Hundreds of new laws take effect in Maryland on October 1st. They include the end of statute of limitations for abuse cases, allowing victims to sue regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred. New limits on where concealed carry permit holders can take their guns also take effect Sunday, as the number of such permit holders in Maryland has skyrocketed in the last year.
SB 686 and HB1, the Child Victims Act, ends the statute of limitations. It was passed in response to a report from the Maryland Attorney General’s office outlining decades of sexual abuse within the Baltimore Archdiocese. The changes will allow hundreds of victims to now bring civil suits against the Archdiocese to receive financial compensation. Previously, victims could only file suit up to 20 years after the abuse took place.
SB1 sets the new limits on where concealed carry permit holders can take their guns. In the summer of 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen that the state of New York’s higher requirements to receive a concealed carry permit were unconstitutional. Those were similar to Maryland’s at the time, and then Gov. Larry Hogan immediately lowered them in Maryland. That led to a sevenfold increase in applications in the state for the final months of 2022 after the change. Lawmakers had their first chance at addressing the 2023 session, and Montgomery County Democratic Senator Jeff Waldstreicher led the push for limits on where guns can be taken in public. “In essence, the court said the new default is going to be guns everywhere unless states act. So we acted boldly,” Waldstreicher told WYPR in April after the bill passed. The ‘special-purpose areas’ where permit holders can not take their guns in the bill include:
- Schools and pre-schools
- Hospitals and health care facilities
- Government buildings
- Public and private institutions of higher learning
- Electric, gas and nuclear power plants
- Places where alcohol and cannabis are sold for consumption on-site
- Stadiums, racetracks, museums, casinos
Both the National Rifle Association and Maryland Shall Issue immediately sued the state over the new law, calling it unconstitutional. The lawsuits are still pending.
Other measures regarding guns taking effect October 1st also bans individuals from receiving a concealed carry permit if they’ve been on probation for a crime punishable for more than a year imprisonment, been involuntarily committed to a treatment facility for more than 30 days, or have a history of violence against another person. Requirements to more strongly store guns in the home also take effect Sunday.
Expanded powers for Maryland’s Attorney General also go into effect. The office will now be able to prosecute law enforcement officers if they’re charged following fatal shootings. The change came despite near universal push back from state’s attorneys across Maryland. Attorney General Anthony Brown explained to WYPR why his office should handle those cases rather than local prosecutors. “State’s attorneys work day in and day out with law enforcement,” Brown said. “And they have what some would consider a very close and cozy working relationship. And the community when they see that, it often raises doubts about whether the local prosecutor can impartially investigate and make a decision to prosecute a police officer.” Brown’s office will also now be able to investigate and prosecute civil rights violations and crimes against the environment and natural resources in Maryland.
Partial list of laws taking effect Sunday in Maryland -
SB 686/HB1 - Child Victims Act, eliminates statute of limitations for child sex abuse victims to bring civil action, allowing them to sue at any age
SB1- Sets limits where concealed carry permit holders can take their firearms, including prohibiting firearms in ‘sensitive places’ such as schools, government buildings, and retail establishments that sell alcohol for consumption on-site
SB185/HB3 - Requires Maryland State Police Gun Center to track all firearms surrendered through final protective orders
SB858 - Jaelynn’s Law, defines requirements around storage of guns in the home and increases penalties for violators
HB824 - Bans individuals from receiving a concealed carry permit if the person is on probation for a crime punishable for more than a year imprisonment, been involuntarily committed to a treatment facility for more than 30 days, or has a history of violence against another person, increases penalties for illegal gun ownership to up to five years in prison
SB5/HB13 - Allows victims of hate crimes to bring civil lawsuits against those who committed the act
SB37 - Shortens time period to apply for expungement of criminal record for certain offenses
SB74/HB483 - Makes DUI’s for boating count as successive DUI’s for prior convictions for DUI’s while operating a vehicle and vice-versa
SB129/HB4 - Repeals spousal defense for rape and sexual offense crimes
SB290 - Gives power to Maryland Attorney General’s office to prosecute law enforcement officer-involved incidents that resulted in death
SB292/HB297 - Prohibits criminal prosecution or juvenile proceedings against minors if offense was committed as a direct result of child sex trafficking
