EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LA W.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0700*
SENATE BILL 700
E4 3lr0002
By: Chair, Judicial Proceedings Committee (By Request – Departmental – State
Police)
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2023
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Safety – Use of Department of State Police Articles for Commercial 2
Purposes – Prohibitions 3
FOR the purpose of prohibiting, for commercial purposes, the copying, reproduction, 4
distribution, or use of certain articles adopted by the Department of State Police 5
without the authority of the Secretary of State Police; and generally relating to the 6
use of certain Department of State Police articles. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Public Safety 9
Section 3–502 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2022 Replacement Volume) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Public Safety 15
3–502. 16
(a) In this section, “police officer” means a member of: 17
(1) a police force of this State or another state; 18
(2) a police force of a county or municipal corporation of this State or 19
another state; 20
(3) the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division; 21
2 SENATE BILL 700
(4) the United States Park Police; 1
(5) the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metro 2
Transit Police; 3
(6) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; 4
(7) the Drug Enforcement Administration; or 5
(8) a division of a federal agency the primary duties of which are the 6
investigation, apprehension, or detention of individuals suspected or convicted of federal 7
crimes. 8
(b) A person may not, with fraudulent design on person or property, falsely 9
represent that the person is a police officer, special police officer, sheriff, deputy sheriff, or 10
constable. 11
(c) Except as provided in subsection [(e)] (F) of this section, a person may not 12
have, use, wear, or display a uniform, shield, button, ornament, badge, identification, or 13
shoulder patch adopted by the Department of State Police to be worn by its members, 14
insignia, or emblem of office, as is worn by a police officer, sheriff, deputy sheriff, or 15
constable. 16
(d) A person may not, for the purpose of deception, have a simulation or imitation 17
of an article described in subsection (c) of this section as is worn by a police officer, sheriff, 18
deputy sheriff, or constable. 19
(E) A PERSON MAY NOT , FOR COMMERCIAL PURPO SES, COPY, REPRODUCE , 20
DISTRIBUTE, OR USE THE SHIELD , BADGE, INSIGNIA, EMBLEM, OR SHOULDER PATCH 21
ADOPTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE POLICE WITHOUT THE AP PROPRIATE 22
AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE POLICE. 23
[(e)] (F) A person may have, use, wear, or display an article described in 24
subsection (c) of this section with the appropriate authority of: 25
(1) the Secretary of State Police; 26
(2) a police force of another state; 27
(3) the Police Commissioner of Baltimore City; 28
(4) the chief of police of a county or municipal corporation of this State or 29
another state; 30
(5) a sheriff or deputy sheriff; 31
SENATE BILL 700 3
(6) a constable; 1
(7) the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division; 2
(8) the United States Park Police; 3
(9) the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metro 4
Transit Police; 5
(10) the Federal Bureau of Investigation; 6
(11) the Drug Enforcement Administration; or 7
(12) a division of a federal agency the primary duties of which are the 8
investigation, apprehension, or detention of individuals suspected or convicted of federal 9
crimes. 10
[(f)] (G) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on 11
conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 2 years or a fine not exceeding $2,000 12
or both. 13
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 14
October 1, 2023. 15