EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LA W.
[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.
*sb0271*
SENATE BILL 271
D3, P4 5lr1756
CF 5lr3492
By: Senator M. Jackson
Introduced and read first time: January 9, 2025
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 2, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Tort Claims Act – Employees of an Office of a Sheriff 2
FOR the purpose of providing that an employee of the office of a sheriff of a county or 3
Baltimore City is immune from certain liability in the same manner as a sheriff or 4
deputy sheriff; and generally relating to the Maryland Tort Claims Act. 5
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 6
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 7
Section 5–522(b) 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 10
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – State Government 12
Section 12–101(a)(6) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 18
5–522. 19
2 SENATE BILL 271
(b) State personnel, as defined in § 12–101 of the State Government Article, are 1
immune from suit in courts of the State and from liability in tort for a tortious act or 2
omission that is within the scope of the public duties of the State personnel and is made 3
without malice or gross negligence, and for which the State or its units have waived 4
immunity under Title 12, Subtitle 1 of the State Government Article, even if the damages 5
exceed the limits of that waiver. 6
Article – State Government 7
12–101. 8
(a) In this subtitle, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, “State 9
personnel” means: 10
(6) (I) a sheriff or deputy sheriff of a county or Baltimore City; OR 11
(II) AN EMPLOYEE OF THE O FFICE OF A SHERIFF O F A COUNTY 12
OR BALTIMORE CITY; 13
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take e ffect 14
October 1, 2025. 15
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
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President of the Senate.
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Speaker of the House of Delegates.