| 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 | - | Underlining indicates amendments to bill. | |
| 6 | - | Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by | |
| 7 | - | amendment. | |
| 8 | 5 | *sb0956* | |
| 9 | 6 | ||
| 10 | 7 | SENATE BILL 956 | |
| 11 | 8 | E1 2lr3178 | |
| 12 | 9 | CF HB 1409 | |
| 13 | 10 | By: Senator Watson | |
| 14 | 11 | Introduced and read first time: February 14, 2022 | |
| 15 | 12 | Assigned to: Rules | |
| 16 | - | Re–referred to: Judicial Proceedings, February 25, 2022 | |
| 17 | - | Committee Report: Favorable with amendments | |
| 18 | - | Senate action: Adopted | |
| 19 | - | Read second time: March 8, 2022 | |
| 20 | 13 | ||
| 21 | - | ||
| 14 | + | A BILL ENTITLED | |
| 22 | 15 | ||
| 23 | 16 | AN ACT concerning 1 | |
| 24 | 17 | ||
| 25 | 18 | Criminal Law – Threats to Public Officials 2 | |
| 26 | 19 | ||
| 27 | 20 | FOR the purpose of adding health officers, election administrators, and public employees 3 | |
| 28 | 21 | responsible for inspecting and enforcing housing and building codes and standards 4 | |
| 29 | - | to the list of public officials against whom it is illegal to make certain threats; 5 | |
| 30 | - | altering the definition of “local official” as it applies to the prohibition on making 6 | |
| 31 | - | certain threats to certain public officials; and generally relating to the prohibition on 7 | |
| 32 | - | making or sending threats to public officials. 8 | |
| 22 | + | to the list of public officials against whom it is illegal to make certain threats; and 5 | |
| 23 | + | generally relating to the prohibition on making or sending threats to public officials. 6 | |
| 33 | 24 | ||
| 34 | - | BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, | |
| 35 | - | Article – Criminal Law | |
| 36 | - | Section 3–708 | |
| 37 | - | Annotated Code of Maryland | |
| 38 | - | (2021 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) | |
| 25 | + | BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7 | |
| 26 | + | Article – Criminal Law 8 | |
| 27 | + | Section 3–708 9 | |
| 28 | + | Annotated Code of Maryland 10 | |
| 29 | + | (2021 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 11 | |
| 39 | 30 | ||
| 40 | - | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, | |
| 41 | - | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: | |
| 31 | + | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12 | |
| 32 | + | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13 | |
| 42 | 33 | ||
| 43 | - | Article – Criminal Law | |
| 34 | + | Article – Criminal Law 14 | |
| 44 | 35 | ||
| 45 | - | 3–708. | |
| 36 | + | 3–708. 15 | |
| 46 | 37 | ||
| 47 | - | (a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 18 | |
| 38 | + | (a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 16 | |
| 39 | + | ||
| 40 | + | (2) “Local official” means an individual serving in a publicly elected office 17 | |
| 41 | + | of a local government unit, as defined in § 10–101 of the State Government Article. 18 | |
| 42 | + | ||
| 43 | + | (3) (i) “State official” has the meaning stated in § 5–101 of the General 19 | |
| 44 | + | Provisions Article. 20 | |
| 45 | + | ||
| 46 | + | (ii) “State official” includes the Governor, Governor –elect, 21 | |
| 47 | + | Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant Governor–elect. 22 | |
| 48 | 48 | 2 SENATE BILL 956 | |
| 49 | 49 | ||
| 50 | 50 | ||
| 51 | - | (2) “Local official” means an individual serving in a publicly elected office 1 | |
| 52 | - | of a local government unit, as defined in § 10–101 of the State Government Article, OR THE 2 | |
| 53 | - | CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER FOR A COUNTY. 3 | |
| 51 | + | (4) “Threat” includes: 1 | |
| 54 | 52 | ||
| 55 | - | (3) (i) “State official” has the meaning stated in § 5–101 of the General 4 | |
| 56 | - | Provisions Article. 5 | |
| 53 | + | (i) an oral threat; or 2 | |
| 57 | 54 | ||
| 58 | - | (ii) “State official” includes the Governor, Governor –elect, 6 | |
| 59 | - | Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant Governor–elect. 7 | |
| 55 | + | (ii) a threat in any written form, whether or not the writing is signed, 3 | |
| 56 | + | or if the writing is signed, whether or not it is signed with a fictitious name or any other 4 | |
| 57 | + | mark. 5 | |
| 60 | 58 | ||
| 61 | - | (4) “Threat” includes: 8 | |
| 59 | + | (b) A person may not knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, 6 | |
| 60 | + | kidnap, or cause physical injury to: 7 | |
| 62 | 61 | ||
| 63 | - | ( | |
| 62 | + | (1) a State official[,]; 8 | |
| 64 | 63 | ||
| 65 | - | (ii) a threat in any written form, whether or not the writing is signed, 10 | |
| 66 | - | or if the writing is signed, whether or not it is signed with a fictitious name or any other 11 | |
| 67 | - | mark. 12 | |
| 64 | + | (2) a local official[,]; 9 | |
| 68 | 65 | ||
| 69 | - | (b) A person may not knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, 13 | |
| 70 | - | kidnap, or cause physical injury to: 14 | |
| 66 | + | (3) a deputy State’s Attorney[,]; 10 | |
| 71 | 67 | ||
| 72 | - | ( | |
| 68 | + | (4) an assistant State’s Attorney[, or]; 11 | |
| 73 | 69 | ||
| 74 | - | ( | |
| 70 | + | (5) an assistant Public Defender; 12 | |
| 75 | 71 | ||
| 76 | - | ( | |
| 72 | + | (6) A HEALTH OFFICER ; 13 | |
| 77 | 73 | ||
| 78 | - | ( | |
| 74 | + | (7) AN ELECTION ADMINIST RATOR; OR 14 | |
| 79 | 75 | ||
| 80 | - | (5) an assistant Public Defender; 19 | |
| 76 | + | (8) A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RE SPONSIBLE FOR INSPECTING AND 15 | |
| 77 | + | ENFORCING HOUSING AN D BUILDING CODES AND STANDARDS . 16 | |
| 81 | 78 | ||
| 82 | - | (6) A HEALTH OFFICER ; 20 | |
| 79 | + | (c) A person may not knowingly send, deliver, part with, or make for the purpose 17 | |
| 80 | + | of sending or delivering a threat prohibited under subsection (b) of this section. 18 | |
| 83 | 81 | ||
| 84 | - | (7) AN ELECTION ADMINIST RATOR; OR 21 | |
| 82 | + | (d) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction 19 | |
| 83 | + | is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding $2,500 or both. 20 | |
| 85 | 84 | ||
| 86 | - | (8) A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RE SPONSIBLE FOR INSPEC TING AND 22 | |
| 87 | - | ENFORCING HOUSING AN D BUILDING CODES AND STANDARDS . 23 | |
| 88 | - | ||
| 89 | - | (c) A person may not knowingly send, deliver, part with, or make for the purpose 24 | |
| 90 | - | of sending or delivering a threat prohibited under subsection (b) of this section. 25 | |
| 91 | - | ||
| 92 | - | (d) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction 26 | |
| 93 | - | is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding $2,500 or both. 27 | |
| 94 | - | ||
| 95 | - | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 28 | |
| 96 | - | 1, 2022. 29 | |
| 85 | + | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 21 | |
| 86 | + | 1, 2022. 22 |