EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0166*
HOUSE BILL 166
G2, P1 5lr0042
(PRE–FILED) CF SB 185
By: Chair, Environment and Transportation Committee (By Request –
Departmental – State Ethics Commission)
Requested: September 18, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 22, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Public Ethics Law – State Officials of and Candidates to be State 2
Officials of the Judicial Branch – Conflicts of Interest and Financial Disclosure 3
Statements 4
FOR the purpose of requiring the Commission on Judicial Disabilities, the Judicial Ethics 5
Committee, or another body designated by the Supreme Court of Maryland to 6
administer and implement certain provisions of law relating to conflicts of interest 7
and financial disclosure statements for candidates to be State officials of the Judicial 8
Branch and maintain and make available for public inspection the records and 9
financial disclosure statements of State officials of the Judicial Branch and 10
candidates to be State officials of the Judicial Branch; repealing a requirement that 11
the Supreme Court of Maryland transmit copies of certain financial disclosure 12
statements to the State Ethics Commission; and generally relating to conflicts of 13
interest and financial disclosure statements for State officials of and candidates to 14
be State officials of the Judicial Branch. 15
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 16
Article – General Provisions 17
Section 5–104, 5–606, and 5–610 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 20
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY O F MARYLAND, 21 2 HOUSE BILL 166
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 1
Article – General Provisions 2
5–104. 3
(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section and in § 5–871 of 4
this title, this title shall be administered and implemented by the Ethics Commission. 5
(b) The Joint Ethics Committee, acting as an advisory body, shall administer and 6
implement Subtitle 5 of this title as it applies to members of the General Assembly. 7
(c) The Commission on Judicial Disabilities, the Judicial Ethics Committee, or 8
another body designated by the Supreme Court of Maryland, acting as an advisory body, 9
shall administer and implement Subtitles 5 and 6 of this title as those subtitles apply to 10
State officials of the Judicial Branch AND CANDIDATES TO BE STATE OFFICIAL S OF THE 11
JUDICIAL BRANCH. 12
5–606. 13
(a) (1) (i) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, the Ethics 14
Commission and the Joint Ethics Committee shall maintain the statements submitted 15
under this subtitle and, during normal office hours, make the statements available to the 16
public for examination and copying. 17
(ii) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Ethics 18
Commission and the Joint Ethics Committee may charge a reasonable fee and adopt 19
administrative procedures for the examination and copying of a statement. 20
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, for statements 21
submitted on or after January 1, 2019, the Ethics Commission shall make freely available 22
to the public on the Internet, through an online registration program, a financial disclosure 23
statement required under § 5–601(a) of this subtitle and a preliminary disclosure required 24
under § 5–602(c) of this subtitle that is filed by: 25
(i) a State official; 26
(ii) a candidate for office as a State official; or 27
(iii) a secretary of a principal department in the Executive Branch. 28
(3) The Ethics Commission and the Joint Ethics Committee may not: 29
(i) provide public access to a portion of a statement that is filed after 30
January 1, 2019, and that includes an individual’s home address that the individual has 31
identified as the individual’s home address; or 32
HOUSE BILL 166 3
(ii) post on the Internet information related to consideration 1
received that is reported under § 5–607(j) of this subtitle. 2
(b) (1) The Ethics Commission and the Joint Ethics Committee shall maintain 3
a record of: 4
(i) the name and home address of each individual who examines or 5
copies a statement under this section; and 6
(ii) the name of the individual whose statement was examined or 7
copied. 8
(2) On the request of the individual whose statement was examined or 9
copied, the Ethics Commission or the Joint Ethics Committee shall forward to that 10
individual a copy of the record specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection. 11
(C) THE COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL DISABILITIES, THE JUDICIAL ETHICS 12
COMMITTEE, OR ANOTHER BODY DESI GNATED BY THE SUPREME COURT OF 13
MARYLAND SHALL : 14
(1) MAINTAIN THE RECORDS OF STATE OFFICIALS OF TH E JUDICIAL 15
BRANCH AND CANDIDATES TO BE STATE OFFICIALS OF TH E JUDICIAL BRANCH; AND 16
(2) MAKE THE STATEMENTS SUBMITTED UNDER THIS SUBTITLE 17
AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION. 18
5–610. 19
(a) In accordance with its administrative authority over the Judicial Branch 20
under the Maryland Constitution, the Supreme Court of Maryland sh all adopt and 21
administer rules that require each individual specified in § 5–601(b) of this subtitle to file 22
a statement periodically that discloses, as a public record, the information concerning the 23
individual’s financial affairs that the court considers necessary or appropriate to promote 24
continued trust and confidence in the integrity of the Judicial Branch. 25
(b) (1) (i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, each 26
candidate for nomination for or election to a judgeship shall file the statement specified in 27
subsection (a) of this section no later than the time the candidate files a certificate of 28
candidacy. 29
(ii) This paragraph does not require the filing of a statement for any 30
year covered in full by a statement filed by the individual under subsection (a) of this 31
section. 32
(2) The statement shall: 33
4 HOUSE BILL 166
(i) cover the calendar year immediately preceding the year in which 1
the certificate of candidacy is filed; and 2
(ii) be filed with the election board with which the certificate of 3
candidacy is filed. 4
(3) An election board may not accept a certificate of candidacy or certificate 5
of nomination of a candidate covered by this subsection unless the candidate has filed each 6
statement required by this section. 7
(4) An election board, within 30 days after receiving a statement under this 8
subsection, shall forward the statement to the entity designated by the Supreme Court of 9
Maryland to receive the statements filed under subsection (a) of this section. 10
[(c) Within 30 days after receiving a statement under this section, the Supreme 11
Court of Maryland or its designee shall transmit a copy of the statement to the Ethics 12
Commission.] 13
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 14
1, 2025. 15
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.