EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0198*
HOUSE BILL 198
E2 5lr1658
HB 942/24 – JUD & APP (PRE–FILED)
By: Delegate Young
Requested: November 1, 2024
Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
Assigned to: Judiciary and Appropriations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Criminal Procedure – Crime Solvers Reward Fund – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Crime Solvers Reward Fund as a special, nonlapsing 3
fund in the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to provide grants 4
to law enforcement agencies and county reward programs to be used as rewards 5
offered to individuals for certain assistance in solving certain crimes; requiring 6
interest earnings of the Fund to be credited to the Fund; and generally relating to 7
the Crime Solvers Reward Fund. 8
BY adding to 9
Article – Criminal Procedure 10
Section 11–1201 through 11–1203 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 12. Crime 11
Solvers Reward Fund” 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15
Article – State Finance and Procurement 16
Section 6–226(a)(2)(i) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 20
Article – State Finance and Procurement 21
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)204. and 205. 22
Annotated Code of Maryland 23
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 24
BY adding to 25
Article – State Finance and Procurement 26 2 HOUSE BILL 198
Section 6–226(a)(2)(ii)206. 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 3
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 4
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 5
Article – Criminal Procedure 6
SUBTITLE 12. CRIME SOLVERS REWARD FUND. 7
11–1201. 8
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 9
INDICATED. 10
(B) “COUNTY REWARD PROGRAM ” MEANS A PROGRAM ADMI NISTERED BY A 11
COUNTY THAT OFFERS R EWARD MONEY TO AN IN DIVIDUAL WHO PROVIDE S 12
QUALIFYING INFORMATI ON RELEVANT TO THE INVE STIGATION OF A MURDE R OR AN 13
ATTEMPTED MURDER INV OLVING A FIREARM . 14
(C) “FUND” MEANS THE CRIME SOLVERS REWARD FUND. 15
(D) “LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENC Y” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 3–201 16
OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 17
(E) “QUALIFYING INFORMA TION” MEANS INFORMATION PR OVIDED TO A 18
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGEN CY THAT DIRECTLY LEA DS TO THE IDENTIFICA TION, 19
ARREST, AND CONVICTION OF TH E PERPETRATOR OF A C RIME. 20
11–1202. 21
(A) THERE IS A CRIME SOLVERS REWARD FUND IN THE DEPARTMENT . 22
(B) THE PURPOSE OF THE FUND IS TO PROVIDE GR ANTS TO LAW 23
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OR COUNTY REWARD PRO GRAMS TO ISSUE REWAR DS TO 24
INDIVIDUALS WHO PROV IDE QUALIFYING INFOR MATION TO A LAW ENFO RCEMENT 25
AGENCY RELEVANT TO T HE INVESTIGATION OF A MURDER OR AN ATTEM PTED 26
MURDER INVOLVING A F IREARM. 27
(C) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMI NISTER THE FUND. 28
(D) (1) THE FUND IS A SPECIAL , NONLAPSING FUND THAT IS NOT 29
SUBJECT TO § 7–302 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. 30 HOUSE BILL 198 3
(2) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL HOLD THE FUND SEPARATELY , 1
AND THE COMPTROLLER SHALL ACCOUNT FOR TH E FUND. 2
(E) THE FUND CONSISTS OF : 3
(1) MONEY APPROPRIATED I N THE STATE BUDGET TO THE FUND; 4
(2) MONEY MADE AVAILABLE TO THE FUND THROUGH FEDERAL 5
PROGRAMS OR PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS ; 6
(3) INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND; AND 7
(4) ANY OTHER MONEY FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE ACC EPTED FOR 8
THE BENEFIT OF THE FUND. 9
(F) (1) THE STATE TREASURER SHALL INVES T THE MONEY OF THE FUND 10
IN THE SAME MANNER A S OTHER STATE MONEY MAY BE IN VESTED. 11
(2) ANY INTEREST EARNINGS OF THE FUND SHALL BE CREDITE D TO 12
THE FUND. 13
(G) (1) THE FUND MAY BE USED ONLY TO AWARD GRANTS TO A LAW 14
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY O R A COUNTY REWARD PR OGRAM IN ORDER FOR T HE LAW 15
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY O R THE COUNTY REWARD PROGRAM TO PROVIDE R EWARD 16
MONEY TO INDIVIDUALS WHO PROVIDE A LAW EN FORCEME NT AGENCY WITH 17
QUALIFYING INFORMATI ON RELEVANT TO THE I NVESTIGATION OF A MU RDER OR AN 18
ATTEMPTED MURDER INV OLVING A FIREARM . 19
(2) FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A RE WARD FROM A LAW 20
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY O R A COUNTY REWARD PR OGRAM UNDER THIS SUB TITLE, 21
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT A GENCY OR COUNTY REWA RD PROGRAM SHALL EST ABLISH 22
THAT THE INDIVIDUAL : 23
(I) PROVIDED CREDIBLE QU ALIFYING INFORMATION ; 24
(II) DID NOT DIRECTLY PAR TICIPATE IN THE CRIM E; AND 25
(III) COOPERATED WITH THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGEN CY. 26
(H) ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2026, AND EACH YEAR THEREA FTER, THE 27
DEPARTMENT SHALL REPO RT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH 28
§ 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, ON: 29 4 HOUSE BILL 198
(1) THE NUMBER OF REWARD S ISSUED BY LAW ENFO RCEMENT 1
AGENCIES AND COUNTY REWARD PROGRAMS IN ACCORDAN CE WITH THIS SUBTITL E; 2
AND 3
(2) THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY PROVIDED UNDER THIS SUBTITLE. 4
11–1203. 5
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS TO CAR RY OUT THIS 6
SUBTITLE. 7
(B) THE REGULATIONS SHALL INCLUDE: 8
(1) CRITERIA EXPLAINING HOW ELIGIBLE LAW ENF ORCEMENT 9
AGENCIES AND COUNTY REWARD PROGRAMS MAY APPLY FOR FUNDING FR OM THE 10
FUND; AND 11
(2) CRITERIA FOR THE DIS TRIBUTION OF AVAILAB LE FUNDS IN 12
ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SUBTITLE. 13
Article – State Finance and Procurement 14
6–226. 15
(a) (2) (i) 1. This subparagraph does not apply in fiscal years 2024 16
through 2028. 17
2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and unless 18
inconsistent with a federal law, grant agreement, or other federal requirement or with the 19
terms of a gift or settlement agreement, net interest on all State money allocated by the 20
State Treasurer under this section to special funds or accounts, and otherwise entitled to 21
receive interest earnings, as accounted for by the Comptroller, shall accrue to the General 22
Fund of the State. 23
(ii) The provisions of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph do not apply 24
to the following funds: 25
204. the Victims of Domestic Violence Program Grant Fund; 26
[and] 27
205. the Proposed Programs Collaborative Grant Fund; AND 28
206. THE CRIME SOLVERS REWARD FUND. 29
HOUSE BILL 198 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
October 1, 2025. 2