EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1110*
HOUSE BILL 1110
G1 5lr0644
CF 5lr3359
By: Delegate Wilkins
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2025
Assigned to: Ways and Means
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Election Law – Individuals Released From State Correctional Facilities – 2
Automatic Restoration of Voter Registration 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services 4
to transmit a certain list of individuals released from incarceration at a State 5
correctional facility to the State Board of Elections in a certain manner; requiring 6
the State Board to automatically restore the voter registration of certain individuals 7
released from State correctional facilities who were registered to vote in the State 8
before being incarcerated; and generally relating to automatic restoration of voter 9
registration for individuals released from State correctional facilities. 10
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
Article – Correctional Services 12
Section 1–101(a), (f), and (q) and 2–601 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2017 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 15
BY adding to 16
Article – Election Law 17
Section 3–203.1 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 20
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22
Article – Correctional Services 23
1–101. 24
(a) In this article the following words have the meanings indicated. 25 2 HOUSE BILL 1110
(f) “Department” means the Department of Public Safety and Correctional 1
Services. 2
(q) (1) “State correctional facility” means a correctional facility that is 3
operated by the State. 4
(2) “State correctional facility” includes: 5
(i) the Patuxent Institution; 6
(ii) the Baltimore City Detention Center; and 7
(iii) the centralized booking facility in Baltimore City that is operated 8
by the Division of Pretrial Detention and Services in the Department of Public Safety and 9
Correctional Services. 10
2–601. 11
The Department shall: 12
(1) provide each individual who is released from a correctional facility with 13
a voter registration application and documentation with the individual’s discharge papers 14
that informs the individual that the individual’s voting rights have been restored; 15
(2) display a sign in each parole and probation office, in a conspicuous 16
location where notices to the public are customarily posted, indicating that any individual 17
who is no longer incarcerated has the right to vote; and 18
(3) post a notice, in a conspicuous location on the Department’s website, 19
indicating that any individual who is no longer incarcerated has the right to vote. 20
Article – Election Law 21
3–203.1. 22
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “STATE CORRECTIONAL FA CILITY” HAS THE MEANING 23
STATED IN § 1–101 OF THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES ARTICLE. 24
(B) ON A WEEKLY BASIS , THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND 25
CORRECTIONAL SERVICES SHALL ELECTR ONICALLY TRANSMIT TO THE STATE 26
BOARD A LIST THAT INC LUDES THE NAME AND N EW RESIDENTIAL AD DRESS OF EACH 27
INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS R ELEASED FROM INCARCE RATION AT A STATE 28
CORRECTIONAL FACILITY IN THE PRECE DING WEEK. 29
HOUSE BILL 1110 3
(C) ON RECEIPT OF THE LIS T UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION , 1
THE STATE BOARD SHALL IDENTIFY EACH INDIVIDUAL ON T HE LIST WHO WAS 2
REGISTERED TO VOTE I N THE STATE BEFORE BEING IN CARCERATED AND WHOSE 3
NEW RESIDENTIAL ADDR ESS IS LOCATED IN TH E STATE. 4
(D) THE STATE BOARD SHALL AUTOMATIC ALLY RESTORE THE VOT ER 5
REGISTRATION OF EACH INDIVIDUAL IDENTIFIE D UNDER SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS 6
SECTION AT THE INDIV IDUAL’S NEW RESIDENTIAL AD DRESS AND GIVE THE 7
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVE VO TER STATUS. 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 9
1, 2025. 10