Maryland lawmakers will focus on several public safety proposals this legislative session, including harsher sentences for criminal offenders and more tools for law enforcement.

More than three dozen public safety-related bills have already been filed in Annapolis, and more are in the works.

Thieves who cross jurisdictions in the state could have their offenses joined in court, and firearms traffickers would face felony charges instead of misdemeanors. Other bills aim to help law enforcement solve crimes and victims report it.

Thirteen Republican lawmakers are sponsoring a bill to prevent juveniles charged with violent crimes from attending public school. And a Democratic leader who has spent decades working in education wants to see parents become more involved in their children’s education and rehabilitative services.

“We’re hearing everywhere I go when we have our meetings with communities, with organizations, even with my church, that people are very concerned about the responsibility of parents when it comes to the behavior and what is happening with our teenagers,” said Senate Majority Whip Joanne Benson, D-Prince George’s County, who is sponsoring the Parental School Engagement Leave Act.

Gov. Moore is committed to making Maryland safer, “as shown in his proposed budget which includes a record $122 million for local police departments across the state,” said Carter Elliott, a spokesperson for the governor.

Following are some of the bills under consideration to address crime:

School Safety Act of 2025

The School Safety Act of 2025 prohibits a child from attending public school in person if the child has been charged with a crime of violence until the child is found not to be delinquent or the charge is dismissed. The school system would be required to provide alternative educational options for the child. House Bill 137 is sponsored by at least a dozen state lawmakers, including Del. Kathy Szeliga, R-Baltimore County, who said: “I agree with parents who are justifiably outraged that their children are not being protected from violent offenders in our schools. This bill protects our children from being victimized by known violent offenders.”

Organized Retail Theft Act of 2025

Thefts committed by the same person in multiple counties under one scheme, or continued course of conduct, may be joined and prosecuted in any county where any of the thefts occurred, under Senate Bill 11, Organized Retail Theft Act of 2025. The bill is sponsored by Prince George’s County Democrat Sen. Ron Watson.

“Currently in the state of MD, anything stolen with a value of $1,500 or less is a misdemeanor,” Watson said in an email. “THIS bill seeks to go after those who organize groups to conduct the ‘smash and grab’ activity. Specifically, if a group of offenders are caught conducting retail theft, if the AGGREGATE value of ALL items stolen by each individual exceed $1,500, then all parties will be charged with felony theft. In other words, currently if 3 criminals, in the same act, each independently steal goods totaling $600, each would be charged with a misdemeanor. With this bill, that changes.”

Watson said many criminals know what they can get away with. “As long as the value of goods stolen is less than $1,500 it’s considered a misdemeanor and effectively a slap on the wrist,” he said. “This is why criminals can walk out of the front door with bags of stolen goods and no penalties.”

Invasion of privacy concerns — visual surveillance

Senate Bill 92, sponsored by Sen. John Corderman, R-Frederick and Washington counties, would allow residents to file protective orders and receive hearings in front of a judge if they are concerned about their privacy because of cameras installed near their homes. Corderman said there is currently nothing in the law to allow for a force of camera removal. “There’s nothing in statute that will provide relief to the individuals being preyed upon,” he said.

Crime Solvers Reward Fund

House Bill 198, sponsor Del. Caylin Young, D-Baltimore City, calls for the creation of a non-lapsing reward fund for public assistance on crimes involving murder or attempted murder involving a firearm. The fund, to be administered by the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, would provide grants to law enforcement agencies and county reward programs to aid in their investigations.

Enhanced punishment for drunk drivers

Senate Bill 207, requested by the Department of Transportation, would require the Motor Vehicle Administration to revoke a driver’s license if a person has been convicted of or been granted probation before judgment for impaired or drugged driving that contributed to an accident that resulted in death or life-threatening injuries to another person, or for failing to remain at the scene of an accident that resulted in the death or bodily injury of another. Drivers would not be allowed to apply for license reinstatement for five years. Additionally, the bill expands mandatory participation in the Maryland Ignition Interlock System Program (IISP).

Drunken driving — commercial driver’s licenses

Senate Bill 187, Drunk Driving — Commercial Driver’s Licenses — Disqualification From Driving, would suspend a commercial driver’s license for one year if the driver attempts to drive or drives any vehicle with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or greater. The suspension would also apply to a driver of a vehicle who leaves the scene of a crime or is convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The bill comes at the request of the Department of Transportation.

Speeding fines to increase

Fines for speeding on regular roadways would increase under Senate Bill 118, Motor Vehicles — Speed Monitoring Systems. This bill would mimic a fine structure currently in place for work zone speeding based on a tiered system of speed levels and high dollar fines. Fines for speeders going 12 to 20 miles per hour over the speed limit would stay the same. But for speeds above that, fines would become steeper, according to bill sponsor Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher, D-Montgomery. “Obviously someone going 12 miles per hour over the speed limit is exhibiting different behavior than someone going 40 miles per hour over the speed limit.”

Safe Neighborhoods pilot program for Baltimore City residents

House Bill 283, Public Safety — Safe Neighborhoods — Pilot Program, would give free doorbell cameras to Baltimore City residents to help deter crime and give neighbors a tool to communicate with when crimes occur. Baltimore City Democratic Del. Caylin Young sponsors the bill.

Law enforcement officer sexual assault complaints

House Bill 122, sponsored by Del. Caylin Young, D-Baltimore City, creates a means for a law enforcement officer who suffered sexual violence or sexual misconduct to report his or her complaint outside of their normal internal reporting structure. “Those individuals should be able to file any complaint with the police accountability board and charging committee and be determined by non-law enforcement,” Young said, who pointed out the bill is a proactive measure. “We don’t have to wait until there’s an issue.”

Changes to gun buyback laws

Sen. William Smith, Chair of the Judicial Proceedings Committee, is sponsoring a bill that would require guns sold under the gun buyback program to be rendered fully inoperable or destroyed “so none of their component parts or the entire firearm itself could be used again or circulated into the stream of commerce,” Smith said. “It’s a way to make sure those guns are getting off the street and staying off the street. The law would put safeguards in place where there currently are none.”

Increasing public safety employee retirement deduction

Senate Bill 30, sponsored by Sen. Jack Bailey, R-Calvert and St. Mary’s counties, would increase the maximum value of the income tax subtraction modification for public safety employee retirement income from $15,000 to $20,000. “I believe that every Marylander deserves an income tax-free retirement,” Bailey said. “This will continue to move us towards this goal while recognizing the important work that our public safety retirees have done and will continue to do for our state.”

Authorizing 911 specialists to receive law enforcement pension benefits

A portion of House Bill 76, Public Safety Officer — Performance of Duties — Death and Disability Benefits, would allow 911 specialists to become members of the law enforcement officers’ pension system. At least six state lawmakers are sponsoring the bill.

Expanding interstate social worker opportunities

Senate Bill 174, sponsored by Sen. Joanne Benson, D-Prince George’s County, would allow social workers licensed in other states to work in Maryland without requiring Maryland licensure. The lawmaker said the bill would greatly help spouses of military members who frequently move from state to state.

Parental Leave Act

Senate Bill 58, sponsored by Sen. Joanne Benson, D-Prince George’s County, would require businesses with 50 or more employees to grant paid personal leave for up to 12 hours per year. This would allow parents to participate more in their children’s educational environment. Proof of participation would be required. “It would allow parents to go into schools, to work with students as tutors,” and attend meetings and conferences, among other benefits, Benson said. She said she got the idea for the bill from a results-based business-school partnership program in the 1980s.

Parental Accountability Act

Court-ordered probation, entrance into a treatment service plan — for a juvenile offender and possibly their parent or guardian — and required parental participation in certain probation activities are some of the elements of Senate Bill 75, Probation and Treatment Services — Required Disposition (Parental Accountability Act), sponsored by House Majority Whip Sen. Joanne Benson, D-Prince George’s County.

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