Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB789 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	hb0789
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 789
8	8	D1 5lr2306
9	9	CF SB 621
10	10	By: Chair, Judiciary Committee (By Request – Maryland Judiciary)
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 29, 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	Courtroom Security – Minimum Adequate Security Standard 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of establishing minimum adequate security standards for courtroom 3
21	21	security at all courthouse facilities; and generally relating to courtroom security. 4
22	22
23	23	BY adding to 5
24	24	Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 6
25	25	Section 1–206 7
26	26	Annotated Code of Maryland 8
27	27	(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 9
28	28
29	29	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 10
30	30	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 11
31	31
32	32	Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 12
33	33
34	34	1–206. 13
35	35
36	36	(A) THERE IS A MINIMUM AD EQUATE SECURITY STAN DARD FOR 14
37	37	COURTROOM SECURITY AT ALL COUR THOUSE FACILITIES IN THE STATE. 15
38	38
39	39	(B) FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, A COURT SECURITY OFF ICER MUST 16
40	40	MEET THE QUALIFICATI ONS FOR A SPECIAL POLICE OFF ICER, AS DEFINED IN § 17
41	41	3–301 OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 18
42	42
43	43	(C) BEGINNING JULY 1, 2026, THERE SHALL BE PRESEN T IN EVERY 19
44	44	COURTROOM DURING PRO CEEDINGS AT LEAST : 20
45	45	2 HOUSE BILL 789
46	46
47	47
48	48	(1) ONE COURT SECURITY OF FICER FOR ANY CRIMIN AL, FAMILY, OR 1
49	49	JUVENILE PROCEEDING ; 2
50	50
51	51	(2) TWO COURT SECURITY OF FICERS FOR ANY PROCE EDING 3
52	52	INVOLVING AN INCARCE RATED INDIVIDUAL OR AN INDIVIDUAL WHO MAY BE 4
53	53	REMANDED TO CUSTODY AS A RESULT OF THE P ROCEEDING; AND 5
54	54
55	55	(3) ONE ADDITIONAL COURT SECURITY OFFICER FOR EVERY FOUR OR 6
56	56	FEWER COURTROOMS ON EACH FLOOR OF A COUR THOUSE. 7
57	57
58	58	(D) BEGINNING JULY 1, 2028, THERE SHALL BE PRESE NT IN EVERY 8
59	59	COURTROOM DURING PROCEEDINGS A T LEAST: 9
60	60
61	61	(1) ONE COURT SECURITY OF FICER FOR ANY PROCEE DING; 10
62	62
63	63	(2) TWO COURT SECURITY OF FICERS FOR ANY PROCE EDING 11
64	64	INVOLVING AN INCARCE RATED INDIVIDUAL OR AN INDIVIDUAL WHO MA Y BE 12
65	65	REMANDED TO CUSTODY AS A RESULT OF THE P ROCEEDING; AND 13
66	66
67	67	(3) ONE ADDITIONAL COURT SECURITY OFFICER FOR EVERY FOUR OR 14
68	68	FEWER COURTROOMS ON EACH FLOOR OF A COURTHOUS E. 15
69	69
70	70	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That , on or before September 30, 16
71	71	2025, each law enforcement agency, department, or entity providing security at a 17
72	72	courthouse facility shall submit a report to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of 18
73	73	Maryland and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General 19
74	74	Assembly identifying: 20
75	75
76	76	(1) the current number of court security officers available to provide 21
77	77	courthouse security; 22
78	78
79	79	(2) the minimum number of court security officers necessary to meet the 23
80	80	minimum adequate security standards, accounting for annual leave and absences; 24
81	81
82	82	(3) the current number of courthouse security positions for which funding 25
83	83	has been allocated; 26
84	84
85	85	(4) the current number of vacancies in the agency, department, or entity; 27
86	86
87	87	(5) a viable plan to meet the minimum adequate security standards under 28
88	88	Section 1 of this Act; and 29
89	89
90	90	(6) any obstacles to the agency, department, or entity meeting those 30
91	91	minimum adequate security standards. 31
92	92	HOUSE BILL 789 3
93	93
94	94
95	95	SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1
96	96	1, 2025. 2