Criminal Justice

passed both · Maryland · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 823: Correctional Services - Maryland Parole Commission - Members

SB 823 changes how Maryland Parole Commission members are appointed. It replaces the current process where the Governor appoints members with Senate approval, requiring instead a new panel to submit at least three nominees per vacancy. The panel includes specific officials (like the Public Safety Secretary and Public Defender) plus representatives from mental health, education, social work, community organizations, prisoners' rights, victims' rights, and the general public. This bill directly affects the Commission's membership structure and takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill reformulates parole appointments with prisoner/victim rights stakeholders, advancing equitable corrections oversight per reform indicators85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 10, 2026

HB 577: Criminal Law - Firearm Crimes - Machine Gun Convertible Pistols

HB 577 prohibits the manufacture, sale, purchase, possession, or transfer of "machine gun convertible pistols" in Maryland after a specified date. These are defined as semiautomatic pistols with a special trigger mechanism that can be easily converted to automatic fire using common tools or a "pistol converter" device. The bill creates new criminal penalties for violating this ban, with key exceptions allowing law enforcement use, licensed dealer transactions for specific purposes, and inheritance by qualified individuals. It does not affect standard semiautomatic firearms or restrict existing lawfully owned weapons.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill bans machine gun convertible pistols to prevent public safety risks, a direct measure supporting law enforcement and criminal justice goals.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 9, 2026

HB 687: Criminal Procedure - Evidence - Protecting Artists' Creative Expression (PACE Act)

HB 687 (the PACE Act) protects criminal defendants and juvenile respondents in Maryland from having their creative works (like music, poetry, visual art, or film) used as evidence against them in court. It blocks such evidence unless a court finds, by a preponderance of evidence, that the creator intended the work to be literal (not fictional), it directly references the specific facts of the alleged crime, and it's relevant to a disputed fact. The bill explicitly excludes this protection for juvenile cases where creative expression is used to evaluate mental health or diversion programs. This law directly affects artists facing criminal or juvenile charges in Maryland, changing how their original creative expression can be considered as evidence. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProtects defendants' creative expression from misuse as evidence, strengthening civil rights and defendant protections in court proceedings per bill's explicit intent.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 25, 2026

HB 921: Juvenile Law - Confinement and Restrictive Housing - Limitations

HB 921 limits when minors in Maryland juvenile facilities can be placed in restrictive housing (isolation or special confinement). It prohibits using restrictive housing for discipline, punishment, or staff convenience, and requires facilities to use it only for immediate safety risks (like harm to self/others or facility security) for the shortest time possible (max 6 hours). Minors can request restrictive housing or withdraw that request at any time, and facilities must provide mental health screenings within 1 hour of placement. The bill also mandates that minors in restrictive housing receive the same access to phone calls, visits, medical care, education, and recreation as other minors, unless safety is at risk.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill restricts punitive use of juvenile solitary confinement, mandates safety justification, limits duration, and prioritizes mental health - core criminal justice reform principles reducing unnecessary confinement.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates mental health services during restrictive housing for minors, directly supporting mental health care access in juvenile facilities per bill's requirements.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 25, 2026

HB 1018: Correctional Services - Correctional Facilities and Immigration Detention Facilities - Minimum Mandatory Standards

HB 1018 establishes minimum mandatory standards for the care, custody, and conditions of individuals held in Maryland's immigration detention facilities. It directly affects immigration detainees, facility operators (including private entities), and healthcare/security staff who must report violations. Key provisions require the Secretary of Public Safety to adopt regulations covering safety, housing, food, and rights; mandate facility inspections and annual certifications; and authorize the Commission to shut down facilities deemed life-threatening or health-endangering. The bill also obligates staff to report violations with disciplinary consequences for non-compliance and allows the Attorney General to sue private facility operators for violations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEstablishes mandatory standards for immigration detention facilities' safety, housing, and rights protections, enhancing oversight and conditions in correctional settings.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationEstablishes mandatory standards for detainee care, safety, housing, and rights in immigration facilities, directly protecting immigrant rights within detention95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 25, 2026

HB 16: Correctional Services - Maryland Parole Commission - Members and Hearing Examiners

HB 16 restructures Maryland's Parole Commission by increasing its membership from 10 to 15-20 members and changing how they are appointed. The bill requires the Governor to appoint members from a panel of 8 specific experts (including the Public Defender, a mental health specialist, and a prisoners' rights advocate), with the panel only needed for initial appointments. It eliminates the Commission's authority to use hearing examiners for parole hearings, replacing that role entirely. These changes directly affect parole commissioners, the parole hearing process, and individuals seeking parole in Maryland.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAdds prisoners' rights advocate and mental health specialist to parole commission, requiring diverse expert appointments to enhance oversight and protect defendant rights per reform indicators.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 24, 2026

HB 22: Correctional Services - Incarcerated Individuals - Identification Cards, Driver's Licenses, and Birth Certificates

HB 22 requires Maryland correctional facilities to return valid photo ID cards or driver's licenses to incarcerated individuals at release if they entered custody with them. It also mandates state corrections officials to help inmates obtain birth certificates and Social Security cards before release, with written consent required. Facilities must work with inmates six months before release (for those serving 1+ year sentences) to ensure they have valid ID or driver's licenses available upon release. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026, and explicitly states it cannot delay release.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFacilitates post-release reintegration by requiring ID return and document assistance, reducing barriers to employment/housing and aligning with recidivism reduction goals.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 23, 2026

HB 765: Criminal Law - Counterfeiting and Possession of Counterfeit Lease of Real Property - Penalty

HB 765 amends Maryland's criminal code to explicitly prohibit counterfeiting or possessing counterfeit leases and rental agreements with intent to defraud. It adds "lease" (subsection a(7)) and "rental agreement" (a(13)) to the list of items protected under counterfeiting laws, which previously covered items like bonds and checks. Creating or aiding in creating such counterfeits becomes a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a $1,000 fine, while knowingly possessing them is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 3 years in prison or a $1,000 fine. The bill directly affects individuals who fraudulently create or use fake rental documents, such as those attempting to evade rent or commit property fraud.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by making lease counterfeiting a felony, increasing penalties for fraud under criminal law.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 23, 2026

HB 83: Family and Law Enforcement Protection Act

HB 83, the Family and Law Enforcement Protection Act, modifies Maryland's domestic violence protective order process to strengthen firearm safety measures. The bill requires petitioners seeking protective orders to provide specific details about a respondent's firearms - including make, model, location, and whether stored in a vehicle - if the petition alleges abuse involving firearms. Judges must then order the respondent to surrender all firearms and firearm licenses in cases where abuse involved firearm use, threats with a firearm, or serious bodily harm (with or without firearm threat). This directly affects domestic violence victims and respondents in protective order cases, creating clearer mechanisms for law enforcement to enforce firearm surrender during temporary protective orders under Sections 4-504(e) and 4-505(a)(viii) of Maryland's Family Law.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires firearm surrender in domestic violence cases, strengthening safety measures and aligning with criminal justice reform to protect victims and reduce firearm-related violence.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 23, 2026

HB 159: Mail Theft

HB 159 proposes to amend Maryland law regarding mail theft by creating new prohibitions on stealing mail or packages under specific circumstances. The bill establishes two new sections (3-905 and 3-905.1) in the Criminal Law Article, defining prohibited acts and penalties for mail theft. It also clarifies that violations of these new provisions will be tried in District Court or Circuit Court, depending on the offense severity. This bill directly affects individuals who steal or possess stolen mail or packages, and it is currently pending in the Maryland General Assembly.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new criminal prohibitions for mail theft, expanding criminalization without reform elements or oversight improvements.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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