows individuals to seek a peace order against someone who conducts intentional visual surveillance (like hidden cameras) in areas of their residence where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as yards or outbuildings. It expands existing peace order protections by adding this specific behavior as a grounds for a petition and requires courts to order the respondent to remove or reposition surveillance devices within 15 days and stop further surveillance. The bill directly affects residents experiencing unauthorized visual monitoring of private property areas, offering a legal remedy through the court system. It amends Maryland’s peace order law to include these specific provisions without changing criminal penalties for the underlying surveillance acts.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Oct 2024

Committee Review

Mar 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

May 2025

Introduced Oct 10, 2024 Signed May 13, 2025

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What changed between versions

First - Peace Orders - Intentional Visual Surveillance → Third - Peace Orders and Criminal Harassment - Intentional Visual Surveillance · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill expands Maryland's peace order protections to include intentional visual surveillance of a person's residence where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. It also broadens the definition of criminal harassment to cover such surveillance acts, even if they don't violate existing visual surveillance laws. The changes allow victims to seek peace orders against individuals who spy on their homes and give courts new authority to order removal or repositioning of surveillance devices.

Scope change

The bill expands from solely addressing intentional visual surveillance to also covering it under criminal harassment, and adds specific provisions for peace orders related to visual surveillance incidents.

SCOPE

Added intentional visual surveillance of a residence with reasonable expectation of privacy as grounds for seeking a peace order, even if the surveillance isn't already prohibited under existing visual surveillance laws.

DEFINITION

Added 'residence' definition to criminal harassment section to include yard, grounds, outbuildings, and common areas surrounding a residence.

REQUIREMENT

Added specific relief options for peace orders related to visual surveillance, including ordering removal or repositioning of surveillance devices within 15 days and refraining from further surveillance.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded criminal harassment section to include visual surveillance of another person's residence where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy as a prohibited act.

TECHNICAL

Added new sections repealing and reenacting additional code sections (3-1503(a)(1) and 3-1505(d)(1)) to accommodate the expanded provisions.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Feb 27, 2025

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 13, 2025

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor - Chapter 574

executive

Apr 2, 2025

Lower · Passed

Returned Passed

lower

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Mar 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed

upper

Mar 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

Favorable Report by Judicial Proceedings

upper

Mar 7, 2025

Committee

Referred Judicial Proceedings

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Mar 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

lower

Mar 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Judiciary

lower

Feb 27, 2025

House Of Delegates · Passed

House of Delegates Vote: pass (133-0-6)

house of delegates

Jan 8, 2025

Committee

First Reading Judiciary

lower

Oct 10, 2024

Introduced

Pre-filed

lower

14 primary · 0 co-sponsors