SB 791 (the Community Trust Act) prohibits employees of Maryland state and local correctional facilities from asking about or detaining individuals based on immigration status, notifying federal immigration authorities without a court order, or transferring people to federal authorities without a judicial warrant. It allows limited exceptions only for routine booking procedures or when immigration status affects legal protections under state/federal law or international treaties. The bill requires correctional facilities to adopt compliance policies with penalties for violations and gives affected individuals the right to sue for damages if their rights are breached. This directly affects correctional staff and facilities, not the general public.
SB 187 requires Maryland to establish a dedicated prerelease facility for female incarcerated individuals at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women. The bill mandates a separate facility with security features for low-risk, well-behaved inmates, located in Baltimore City on at least 3 acres, with sufficient capacity for all eligible women. It requires the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to provide gender-responsive services - including education, job training, trauma-informed counseling, and family support - starting by September 2026, and to report compliance to legislative committees. The facility must be operational by June 2023, with specific design standards for privacy, accessibility, and community reentry support.
SB 322 modifies Maryland's jury service disqualification rules for individuals with criminal convictions. It removes the requirement that someone must be "currently serving a sentence" for a crime punishable by over one year to be disqualified, while maintaining disqualifications for specific offenses like perjury, witness/jury intimidation, or crimes under Title 8 of the Criminal Law Article. The bill also keeps the existing provision allowing those pardoned for disqualifying convictions to serve on juries. This change affects individuals previously disqualified solely due to past convictions without active sentences, but not those convicted of the specified serious offenses. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.
SB 937, the Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act, prohibits landlords from requiring or considering a prospective tenant's criminal history before making a rental offer. Landlords may only review criminal history after extending a conditional offer and must allow tenants to provide evidence about inaccuracies, rehabilitation, or mitigating factors. The bill also bans upfront criminal history checks, restricts discriminatory housing ads, and makes violations enforceable under Maryland's consumer protection laws. It directly affects all residential landlords and tenants with past criminal records in Maryland.
SB 745 (LEAD Act of 2026) requires Maryland police training programs to include specific modules on interacting with individuals with autism and dementia. It mandates that entrance-level and in-service training cover six key areas: locating missing persons (including wanderers), water safety searches, sensory-aware approaches, reunification, documentation, and interagency coordination. The bill directly affects all Maryland police departments and training schools by adding these requirements to their curricula. It becomes effective October 1, 2026, and amends Maryland’s Public Safety Code (Section 3-207(a)(16)(v)).
HB 776, the NyKayla Strawder Memorial Act, requires Maryland intake officers to automatically file a petition declaring a child under 13 a "child in need of supervision" if the child is alleged to have caused a death through a criminal act (e.g., homicide or manslaughter). This applies specifically to cases where the child's actions would be a felony if committed by an adult. The bill removes the intake officer's discretion to handle such cases informally or dismiss them, mandating formal juvenile court processing. Law enforcement must also forward these complaints directly to the Department of Juvenile Services.
SB 524 allows Baltimore City's Mayor's Offices of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, Children and Family Success, and African American Male Engagement to access confidential juvenile police and court records under specific circumstances. The bill modifies Maryland law to permit these offices to view records *only* when providing services to a child whose record is involved, for developing treatment plans or delivering programs. It explicitly states that this access does not violate confidentiality rules, but the offices would be liable for unauthorized releases of such records. The law directly affects Baltimore City's targeted offices and the children receiving services from them, while maintaining existing protections for juvenile records elsewhere.
HB 852 expands Maryland's existing scholarship program to include correctional officers. It amends the Maryland Police Officers and Probation Agents Scholarship Program (now titled "Maryland Police Officers, Probation Agents, AND CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS Scholarship Program") to allow current or future correctional officers to qualify. Eligible recipients must be Maryland residents or graduates of Maryland high schools, enrolled at an eligible institution (public university or community college), and agree to work as correctional officers for at least 5 years within 8 years of graduation. The bill does not create a new program but updates the eligibility criteria of an existing scholarship.
HB 1457 authorizes the Circuit Administrative Judge of Maryland's Fourth Circuit to establish a Truancy Reduction Pilot Program specifically in Washington County's juvenile court. The bill directly affects Washington County juveniles who are truant and the juvenile court system there, aiming to address school absenteeism through court-led interventions rather than punitive measures. Key provisions amend existing law to explicitly include Washington County in the list of jurisdictions where such pilot programs may operate, alongside other counties already covered. The program would operate using state budget funds and requires consultation with other circuit administrative judges before implementation, effective October 1, 2026.
SB 715 authorizes the Circuit Administrative Judge of the Fourth Circuit to establish a Truancy Reduction Pilot Program specifically in Washington County's juvenile court. The bill amends existing Maryland law to add Washington County as a jurisdiction eligible for this pilot program, which aims to address student absenteeism through court-based interventions. The program would operate under the existing framework used in other counties (like Dorchester and Worcester) but is limited to Washington County for a defined period. It directly affects Washington County juvenile courts and students with chronic absenteeism, without creating new funding or changing current truancy enforcement procedures.
