Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB122 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 EXISTING LA W.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0122
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 122
8	8	E4 5lr1668
9	9	(PRE–FILED)
10	10	By: Delegate Young
11	11	Requested: November 1, 2024
12	12	Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
13	13	Assigned to: Judiciary
14	14
15	15	A BILL ENTITLED
16	16
17	17	AN ACT concerning 1
18	18
19	19	Public Safety – Police Accountability – Police Officer Complainant 2
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of authorizing a police officer to file a complaint of police misconduct with 3
22	22	a police accountability board; and generally relating to police accountability. 4
23	23
24	24	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 5
25	25	Article – Public Safety 6
26	26	Section 3–102 and 3–113 7
27	27	Annotated Code of Maryland 8
28	28	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 9
29	29
30	30	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 10
31	31	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 11
32	32
33	33	Article – Public Safety 12
34	34
35	35	3–102. 13
36	36
37	37	(a) Each county shall have a police accountability board to: 14
38	38
39	39	(1) hold quarterly meetings with heads of law enforcement agencies and 15
40	40	otherwise work with law enforcement agencies and the county government to improve 16
41	41	matters of policing; 17
42	42
43	43	(2) appoint civilian members to charging committees and trial boards; 18
44	44
45	45	(3) receive complaints of police misconduct filed by members of the public 19
46	46	AND POLICE OFFICERS ; and 20
47	47	2 HOUSE BILL 122
48	48
49	49
50	50	(4) (i) on a quarterly basis, review outcomes of disciplinary matters 1
51	51	considered by charging committees; and 2
52	52
53	53	(ii) on or before December 31 each year, submit a report to the 3
54	54	governing body of the county that: 4
55	55
56	56	1. identifies any trends in the disciplinary process of police 5
57	57	officers in the county; and 6
58	58
59	59	2. makes recommendations on changes to policy that would 7
60	60	improve police accountability in the county. 8
61	61
62	62	(b) (1) (i) Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, the local 9
63	63	governing body shall: 10
64	64
65	65	1. establish the membership of a police accountability board; 11
66	66
67	67	2. establish the budget and staff for a police accountability 12
68	68	board; 13
69	69
70	70	3. appoint a chair of the police accountability board who has 14
71	71	relevant experience to the position; and 15
72	72
73	73	4. establish the procedures for record keeping by a police 16
74	74	accountability board. 17
75	75
76	76	(ii) An active police officer may not be a member of a police 18
77	77	accountability board. 19
78	78
79	79	(2) To the extent practicable, the membership of a police accountability 20
80	80	board shall reflect the racial, gender, and cultural diversity of the county. 21
81	81
82	82	(c) (1) A complaint of police misconduct filed with a police accountability board 22
83	83	shall include: 23
84	84
85	85	(i) the name of the police officer accused of misconduct; 24
86	86
87	87	(ii) a description of the facts on which the complaint is based; and 25
88	88
89	89	(iii) contact information of the complainant or a person filing on 26
90	90	behalf of the complainant for investigative follow–up. 27
91	91
92	92	(2) A complaint need not be notarized. 28
93	93
94	94	(d) A complaint of police misconduct filed with a police accountability board shall 29
95	95	be forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement agency within 3 days after receipt by the 30
96	96	board. 31 HOUSE BILL 122 3
97	97
98	98
99	99
100	100	3–113. 1
101	101
102	102	(a) The investigating unit of a law enforcement agency shall immediately review 2
103	103	a complaint [by a member of the public] alleging police officer misconduct. 3
104	104
105	105	(b) An administrative charging committee shall review and make a determination 4
106	106	or ask for further review within 30 days after completion of the investigating unit’s review. 5
107	107
108	108	(c) The process of review by the investigating unit through disposition by the 6
109	109	administrative charging committee shall be completed within 1 year and 1 day after the 7
110	110	filing of a complaint [by a citizen]. 8
111	111
112	112	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 9
113	113	October 1, 2025. 10