Criminal Law - Wearing, Carrying, or Transporting a Handgun - Prior Convictions

HB 1061 expands Maryland's enhanced sentencing for illegally carrying or transporting a handgun by including prior convictions from other states, federal courts, or tribal courts. It affects individuals who have previously been convicted of gun-related offenses outside Maryland. The bill amends sentencing tiers so that these out-of-state or federal convictions now count toward mandatory minimum sentences under Section 4-203 of the Criminal Law. This means people with prior gun convictions in other jurisdictions face harsher penalties for violating Maryland's handgun laws.