| 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 | | *sb0038* |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | SENATE BILL 38 |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | E2 5lr1160 |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | HB 274/24 – JUD (PRE–FILED) CF HB 130 |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | By: Senator West |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | Requested: October 9, 2024 |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025 |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | A BILL ENTITLED |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | AN ACT concerning 1 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | Intercepted Communications – Penalty 2 |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | FOR the purpose of reclassifying, as a misdemeanor instead of a felony, a certain offense 3 |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | relating to the prohibition against intercepting and disclosing any wire, oral, or 4 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | electronic communications; and generally relating to intercepted communications. 5 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 6 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 7 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | Section 10–402(a) 8 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | Annotated Code of Maryland 9 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | (2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 10 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 12 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | Section 10–402(b) 13 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | Annotated Code of Maryland 14 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 15 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 18 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | 10–402. 19 |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | (a) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this subtitle it is unlawful for any 20 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | person to: 21 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | (1) Willfully intercept, endeavor to intercept, or procure any other person 22 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | to intercept or endeavor to intercept, any wire, oral, or electronic communication; 23 2 SENATE BILL 38 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | (2) Willfully disclose, or endeavor to disclose, to any other person the 1 |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | contents of any wire, oral, or electronic communication, knowing or having reason to know 2 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | that the information was obtained through the interception of a wire, oral, or electronic 3 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | communication in violation of this subtitle; or 4 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | (3) Willfully use, or endeavor to use, the contents of any wire, oral, or 5 |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | electronic communication, knowing or having reason to know that the information was 6 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | obtained through the interception of a wire, oral, or electronic communication in violation 7 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | of this subtitle. 8 |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | (b) Any person who violates subsection (a) of this section is guilty of a [felony] 9 |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | MISDEMEANOR and is subject to imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not 10 |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | more than $10,000, or both. 11 |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 12 |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | October 1, 2025. 13 |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | |
|---|