Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB1247 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	hb1247
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 1247
8	8	E5 5lr2345
9	9
10	10	By: Delegate Otto
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Judiciary
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Correctional Services – Parole, Commutation of Sentence, Pardon, and 2
19	19	Remission of Sentence – Notification 3
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services 4
22	22	to notify a victim or victim’s representative by certified mail that a parole release 5
23	23	hearing has been scheduled or that an incarcerated individual is being considered 6
24	24	for a commutation of sentence, pardon, or remission of sentence; requiring the 7
25	25	Department to make at least two attempts in writing by certified mail to notify a 8
26	26	victim or victim’s representative of certain decisions of the Maryland Parole 9
27	27	Commission; and generally relating to parole, commutation of sentence, pardon, and 10
28	28	remission of sentence. 11
29	29
30	30	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
31	31	Article – Correctional Services 13
32	32	Section 7–801(b) and (h) and 7–805(a) and (e) 14
33	33	Annotated Code of Maryland 15
34	34	(2017 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 16
35	35
36	36	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
37	37	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18
38	38
39	39	Article – Correctional Services 19
40	40
41	41	7–801. 20
42	42
43	43	(b) (1) At least 90 days before an incarcerated individual’s parole release 21
44	44	hearing, the Department shall notify the victim or the victim’s representative in writing 22
45	45	BY CERTIFIED MAIL , directed to the most current address on file, that the parole release 23
46	46	hearing has been scheduled if: 24
47	47	2 HOUSE BILL 1247
48	48
49	49
50	50	(i) the victim or the victim’s representative filed a notification 1
51	51	request form under § 11–104 of the Criminal Procedure Article; or 2
52	52
53	53	(ii) the victim makes a written request to the Department for 3
54	54	notification and maintains a current address on file with the Department. 4
55	55
56	56	(2) The victim may designate in writing to the Department the name and 5
57	57	address of a representative who is a resident of the State to receive notice for the victim. 6
58	58
59	59	(h) The Department shall MAKE AT LEAST TWO ATT EMPTS IN WRITING BY 7
60	60	CERTIFIED MAIL TO notify promptly the victim or the victim’s representative of the 8
61	61	decision of the Commission regarding parole for the incarcerated individual. 9
62	62
63	63	7–805. 10
64	64
65	65	(a) If the victim made a written request to the Department for notification and 11
66	66	maintains a current address on file with the Department or the victim or the victim’s 12
67	67	representative filed a notification request form under § 11–104 of the Criminal Procedure 13
68	68	Article, the Department shall notify the victim or the victim’s representative in writing BY 14
69	69	CERTIFIED MAIL that an incarcerated individual sentenced to the Division of Correction 15
70	70	is being considered for a: 16
71	71
72	72	(1) commutation of sentence; 17
73	73
74	74	(2) pardon; or 18
75	75
76	76	(3) remission of sentence. 19
77	77
78	78	(e) The Department shall MAKE AT LEAST TWO AT TEMPTS IN WRITING BY 20
79	79	CERTIFIED MAIL TO notify promptly the victim or the victim’s designated representative 21
80	80	of the Commission’s decision. 22
81	81
82	82	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 23
83	83	October 1, 2025. 24