SB 346 Maryland Senate · 2026 Regular Session

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

SB 346, titled "Civil Actions - Violation of Constitutional Rights (No Kings Act)," creates a new legal pathway in Maryland for individuals to sue government officials who violate constitutional rights under "color of law." The bill allows plaintiffs to seek damages, injunctions, and attorney fees for deprivations of rights secured by the U.S. Constitution, Maryland Declaration of Rights, or Maryland Constitution. Key provisions include a 3-year statute of limitations for filing claims, protections for judicial officers (limiting injunctive relief unless a declaratory judgment is violated), and restrictions on awarding fees against judges acting within their authority. This law directly affects government officials and citizens who experience constitutional violations during official actions.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Jan 23, 2026 Signed May 12, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Third - Civil Actions - Violation of Constitutional Rights (No Kings Act) Enrolled - Civil Actions - Violation of Constitutional Rights (No Kings Act) · 5 edits · May 12, 2026
MODERATE
The bill was finalized for the Governor's signature, converting it from a draft Senate bill to an enrolled bill. The text includes numerous formatting corrections, such as fixing a typo where 'LAW LAW' was written instead of 'LAW', and reorganizing the statute sections to align with the official Annotated Code of Maryland. While the core policy of establishing civil liability for constitutional rights violations remains the same, the final version clarifies the legal definitions and procedural steps for enforcement.
Scope change
The scope of the bill remains unchanged in terms of its substantive policy, but the final version includes a specific exclusion for law enforcement officers acting under joint task forces that primarily enforce federal law.
TECHNICAL

Corrected a significant typo in the definition of 'LAW' which was incorrectly listed as 'LAW LAW' in the draft version.

Fixed a grammatical error in the statute text where the phrase 'AN AGGRIEVED PARTY AN AGGRIEVED PARTY' was repeated.

Reorganized the bill's structure to match the official format of the Annotated Code of Maryland, including proper chapter and section numbering.

Added official proofreader and governor signature lines, indicating the bill has passed all legislative stages and is ready for executive approval.

DEFINITION

Clarified the definition of 'Covered Officer' to explicitly exclude law enforcement officers acting under joint task forces that primarily enforce the United States Code.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 24, 2026 · House of Delegates Mar 24, 2026

How they voted

3311
Passed · 5 other
Total votes 49
Mar 24, 2026
D Democratic36
33 Yea 3
91% Yea
R Republican13
11 Nay 2
84% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
21
Key actions
12
Committee
7
Amendments
3
May 12, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 460
executive
Apr 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Enrolled
upper
Apr 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Third Reading Passed
upper
Apr 10, 2026
Introduced
Senate Concurs House Amendments
upper
Apr 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
Third Reading Passed
lower
Apr 9, 2026
Introduced
Floor Amendment {
lower
Apr 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
lower
Apr 8, 2026
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments Report by Judiciary
lower
Mar 24, 2026
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (33-11-5)
senate
Mar 21, 2026
Committee
Referred Judiciary
lower
Mar 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
Third Reading Passed
upper
Mar 19, 2026
Introduced
Floor Amendment {
upper
Mar 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
upper
Mar 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Motion Laid Over (Senator Ready) Adopted
upper
Mar 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
upper
Mar 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings
upper
Jan 23, 2026
Committee
First Reading Judicial Proceedings
upper
9 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors