EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0729*
SENATE BILL 729
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CF 5lr2710
By: Charles County Senators
Introduced and read first time: January 27, 2025
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Special Police Officers – County Government – Protection of Employees and 2
Public Officials 3
FOR the purpose of authorizing a county to apply for the appointment of special police 4
officers in order to protect the county’s employees and public officials while present 5
in the county; authorizing a certain special police officer employed by a county to 6
exercise the powers of a police officer under certain circumstances; and generally 7
relating to special police officers employed by a county. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Public Safety 10
Section 3–303 and 3–307 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Public Safety 16
3–303. 17
(a) The following entities may apply for the appointment of special police officers 18
for the following purposes: 19
(1) a municipal corporation, county, or other governmental body of the 20
State, in order to protect property owned, leased, or regularly used by the governmental 21
body or any of its units; 22
2 SENATE BILL 729
(2) A COUNTY, IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE COUNTY ’S EMPLOYEES 1
AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS WHILE PRESENT IN THE COUNTY; 2
(3) another state, or subdivision or unit of another state, that has an 3
interest in property located wholly or partly in this State, in order to protect the property; 4
[(3)] (4) a college, university, or public school system in the State, in order 5
to protect its property or students; or 6
[(4)] (5) a person that exists and functions for a legal business purpose, 7
in order to protect its business property. 8
(b) The applicant for a commission shall be at least 18 years old. 9
(c) (1) This subsection does not apply to an applicant for an initial commission 10
who, within 5 years prior to application, has: 11
(i) completed a basic training course for police officers approved by 12
the Secretary in consultation with the Maryland Police Training and Standards 13
Commission; 14
(ii) completed a basic training course for police officers similar to the 15
course described in item (i) of this paragraph in another state or for the federal government; 16
(iii) separated from a law enforcement agency in good standing; or 17
(iv) completed training approved by the Maryland Police Training 18
and Standards Commission for a special police officer at a State institution of higher 19
education. 20
(2) An applicant for an initial commission shall complete a training course 21
approved by the Secretary in consultation with the Maryland Police Training and 22
Standards Commission consisting of at least 80 hours of instruction, including instruction 23
on: 24
(i) criminal law; 25
(ii) constitutional procedural requirements relating to search, 26
seizure, and arrest; and 27
(iii) the appropriate use of force. 28
3–307. 29
(a) Each special police officer shall protect and preserve peace and good order on 30
the property described in the application for the commission. 31 SENATE BILL 729 3
(b) A special police officer may: 1
(1) arrest individuals who trespass or commit offenses on the property 2
described in the application for the commission; 3
(2) exercise the powers of a police officer on the property described in the 4
application for the commission; 5
(3) exercise the powers of a police officer in a county or municipal 6
corporation of the State in connection with the care, custody, and protection of other 7
property of the entity that requested the appointment of the special police officer or other 8
property, real or personal, for which the entity has assumed an obligation to maintain or 9
protect; [and] 10
(4) direct and control traffic on public highways and roads in the immediate 11
vicinity of the property described in the application for the commission in order to facilitate 12
the orderly movement of traffic to and from the property, if the Secretary approves of this 13
activity in advance; AND 14
(5) IF EMPLOYED BY A COU NTY FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING 15
PROTECTION TO THE CO UNTY’S EMPLOYEES AND PUBL IC OFFICIALS, EXERCISE THE 16
POWERS OF A POLICE O FFICER IN CONNECTION WITH AND NECESSARY F OR 17
PROTECTING THE EMPLO YEES AND OFFICIALS W HOM THE SPECIAL POLI CE OFFICER 18
IS ASSIGNED TO PROTE CT. 19
(c) (1) A special police officer may make an arrest or issue a traffic citation for 20
a violation of the Maryland Vehicle Law or any other State or local traffic law or regulation 21
only if the special police officer: 22
(i) has a probationary or permanent appointment as a security 23
officer or is a member of an industrial police force; and 24
(ii) has completed the basic training course for police officers as 25
established by the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission in accordance 26
with Subtitle 2 of this title. 27
(2) A special police officer may exercise the power described in paragraph 28
(1) of this subsection only on the property of the special police officer’s employer as described 29
in the application for the commission, unless the special police officer is in active pursuit 30
for the purpose of immediate apprehension. 31
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 32
October 1, 2025. 33