Maryland 2022 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB298 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0298
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 298
8	8	E1, J1 EMERGENCY BILL 2lr0980
9	9	SB 957/21 – SRU CF HB 267
10	10	By: Senators Young, Benson, Feldman, and Lam
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 19, 2022
12	12	Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Criminal Law – Threat Against Public Health Official or Hospital Staff Member 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person from making or sending a threat to a public health 3
21	21	official or hospital staff member with a certain intent; and generally relating to the 4
22	22	prohibition against making or sending threats to public health officials and hospital 5
23	23	staff members. 6
24	24
25	25	BY adding to 7
26	26	Article – Criminal Law 8
27	27	Section 3–708.1 9
28	28	Annotated Code of Maryland 10
29	29	(2021 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 11
30	30
31	31	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
32	32	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
33	33
34	34	Article – Criminal Law 14
35	35
36	36	3–708.1. 15
37	37
38	38	(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 16
39	39	INDICATED. 17
40	40
41	41	(2) “HOSPITAL STAFF MEMBER ” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WORKS 18
42	42	IN A HOSPITAL WHOSE DUTIES INCLUDE THE P ERSONAL CARE OR MEDI CAL 19
43	43	TREATMENT OF PATIENT S. 20
44	44
45	45	(3) “PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIA L” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYED 21
46	46	BY A STATE OR LOCAL HEA LTH DEPARTMENT OR AG ENCY. 22
47	47	2 SENATE BILL 298
48	48
49	49
50	50	(4) “THREAT” MEANS: 1
51	51
52	52	(I) AN ORAL THREAT ; OR 2
53	53
54	54	(II) A THREAT IN ANY WRIT TEN FORM, WHETHER OR NOT THE 3
55	55	WRITING IS SIGNED , OR, IF THE WRITING IS SIGNED, WHETHER OR NOT IT IS SIGNED 4
56	56	WITH A FICTITIOUS NA ME OR ANY OTHER MARK . 5
57	57
58	58	(B) A PERSON MAY NOT KNOWI NGLY AND WILLFULLY M AKE A THREAT TO A 6
59	59	PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICI AL OR HOSPITAL STAFF MEMBER WITH THE INTE NT TO 7
60	60	INTIMIDATE, INTERFERE WITH , OR IMPEDE A PUBLIC H EALTH OFFICIAL OR 8
61	61	HOSPITAL STAFF MEMBE R FROM PERFORMING OF FICIAL DUTIES. 9
62	62
63	63	(C) A PERSON MAY NOT KNOWI NGLY SEND, DELIVER, PART WITH, OR MAKE 10
64	64	FOR THE PURPOSE OF S ENDING OR DELIVERING A THREAT PROHIBITED UNDER 11
65	65	SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. 12
66	66
67	67	(D) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS GUIL TY OF A MISDEMEANOR 13
68	68	AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMEN T NOT EXCEEDING 90 DAYS OR A 14
69	69	FINE NOT EXCEEDING $500 OR BOTH. 15
70	70
71	71	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency 16
72	72	measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, has 17
73	73	been passed by a yea and nay vote supported by three–fifths of all the members elected to 18
74	74	each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, and shall take effect from the date it is 19
75	75	enacted. 20
76	76