Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB985 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	hb0985
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 985
8	8	E4 5lr2998
9	9
10	10	By: Delegates Young, Acevero, Addison, Alston, Amprey, Boafo, Crutchfield,
11	11	Davis, Martinez, McCaskill, Phillips, Roberson, Ruff, Simpson, Wims, and
12	12	Wu
13	13	Introduced and read first time: January 31, 2025
14	14	Assigned to: Judiciary
15	15
16	16	A BILL ENTITLED
17	17
18	18	AN ACT concerning 1
19	19
20	20	Police Discipline – Administrative Charging Committees – Additional Charging 2
21	21	Committee 3
22	22
23	23	FOR the purpose of authorizing the local governing body of a county to authorize the use of 4
24	24	a second administrative charging committee under certain circumstances; and 5
25	25	generally relating to administrative charging committees. 6
26	26
27	27	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
28	28	Article – Public Safety 8
29	29	Section 3–104 9
30	30	Annotated Code of Maryland 10
31	31	(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
32	32
33	33	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
34	34	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
35	35
36	36	Article – Public Safety 14
37	37
38	38	3–104. 15
39	39
40	40	(a) (1) (I) [Each] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (II) OF 16
41	41	THIS PARAGRAPH , EACH county shall have one administrative charging committee to 17
42	42	serve countywide law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement agencies within the 18
43	43	county. 19
44	44
45	45	(II) THE LOCAL GOVERNING B ODY OF A COUNTY MAY 20
46	46	AUTHORIZE THE USE OF A SECOND ADMI NISTRATIVE CHARG ING COMMITTEE IF THE 21
47	47	LOCAL GOVERNING BODY DETERMINES THAT ONE ADMINISTRATIVE CHARG ING 22 2 HOUSE BILL 985
48	48
49	49
50	50	COMMITTEE IS INSUFFI CIENT TO SERVE THE C OUNTYWIDE LAW ENFORC EMENT 1
51	51	AGENCIES AND LOCAL L AW ENFORCEMENT AGENC IES WITHIN THE COUNT Y. 2
52	52
53	53	(2) A county administrative charging committee shall be composed of: 3
54	54
55	55	(i) the chair of the county’s police accountability board, or another 4
56	56	member of the accountability board designated by the chair of the accountability board; 5
57	57
58	58	(ii) two civilian members selected by the county’s police 6
59	59	accountability board; and 7
60	60
61	61	(iii) two civilian members selected by the chief executive officer of the 8
62	62	county. 9
63	63
64	64	(b) (1) There shall be at least one statewide administrative charging 10
65	65	committee to serve statewide and bi–county law enforcement agencies. 11
66	66
67	67	(2) A statewide administrative charging committee shall be composed of: 12
68	68
69	69	(i) three civilian members appointed by the Governor; 13
70	70
71	71	(ii) one civilian member appointed by the President of the Senate; 14
72	72	and 15
73	73
74	74	(iii) one civilian member appointed by the Speaker of the House. 16
75	75
76	76	(c) Before serving as a member of an administrative charging committee, an 17
77	77	individual shall receive training on matters relating to police procedures from the 18
78	78	Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission. 19
79	79
80	80	(d) On completion of an investigation of a complaint of police misconduct 20
81	81	involving a member of the public and a police officer, regardless of whether the complaint 21
82	82	originated from within the law enforcement agency or from an external source, the law 22
83	83	enforcement agency shall forward to the appropriate administrative charging committee 23
84	84	the investigatory files for the matter. 24
85	85
86	86	(e) An administrative charging committee shall: 25
87	87
88	88	(1) review the findings of a law enforcement agency’s investigation 26
89	89	conducted and forwarded in accordance with subsection (d) of this section; 27
90	90
91	91	(2) make a determination that the police officer who is subject to 28
92	92	investigation shall be: 29
93	93
94	94	(i) administratively charged; or 30
95	95
96	96	(ii) not administratively charged; 31 HOUSE BILL 985 3
97	97
98	98
99	99
100	100	(3) if the police officer is charged, recommend discipline in accordance with 1
101	101	the law enforcement agency’s disciplinary matrix established in accordance with § 3–105 2
102	102	of this subtitle; 3
103	103
104	104	(4) review any body camera footage that may be relevant to the matters 4
105	105	covered in the complaint of misconduct; 5
106	106
107	107	(5) authorize a police officer called to appear before an administrative 6
108	108	charging committee to be accompanied by a representative; 7
109	109
110	110	(6) issue a written opinion that describes in detail its findings, 8
111	111	determinations, and recommendations; and 9
112	112
113	113	(7) forward the written opinion to the chief of the law enforcement agency, 10
114	114	the police officer, and the complainant. 11
115	115
116	116	(f) In executing its duties in accordance with subsection (e) of this section, an 12
117	117	administrative charging committee may: 13
118	118
119	119	(1) request information or action from the law enforcement agency that 14
120	120	conducted the investigation, including requiring additional investigation and the issuance 15
121	121	of subpoenas; 16
122	122
123	123	(2) if the police officer is not administratively charged, make a 17
124	124	determination that: 18
125	125
126	126	(i) the allegations against the police officer are unfounded; or 19
127	127
128	128	(ii) the police officer is exonerated; and 20
129	129
130	130	(3) record, in writing, any failure of supervision that caused or contributed 21
131	131	to a police officer’s misconduct. 22
132	132
133	133	(g) An administrative charging committee shall meet once per month or as 23
134	134	needed. 24
135	135
136	136	(h) A member of an administrative charging committee shall maintain 25
137	137	confidentiality relating to a matter being considered by the administrative charging 26
138	138	committee until final disposition of the matter. 27
139	139
140	140	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 28
141	141	October 1, 2025. 29