EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0942*
HOUSE BILL 942
E2 4lr2859
HB 1044/23 – JUD & APP
By: Delegate Young
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2024
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 2023 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 2023 Supplement) 19
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 20
Article – State Finance and Procurement 21
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)189. and 190. 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 24
BY adding to 25
Article – State Finance and Procurement 26
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)191. 27 2 HOUSE BILL 942
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2023 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 FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 8
INDICATED. 9
(B) “COUNTY REWARD PROGRAM ” MEANS A PROGRAM ADMI NISTERED BY A 10
COUNTY THAT OFFERS R EWARD MONEY TO AN IN DIVIDUAL WHO PROVIDE S 11
QUALIFYING INFORMATI ON RELEVANT TO THE I NVESTIGATION OF A MU RDER 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 AGENCY THAT DIRECTLY LEADS TO THE IDENTIFICATIO N, 18
ARREST, AND CONVICTION OF TH E PERPETRATOR OF A C RIME. 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 GR ANTS TO LAW 22
ENFORCEM ENT AGENCIES OR COUN TY REWARD PROGRAMS T O ISSUE REWARDS TO 23
INDIVIDUALS WHO PROV IDE QUALIFYING INFOR MATION TO A LAW ENFO RCEMENT 24
AGENCY RELEVANT TO T HE INVESTIGATION OF A MURDER OR AN ATTEM PTED 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 942 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 SOURCE A CCEPTED FOR 8
THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 9
(F) (1) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVES T 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 CREDITE D TO 12
THE FUND. 13
(G) (1) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY TO AWARD G RANTS TO A LAW 14
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY O R A COUNTY REWARD PR OGRAM IN ORDER FOR T HE LAW 15
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY O R THE COUNTY REWARD PROGRAM TO PROVIDE R EWARD 16
MONEY TO INDIVIDUALS WHO PROVIDE A LAW EN FORCEMENT AGENCY WIT H 17
QUALIFYING INFORMATI ON RELEVANT TO THE INVES TIGATION OF A MURDER OR AN 18
ATTEMPTED MURDER INV OLVING A FIREARM . 19
(2) FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A RE WARD FROM A LAW 20
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY O R A COUNTY REWARD PR OGRAM UNDER THIS SUB TITLE, 21
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR COUNTY REW ARD PROGRAM SHALL ES TABLISH 22
THAT THE INDIVIDUAL : 23
(I) PROVIDED CREDIBLE QU ALIFYING INFORMATION ; 24
(II) DID NOT DIRECTLY PAR TICIPATE IN THE CRIM E; AND 25
(III) COOPERATED WITH THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGEN CY. 26
(H) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2025, AND EACH YE AR THEREAFTER , 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 942
(1) THE NUMBER OF REWARD S ISSUED BY LAW ENFO RCEMENT 1
AGENCIES AND COUNTY REWARD PROGRAMS IN A CCORDANCE WITH THIS 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 PROGRAMS MAY APPLY FOR FUNDING FR OM THE 10
FUND; AND 11
(2) CRITERIA FOR THE DIS TRIBUTION OF AVAILAB LE 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
189. the Teacher Retention and Development Fund; [and] 24
190. the Protecting Against Hate Crimes Grant Fund; AND 25
191. THE CRIME SOLVERS REWARD FUND. 26
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 27
October 1, 2024. 28