EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0956*
SENATE BILL 956
E1 2lr3178
CF HB 1409
By: Senator Watson
Introduced and read first time: February 14, 2022
Assigned to: Rules
Re–referred to: Judicial Proceedings, February 25, 2022
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 8, 2022
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Criminal Law – Threats to Public Officials 2
FOR the purpose of adding health officers, election administrators, and public employees 3
responsible for inspecting and enforcing housing and building codes and standards 4
to the list of public officials against whom it is illegal to make certain threats; 5
altering the definition of “local official” as it applies to the prohibition on making 6
certain threats to certain public officials; and generally relating to the prohibition on 7
making or sending threats to public officials. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Criminal Law 10
Section 3–708 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Criminal Law 16
3–708. 17
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 18
2 SENATE BILL 956
(2) “Local official” means an individual serving in a publicly elected office 1
of a local government unit, as defined in § 10–101 of the State Government Article, OR THE 2
CHIEF HEALTH OFFICER FOR A COUNTY. 3
(3) (i) “State official” has the meaning stated in § 5–101 of the General 4
Provisions Article. 5
(ii) “State official” includes the Governor, Governor –elect, 6
Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant Governor–elect. 7
(4) “Threat” includes: 8
(i) an oral threat; or 9
(ii) a threat in any written form, whether or not the writing is signed, 10
or if the writing is signed, whether or not it is signed with a fictitious name or any other 11
mark. 12
(b) A person may not knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, 13
kidnap, or cause physical injury to: 14
(1) a State official[,]; 15
(2) a local official[,]; 16
(3) a deputy State’s Attorney[,]; 17
(4) an assistant State’s Attorney[, or]; OR 18
(5) an assistant Public Defender; 19
(6) A HEALTH OFFICER ; 20
(7) AN ELECTION ADMINIST RATOR; OR 21
(8) A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RE SPONSIBLE FOR INSPEC TING AND 22
ENFORCING HOUSING AN D BUILDING CODES AND STANDARDS . 23
(c) A person may not knowingly send, deliver, part with, or make for the purpose 24
of sending or delivering a threat prohibited under subsection (b) of this section. 25
(d) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction 26
is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding $2,500 or both. 27
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 28
1, 2022. 29