Maryland 2024 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB313 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0313
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 313
8	8	E1 4lr1007
9	9	SB 754/23 – JPR
10	10	By: Senator Folden
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 11, 2024
12	12	Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Maryland Wiretap and Electronic Surveillance Reform Workgroup 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Wiretap and Electronic Surveillance Reform 3
21	21	Workgroup; and generally relating to the Maryland Wiretap and Electro nic 4
22	22	Surveillance Reform Workgroup. 5
23	23
24	24	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
25	25	That: 7
26	26
27	27	(a) There is a Maryland Wiretap and Electronic Surveillance Reform Workgroup. 8
28	28
29	29	(b) The Workgroup consists of the following members: 9
30	30
31	31	(1) two members of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 10
32	32	the Senate; 11
33	33
34	34	(2) two members of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of 12
35	35	the House; 13
36	36
37	37	(3) the Public Defender, or the Public Defender’s designee; 14
38	38
39	39	(4) the Attorney General, or the Attorney General’s designee; 15
40	40
41	41	(5) the Chair of the Maryland Judicial Conference, or the Chair’s designee; 16
42	42
43	43	(6) the Maryland State Prosecutor, or the Maryland State Prosecutor’s 17
44	44	designee; 18
45	45
46	46	(7) the federal Public Defender for the District of Maryland, or the federal 19
47	47	Public Defender’s designee; and 20
48	48	2 SENATE BILL 313
49	49
50	50
51	51	(8) the following members, appointed by the Governor: 1
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53	53	(i) one former member of the General Assembly or retired Judge of 2
54	54	the Judiciary; 3
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56	56	(ii) one State’s Attorney; 4
57	57
58	58	(iii) one attorney licensed to practice in the State who specializes in 5
59	59	privacy law; 6
60	60
61	61	(iv) one attorney licensed to practice in the State who specializes in 7
62	62	family law; 8
63	63
64	64	(v) one law professor with expertise in evidence or privacy law from 9
65	65	the University of Maryland School of Law or the University of Baltimore School of Law; 10
66	66
67	67	(vi) one representative from a domestic violence prevention and 11
68	68	advocacy program in the State; 12
69	69
70	70	(vii) one representative from the Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource 13
71	71	Center, Inc., or a similar victim advocacy organization that is based in the State; and 14
72	72
73	73	(viii) one representative from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District 15
74	74	of Maryland. 16
75	75
76	76	(c) (1) The Governor shall designate the chair of the Workgroup. 17
77	77
78	78	(2) The chair may appoint a vice chair, an executive committee, and 18
79	79	subgroups or subcommittees from among the members of the Workgroup. 19
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81	81	(d) The Office of the Attorney General shall provide staff for the Workgroup. 20
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83	83	(e) A member of the Workgroup: 21
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85	85	(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Workgroup; but 22
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87	87	(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 23
88	88	Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 24
89	89
90	90	(f) The Workgroup shall: 25
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92	92	(1) study the effectiveness of Maryland’s wiretapping and electronic 26
93	93	surveillance laws; 27
94	94
95	95	(2) examine current technologies, privacy concerns, and best practices in 28
96	96	the field of wiretapping and electronic surveillance; 29
97	97	SENATE BILL 313 3
98	98
99	99
100	100	(3) examine ways to make the use of audio and visual recordings from 1
101	101	wiretapping and electronic surveillance more available to assist with the prevention of, and 2
102	102	admissible for use in proceedings relating to, domestic violence, child abuse, and the abuse 3
103	103	of the elderly and other vulnerable adults; and 4
104	104
105	105	(4) make recommendations regarding revisions to Maryland’s wiretapping 5
106	106	and electronic surveillance laws. 6
107	107
108	108	(g) (1) On or before December 1, 2024, the Workgroup shall report its 7
109	109	preliminary findings and recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 8
110	110	2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly. 9
111	111
112	112	(2) On or before December 1, 2025, the Workgroup shall report its final 10
113	113	findings and recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the 11
114	114	State Government Article, the General Assembly. 12
115	115
116	116	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 13
117	117	1, 2024. It shall remain effective for a period of 2 years and 1 month and, at the end of June 14
118	118	30, 2026, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be 15
119	119	abrogated and of no further force and effect. 16