SB340/HB745 - Anti-swatting Act of 2023, establishes criminal and civil penalties for making false statements, reports, or complaints about an emergency or alleged commission of a crime to law enforcement
SB391/HB174 - Requires a state’s attorney to meet with the victim of sexually assaultive behavior or their representative if requested within 20 days of a decision to not file or dismiss charges against an alleged suspect
SB540 - Gives the office of the Maryland Attorney General power to investigate, prosecute, and remediate any conduct that constitutes a civil rights violation, creates fund to pay for such powers
SB546/HB427 - Gives immunity from criminal prosecution to those who ‘in good faith’ seek, provide, or assist with medical assistance after they have ingested or used drugs or alcohol
HB226 - Expands definitions of ‘persons of authority’ for certain sex crimes
HB1175 - Expands eligibility to seek expungement of convictions of misdemeanor hunting offenses
SB287/HB509 - Requires Maryland Board of Elections to post municipal election results on its website, gives municipalities 30 days to send results once they’re certified to MD BOE
SB379/HB535 - Allows absentee ballots to be processed but not counted ahead of Election Day, expands ability to correct failure to sign oath on absentee ballot, changes 2024 primary date to second Tuesday in May
HB1200 - Requires election judges be paid at least $250 per day, and $50 for each course of instruction completed
SB54/HB131 - Repeals crime of unnatural or perverted sex practice, statute that was used to disproportionately criminalize LGBTQ+ community
SB251/HB141 - Renames Maryland Commission on LGBTQ Affairs to Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs
SB460/HB283 - Trans Health Equity Act, requires Medicaid in Maryland to provide coverage for gender-affirming treatments
SB262/HB253 - Allows farmers to use food scraps from off-site locations as part of their composting
SB611/HB874 - Creates Environment and Natural Resources Monitoring Unit within Maryland Attorney General’s Office to investigate and prosecute crimes against environment and natural resources
SB741/HB1011 - Ends limits on use of refrigerants that are acceptable for use under Federal Clean Air Act
HB90 - Allows local governments to create ordinances and fines for selling, planting, and growing of invasive strains of bamboo
HB830 - Allows local governments to require new or significantly remodeled housing units to have electric vehicle parking spaces in certain circumstances, requires Maryland Energy Administration to study having more EV parking spaces at apartment buildings and submit report to Governor by Dec. 1, 2023
SB8/HB121 - Requires treatment plans for individuals in certain mental health facilities to include a discharge goal and estimated length of stay
SB545 - Allows businesses that possess vehicles that have been towed to close from midnight to 6 a.m.
HB391 - Requires parking citations issued by political subdivisions, state agencies, or third-party contractors include a box that the person issued the citation may check to indicate that the registration plates cited were not issued for the vehicle described in the citation
HB794 - Creates Baltimore Regional Transit Commission with one senior planning and two junior planning staff positions
SB36/HB14 - Repeals ability of courts to grant limited divorces, alters grounds for absolute divorce
SB71/HB800 - Allows up to 25% of workers compensation claim awards be taken to pay off outstanding child support payments
SB232/HB172 - Allows licensed athletic trainers to perform dry needling techniques like acupuncture
SB293 - Repeals term ‘inmate’ and replaces it with ‘incarcerated individual’ for anyone who is detained in or confined to a correctional facility
SB346/HB260 - Requires sign language interpreters to get licensed by the state starting Jan. 1, 2025
SB450/HB215 - Prohibits landlords from limiting or evicting tenants for repeatedly summoning law enforcement or emergency services
SB497/HB178 - Designates Maryland Rye as the Maryland state spirit
SB535/HB608 - Prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of a dwelling against individuals with disabilities who have service dogs or keep their service dogs after its retirement from service
SB591 - Raises pay rate where employers can institute non compete or conflict of interest clauses for jobs to $22.50 per hour
SB723 - Repeals $1-per page fee for electronic copies of any paper filed with the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation
SB839/HB902 - Extends timeframe that workers can file a workers compensation claim for a hernia suffered while working
SB842/HB1244 - Makes January 27th Maryland Holocaust Remembrance Day in Maryland
SB914/HB811 - Requires hospitals test for fentanyl in urine drug screening and give deidentified results when fentanyl is detected to the Maryland Department of Health
HB630 - Allows victims of abuse through a court order to terminate shared utility accounts without penalties or fees
HB967 - Establishes October 5th every year as Dashain Day in Maryland
