HB 351 Maryland House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Civil Actions - Violation of Constitutional Rights (No Kings Act)

HB 351 allows Maryland's Attorney General or State's Attorney to direct the Maryland State Police to collect and securely retain specific digital data (like license plates, cell tower records, GPS, or facial recognition data) about federal agents when a complaint alleges misconduct such as excessive force or civil rights violations. It directly affects complainants who file such misconduct claims and law enforcement agencies handling those cases. The bill requires that complainants can only access this digital data through a court order in a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 civil rights case or a related criminal proceeding. It does not authorize general surveillance but creates a targeted process for gathering evidence in verified misconduct complaints against federal agents. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Apr 2026

Senate Passage

Apr 2026

Signed into Law

May 2026

Introduced Jan 19, 2026 Signed May 12, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Third - Constitutional Rights - Violations and Digital Unmasking → Enrolled - Civil Actions - Violation of Constitutional Rights (No Kings Act) · 5 edits · May 12, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was finalized as an 'Enrolled' version and renamed from 'Constitutional Rights - Violations and Digital Unmasking' to 'Civil Actions - Violation of Constitutional Rights (No Kings Act)'. The text was cleaned up to remove procedural history (like committee reports) and standardized the formatting. Substantively, the bill authorizes civil lawsuits against judicial officers who violate constitutional rights and allows state prosecutors to gather digital data to identify federal agents involved in misconduct.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by renaming it to focus specifically on 'Civil Actions' rather than broader 'Constitutional Rights' violations, and the title was changed to the 'No Kings Act' to emphasize its focus on holding federal agents accountable.

TITLE

The bill title was changed from 'Constitutional Rights - Violations and Digital Unmasking' to 'Civil Actions - Violation of Constitutional Rights (No Kings Act)' to better reflect its specific legal mechanism and political branding.

TECHNICAL

Procedural text regarding committee reports, floor amendments, and specific reading dates was removed because the bill has been passed and is now an 'Enrolled' bill ready for the Governor's signature.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Judicial Officer' was expanded to include a new category called 'Covered Officer' who may arrest for US Code violations and carry firearms, while explicitly excluding law enforcement officers acting under a joint task force that primarily enforces US Code.

The definition of 'Federal Agent Misconduct' was updated to include kidnapping or unlawful detention of a member of the public by a federal agent.

The definition of 'Identifying Digital Data' was updated to clarify that it applies to confirming the identity of a 'Federal Agent Judicial Officer' rather than just a 'Federal Agent'.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 22, 2026 · House of Delegates Mar 26, 2026

How they voted

33–12

Passed · 4 other

Total votes 49

Mar 22, 2026

D Democratic36

33 Yea 3

91% Yea

R Republican13

12 Nay 1

92% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 12, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor - Chapter 459

executive

Apr 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Enrolled

lower

Apr 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Apr 10, 2026

Introduced

House Concurs Senate Amendments

lower

Apr 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Apr 9, 2026

Introduced

Floor Amendment {

upper

Apr 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Apr 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings

upper

Mar 26, 2026

House Of Delegates · Passed

House of Delegates Vote: pass (98-35-9)

house of delegates

Mar 22, 2026

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (33-12-4)

senate

Feb 27, 2026

Committee

Referred Judicial Proceedings

upper

Feb 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Feb 25, 2026

Introduced

Floor Amendment {

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

Motion Special Order until 2/25 (Delegate Tomlinson) Adopted

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

Floor Committee Amendment {

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

lower

Feb 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Judiciary

lower

Jan 19, 2026

Committee

First Reading Judiciary

lower

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors