EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1044*
HOUSE BILL 1044
E2 3lr1737
By: Delegates Young, Addison, and Charles
Introduced and read first time: February 10, 2023
Assigned to: Judiciary and Appropriations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Criminal Procedure – Crime Solvers Reward Fund – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Crime Solvers Reward Fund as a special, nonlapsing 3
fund in the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to provide grants 4
to law enforcement agencies and county reward programs to be used as rewards 5
offered to individuals for certain assistance in solving certain crimes; requiring 6
interest earnings of the Fund to be credited to the Fund; and generally relating to 7
the Crime Solvers Reward Fund. 8
BY adding to 9
Article – Criminal Procedure 10
Section 11–1201 through 11–1203 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 12. Crime 11
Solvers Reward Fund” 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15
Article – State Finance and Procurement 16
Section 6–226(a)(2)(i) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 19
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 20
Article – State Finance and Procurement 21
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)170. and 171. 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 24
BY adding to 25
Article – State Finance and Procurement 26
Section 6–226(a)(ii)172. 27 2 HOUSE BILL 1044
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 2
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 3
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 4
Article – Criminal Procedure 5
SUBTITLE 12. CRIME SOLVERS REWARD FUND. 6
11–1201. 7
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FO LLOWING WORDS HAVE T HE MEANINGS 8
INDICATED. 9
(B) “COUNTY REWARD PROGRAM ” MEANS A PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY A 10
COUNTY THAT OFFERS REWARD MONEY TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO PROVIDES 11
QUALIFYING INFORMATI ON RELEVANT TO THE INVESTIGATION OF A M URDER OR AN 12
ATTEMPTED MURDER INV OLVING A FIREARM . 13
(C) “FUND” MEANS THE CRIME SOLVERS REWARD FUND. 14
(D) “LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENC Y” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 3–201 15
OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 16
(E) “QUALIFYING INFORMATIO N” MEANS INFORMATION PR OVIDED TO A 17
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGEN CY THAT DIRECTLY LEA DS TO THE IDENTIFICA TION, 18
ARREST, AND CONVICTION OF TH E PERPETRATOR OF A CRIME. 19
11–1202. 20
(A) THERE IS A CRIME SOLVERS REWARD FUND IN THE DEPARTMENT . 21
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO LAW 22
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OR COUNTY REWARD PROGRAMS TO ISSUE REWARDS TO 23
INDIVIDUALS WHO PROVIDE QUALIFYING INFORMATION TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT 24
AGENCY RELEVANT TO THE INVESTIGATION OF A M URDER OR AN ATTEMPTE D 25
MURDER INVOLVING A F IREARM. 26
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMI NISTER THE FUND. 27
(D) (1) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 28
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 29
HOUSE BILL 1044 3
(2) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY , 1
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACC OUNT FOR THE FUND. 2
(E) THE FUND CONSISTS OF : 3
(1) MONEY APPROPRIATED I N THE STATE BUDGET TO THE FUND; 4
(2) MONEY MADE AVAILABLE TO THE FUND THROUGH FEDERAL 5
PROGRAMS OR PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS ; 6
(3) INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND; AND 7
(4) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURC E ACCEPTED FOR 8
THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 9
(F) (1) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVEST THE MONEY OF THE FUND 10
IN THE SAME MANNER A S OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE IN VESTED. 11
(2) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE CREDITED TO 12
THE FUND. 13
(G) (1) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY TO AWARD GRANTS TO A LAW 14
ENFORCEMENT AGENC Y OR A COUNTY REWARD PROGRA M IN ORDER FOR THE LAW 15
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY O R THE COUNTY REWARD PROGRAM TO PROVIDE REWARD 16
MONEY TO INDIVIDUALS WHO P ROVIDE A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGEN CY WITH 17
QUALIFYING INFORMATI ON RELEVANT TO THE INVE STIGATION OF A MURDE R OR AN 18
ATTEMPTED MURDER INV OLVING A FIREAR M. 19
(2) FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A REWARD FROM A LAW 20
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY O R A COUNTY REWARD PR OGRAM UNDER THIS SUBTITLE , 21
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR COUNTY REWARD PRO GRAM SHALL ESTABLISH 22
THAT THE INDIVIDUAL : 23
(I) PROVIDED CREDIBLE QUALIFYING INFORMATI ON; 24
(II) DID NOT DIRECTLY PARTICIPATE IN THE CRIME; AND 25
(III) COOPERATED WITH THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGEN CY. 26
(H) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2024, AND EACH YEAR THEREA FTER, THE 27
DEPARTMENT SHALL REPO RT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH 28
§ 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, ON: 29
4 HOUSE BILL 1044
(1) THE NUMBER OF REWARDS IS SUED BY LAW ENFORCEM ENT 1
AGENCIES AND COUNTY REWARD PR OGRAMS IN ACCORDANCE WITH T HIS SUBTITLE; 2
AND 3
(2) THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY PROVIDED UNDER THIS SUBTITLE. 4
11–1203. 5
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS TO CAR RY OUT THIS 6
SUBTITLE. 7
(B) THE REGULATIONS SHALL INCLUDE: 8
(1) CRITERIA EXPLAINING HOW ELIGIBLE LAW ENF ORCEMENT 9
AGENCIES AND COUNTY REWARD PR OGRAMS MAY APPLY FOR FUNDIN G FROM THE 10
FUND; AND 11
(2) CRITERIA FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF AVAI LABLE FUNDS IN 12
ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SUBTITLE. 13
Article – State Finance and Procurement 14
6–226. 15
(a) (2) (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and unless 16
inconsistent with a federal law, grant agreement, or other federal requirement or with the 17
terms of a gift or settlement agreement, net interest on all State money allocated by the 18
State Treasurer under this section to special funds or accounts, and otherwise entitled to 19
receive interest earnings, as accounted for by the Comptroller, shall accrue to the General 20
Fund of the State. 21
(ii) The provisions of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph do not apply 22
to the following funds: 23
170. the Cannabis Public Health Fund; [and] 24
171. the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund; AND 25
172. THE CRIME SOLVERS REWARD FUND. 26
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 27
October 1, 2023. 28