HB 821 Maryland House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Judiciary Department - Judicial Removal - Disqualification From Future Judicial Office

This constitutional amendment prohibits judges or justices removed or retired for misconduct from holding any future judicial position. It directly affects judges disciplined by the Commission on Judicial Disabilities, adding a new provision that explicitly bars such individuals from future judicial office. The key mechanism requires the Supreme Court to remove or retire judges found guilty of misconduct, with the amendment ensuring these individuals lose eligibility for any subsequent judicial role. This change modifies Article IV of the Maryland Constitution and requires voter approval in the November 2026 election.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 4, 2026 Last action Mar 5, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

First - Judiciary Department - Judicial Removal - Disqualification From Future Judicial Office Third - Judiciary Department - Judicial Removal - Disqualification From Future Judicial Office · 2 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended to add procedural status information (Committee Report, House action, and reading dates) and reorganize the text formatting. The substantive constitutional provisions regarding judicial removal and disqualification from future judicial office remain unchanged in content.
TECHNICAL

Added committee report status, house action status, and second reading date to the bill header.

Reorganized text formatting and line numbering for the constitutional amendment section.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Feb 23, 2026

How they voted

1280
Passed · 14 other
Total votes 142
Feb 23, 2026
D Democratic103
92 Yea 11
89% Yea
R Republican39
36 Yea 3
92% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
8
Key actions
4
Committee
4
Mar 5, 2026
Committee
Referred Judicial Proceedings
upper
Mar 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
Third Reading Passed
lower
Mar 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable Adopted
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable Report by Judiciary
lower
Feb 23, 2026
House Of Delegates · Passed
House of Delegates Vote: pass (128-0-14)
house of delegates
Feb 4, 2026
Committee
First Reading Judiciary
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.