EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[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.
*sb0455*
SENATE BILL 455
E4 5lr2738
By: Senator McKay Senators McKay, Smith, West, and Folden
Introduced and read first time: January 21, 2025
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 7, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Security Guard Agencies – Special Police Officers – Application for 2
Appointment 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing a certain security guard agency to apply for the 4
appointment of special police officers in order to protect property owned or leased by 5
the security guard agency’s clients; and generally relating to special police officers. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Public Safety 8
Section 3–303 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
Article – Public Safety 14
3–303. 15
(a) The following entities may apply for the appointment of special police officers 16
for the following purposes: 17
2 SENATE BILL 455
(1) a municipal corporation, county, or other governmental body of the 1
State, in order to protect property owned, leased, or regularly used by the governmental 2
body or any of its units; 3
(2) another state, or subdivision or unit of another state, that has an 4
interest in property located wholly or partly in this State, in order to protect the property; 5
(3) a college, university, or public school system in the State, in order to 6
protect its property or students; [or] 7
(4) a person that exists and functions for a legal business purpose, in order 8
to protect its business property; OR 9
(5) A PERSON THAT HOLDS A VALID L ICENSE AS A SECURITY GUARD 10
AGENCY UNDER TITLE 19, SUBTITLE 3 OF THE BUSINESS OCCUPATIONS AND 11
PROFESSIONS ARTICLE, IN ORDER TO PROTECT PROPERTY OWNED OR LE ASED BY 12
ITS CLIENTS. 13
(b) The applicant for a commission shall be at least 18 years old. 14
(c) (1) This subsection does not apply to an applicant for an initial commission 15
who, within 5 years prior to application, has: 16
(i) completed a basic training course for police officers approved by 17
the Secretary in consultation with the Maryland Police Training and Standards 18
Commission; 19
(ii) completed a basic training course for police officers similar to the 20
course described in item (i) of this paragraph in another state or for the federal government; 21
(iii) separated from a law enforcement agency in good standing; or 22
(iv) completed training approved by the Maryland Police Training 23
and Standards Commission for a special police officer at a State institution of higher 24
education. 25
(2) An applicant for an initial commission shall complete a training course 26
approved by the Secretary in consultation with the Maryland Police Training and 27
Standards Commission consisting of at least 80 hours of instruction, including instruction 28
on: 29
(i) criminal law; 30
(ii) constitutional procedural requirements relating to search, 31
seizure, and arrest; and 32
SENATE BILL 455 3
(iii) the appropriate use of force. 1
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 2
October 1, 2025. 3
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.