EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0978*
HOUSE BILL 978
D1 4lr2871
By: Delegates Young, Acevero, Conaway, Pasteur, and Taylor
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2024
Assigned to: Judiciary
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Courts – Maryland Court Text Message System – Establishing, Implementing, 2
and Maintaining 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Court Text Message System; requiring the 4
Administrative Office of the Courts to establish, implement, and maintain the 5
System; requiring the System to be made available to certain individuals; requiring 6
an individual to opt in to receive text messages through the System; requiring the 7
court to send out certain messages through the System; requiring the court to adhere 8
to certain privacy and data protection and security standards; requiring the Office 9
to submit a certain implementation plan to the General Assembly on or before a 10
certain date; and generally relating to the Maryland Court Text Message System. 11
BY adding to 12
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 13
Section 14–101 through 14–105 to be under the new title “Title 14. Maryland Court 14
Text Message System” 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 20
TITLE 14. MARYLAND COURT TEXT MESSAGE SYSTEM. 21
14–101. 22
(A) IN THIS TITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 23
INDICATED. 24 2 HOUSE BILL 978
(B) “COURT” MEANS THE SUPREME COURT OF MARYLAND, THE 1
APPELLATE COURT OF MARYLAND, A CIRCUIT COURT OF A COUNTY, THE DISTRICT 2
COURT OF MARYLAND, AN ORPHANS’ COURT OF A COUNTY, OR THE MARYLAND TAX 3
COURT. 4
(C) “OFFICE” MEANS THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS. 5
(D) “SYSTEM” MEANS THE MARYLAND COURT TEXT MESSAGE SYSTEM. 6
14–102. 7
(A) THERE IS A MARYLAND COURT TEXT MESSAGE SYSTEM. 8
(B) THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS: 9
(1) SHALL ESTABLISH, IMPLEMENT, AND MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM; 10
AND 11
(2) MAY ADOPT RULES GOVER NING THE IMPLEMENTAT ION AND 12
OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE FUNDING FOR THE SYSTEM. 13
(C) THE PURPOSE OF THE SYSTEM IS TO SEN D TEXT MESSAGE S WITH 14
IMPORTANT COURT –RELATED APPOINTMENTS , PROCEEDINGS , AND 15
ANNOUNCEMENTS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO H AVE OPTED IN TO RECEIVE THE TEXT 16
MESSAGES. 17
14–103. 18
(A) (1) THE SYSTEM SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL INDIVIDUALS 19
WITH PENDING COURT D ATES, INCLUDING: 20
(I) DEFENDANTS; 21
(II) PLAINTIFFS; 22
(III) WITNESSES; 23
(IV) JURORS; AND 24
(V) ANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS REQUIRED TO APPEAR I N COURT. 25
HOUSE BILL 978 3
(2) AN INDIVIDUAL MUST OPT IN TO RECEIVE TEXT M ESSAGES 1
THROUGH THE SYSTEM. 2
(B) (1) THE COURT SHALL SEND OUT THE TEXT MESSAGES THROUGH THE 3
SYSTEM TO ALL INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE OPTED IN TO RECEIVE THE TEXT 4
MESSAGES. 5
(2) THE TEXT MESSAGES REQ UIRED UNDER PARAGRAP H (1) OF THIS 6
SUBSECTION SHALL INCLUDE : 7
(I) COURT DATES FOR CRIMI NAL, CIVIL, AND FAMILY LAW 8
PROCEEDINGS ; 9
(II) JURY DUTY SUMMONSES A ND INSTRUCTIONS ; 10
(III) SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT S WITH COURT OFFICIA LS OR 11
MANDATORY COURT –ORDERED PROGRAMS ; 12
(IV) DEADLINES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS 13
OR PAYMENTS ; AND 14
(V) ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS THE COURT 15
DEEMS APPROPRIATE AN D NECESSARY. 16
(C) THE COURT SHALL ADHER E TO ALL PRIVACY AND DATA PROTE CTION 17
SECURITY STANDARDS , INCLUDING BY: 18
(1) ENSURING A LL PERSONAL INFORMATION COLLECTED UNDER 19
THIS TITLE IS USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS TITLE; AND 20
(2) KEEPING ALL IDENTIFYING INFORMAT ION ABOUT AN INDIVID UAL 21
WHO OPTED IN TO JOIN THE SYSTEM CONFIDENTIAL UNLESS THE INDIVIDUAL 22
CONSENTS TO SHARE TH E INFORMATION WITH A THIRD PARTY. 23
14–104. 24
(A) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2024, THE OFFICE SHALL SUBMIT TO THE 25
GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT 26
ARTICLE, A DETAILED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING: 27
(1) BUDGET REQUIREMENTS ; 28
(2) STAFFING NEEDS ; 29 4 HOUSE BILL 978
(3) TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE CAPABILITIES; AND 1
(4) ANY OTHER INFORMATION THE OFFICE DEEMS NECESSAR Y AND 2
APPROPRIATE . 3
(B) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2027, AND ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 4
EACH YEAR THEREAFTER , THE OFFICE SHALL REPORT T O THE GENERAL 5
ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, 6
ON: 7
(1) THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING: 8
(I) WHETHER THE SYSTEM REDUCES THE 9
FAILURE–TO–APPEAR RATES AND NO–SHOW RATES IN COUR T; AND 10
(II) THE IMPACT OF THE SYSTEM ON JURY DUTY A TTENDANCE ; 11
(2) THE SYSTEM’S IMPACT ON THE EFFI CIENCY OF COURT 12
PROCEEDINGS ; AND 13
(3) BEGINNING IN FISCAL Y EAR 2026, AND EACH FISCAL YEAR 14
THEREAFTER , ANY IMPROVEMENTS THAT SH OULD BE MADE TO THE SYSTEM. 15
14–105. 16
BEGINNING IN FISCAL Y EAR 2026, AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , THE 17
GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUDE IN THE ANNUA L BUDGET BILL AN APP ROPRIATION OF 18
$500,000 FOR THE OFFICE TO ESTABLISH, IMPLEMENT, AND MAINTAIN THE 19
SYSTEM. 20
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 21
1, 2024. 22