HB 281 requires background checks for individuals working with children in specific settings. It mandates licensed child care centers, family child care homes, foster care facilities, schools, camps, and similar organizations to obtain national and state criminal history checks for all employees, volunteers, and certain caregivers - including neighbors or friends providing sudden care due to a primary caretaker's unavailability. Facilities must submit fingerprints and pay a fee to the Criminal Justice Information System Central Repository. The bill directly affects providers serving minors and expands background check requirements to include new categories like "sudden caregivers" and individuals residing in homes where informal child care occurs.
HB 557 creates a pre-approval review process for individuals with non-violent criminal convictions seeking occupational licenses (e.g., cosmetology, contracting, healthcare roles) in Maryland. It requires state departments (excluding Public Safety and Correctional Services) to provide a binding determination on whether an applicant’s criminal history would block their license *before* they formally apply, based on specific criteria like the nature of the offense, time since conviction, and rehabilitation evidence. The bill prohibits denial solely for past non-violent convictions unless a direct relationship to the job or safety risk exists, and establishes a $100 fee (waivable for low-income applicants) for the review. It applies to most occupational licenses but excludes sex offense convictions and automatically allows licenses after 7 years without new offenses.
SB 412 establishes Maryland’s Community Forensic Aftercare Program within the Maryland Department of Health. The program monitors two groups: individuals committed to the health department due to being "not criminally responsible" (often called "not guilty by reason of insanity" cases), and people with mental illness or intellectual disability requiring community monitoring under specific legal circumstances. Key mechanisms include creating a community monitoring board to decide on conditional release and out-of-state travel, and requiring licensed social workers ("Program Monitors") to track compliance with court orders and make health recommendations. The bill amends Maryland’s Criminal Procedure and Health codes to implement this program, focusing on safety and structured oversight for these individuals.
HB 265 requires Maryland's State Board of Elections to designate a contact person for the Address Confidentiality Program, which helps survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, harassment, or human trafficking keep their real addresses private. The bill mandates that local election offices use participants' actual addresses for election purposes (like absentee ballots) but must not disclose these addresses publicly except for law enforcement requests or court orders. The designated contact person will handle all inquiries from election offices and participants about implementing the program's rules. This bill updates existing election law to clarify administrative procedures for the program, effective June 1, 2026.
This bill creates a new misdemeanor offense called third-degree assault in Maryland, which prohibits intentionally causing offensive contact, attempting to cause such contact, or engaging in conduct meant to make someone fear offensive contact. The law defines offensive contact as nonconsensual physical contact that a reasonable person would find offensive, but explicitly excludes contact that causes physical injury, creates a risk of serious injury, or involves domestic or sexual crimes. People convicted of this offense could face up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both. The bill also updates legal procedures by clarifying how third-degree assault charges must be written in court documents and ensures that physical injury from a third-degree assault cannot be used as a defense against that charge. Additionally, it adjusts jurisdiction rules so that District Courts handle third-degree assault cases exclusively.
SB 626 (Birth Certificate Modernization Act) updates Maryland law to simplify changing sex designation on birth certificates and identification documents. It removes the prior requirement for medical documentation (such as surgery or hormone treatment) to update a birth certificate, instead allowing a written request under penalty of perjury. The bill also expands options for sex designation on driver's licenses, ID cards, and moped permits beyond male/female. It specifically includes intersex conditions as a valid basis for changing sex designation on records, while maintaining court orders as an alternative path. This directly affects individuals seeking to update their sex designation on official state-issued documents.
SB 514 redefines third-degree assault in Maryland as a misdemeanor involving intentional non-consensual touch a reasonable person would find offensive, excluding cases involving physical injury, domestic violence, or sexual crimes. It creates a new offense with penalties of up to 90 days in jail or a $500 fine for causing "offensive contact," engaging in conduct that puts someone in fear of such contact, or attempting it. The bill also modifies expungement eligibility for certain convictions and clarifies court procedures for charging third-degree assault cases. It directly affects individuals committing non-injurious, non-domestic, non-sexual assault-like acts under this new standard.
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.
This is a procedural budget bill (SB 282) that allocates $859 million in state funds for Maryland's fiscal year 2027 (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027). It directly funds state agencies including the judiciary (courts, public defender office, and legal services), legislative operations, and administrative offices. The total includes $771 million in general fund appropriations, $86 million in special fund appropriations, and $1.4 million in federal funds. This bill establishes the baseline funding for state operations but does not create new policies or affect citizens directly.
SB 661 modifies Maryland law to clarify when intercepted communications (like phone calls or texts) can be used as evidence in criminal court. It allows such evidence if: (1) at least one party was outside Maryland during the communication, (2) the interception wasn’t done by Maryland law enforcement, and (3) all parties were co-conspirators in a violent crime. For other cases, it sets strict conditions for admissibility, including requiring prosecutors to notify defendants 14 days in advance and proving the evidence is more relevant than alternatives. The bill directly affects criminal defendants, prosecutors, and law enforcement handling wiretap evidence in Maryland courts. It takes effect October 1, 2026.
