Current Actions

Vote the Community Trust Act Out of Committee!

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This bill, known as the Community Trust Act, prohibits employees and agents of state and local correctional facilities from engaging in certain immigration enforcement activities, such as inquiring about or investigating an individual's citizenship, immigration status, or place of birth, detaining individuals based on suspicion of civil immigration violations or at the request of federal immigration authorities without a judicial warrant, or transferring individuals to federal immigration authorities without a judicial warrant. It also restricts them from notifying federal immigration authorities about an individual's custody unless required by a court order or judicial warrant, and from coercing or intimidating individuals based on their or others' immigration status. The bill also applies similar restrictions to law enforcement agents, preventing them from inquiring about immigration status during stops, searches, or arrests, detaining individuals for immigration investigations, or transferring them to federal authorities without a judicial warrant, with exceptions for criminal investigations and when immigration status is relevant to legal protections or treaty requirements.

Clean Slate Act

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Clean Slate automatic record expungement shifts responsibility from individuals to the state by automating the clearance of eligible records once statutory criteria are met. The Maryland Clean Slate Act would:

Automatically shield eligible misdemeanor convictions after 7 years

Automatically shield non-conviction and arrest records after 3 years

Eliminate costly and burdensome petition requirements

Reduce strain on courts and clerks

Ensure consistent, statewide access to relief

Clean Slate laws are proven, bipartisan, and effective. Twelve jurisdictions—including Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.—have enacted automatic record clearance laws. Automating clearance for low-level, non-violent records improves employment outcomes, increases earnings, reduces recidivism, and strengthens local economies.

Youth Charging Reform Act

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Under current Maryland law, youth accused of committing certain categories of crimes are prosecuted in adult court, with the defense able to petition the adult court to return the case to juvenile court.

In November 2025, Maryland’s Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform concluded that this approach is both ineffective and harmful, urging that all youth cases begin in the juvenile system with judges retaining discretion to waive cases upward when appropriate.

The study notes that “85% of these cases are eventually dismissed or sent back to juvenile court after youth have spent weeks or months in adult detention without access to rehabilitative services shown to reduce reoffending.” This practice disproportionately impacts children of color and places children in dangerous environments that more often result in subsequent criminal behavior.

The commission estimated that adopting a policy to begin all youth cases in the juvenile system could save the state $17 million annually.

Limit Use of Restrictive Housing for People with Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Solitary confinement goes by several euphemistic names. In Maryland it’s called restrictive housing. Other terms include administrative and disciplinary segregation, the Box, and the SHU, which stands for “secure housing unit” or “special housing unit.” Solitary was originally intended to separate the most dangerous prisoners from others and to keep vulnerable prisoners safe temporarily. But in Maryland and elsewhere, solitary is used far more widely.

This bill would place limits on the use of restrictive housing for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. It would also require health assessments for people when they enter Maryland Correctional Facilities, so that these various disabilities can be identified before becoming a resident in one of Maryland’s facilities.

Sewage Sludge- Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances - Regulation

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

During treatment, PFAS (or “forever chemicals”) concentrate in sewage sludge, which is then spread on agricultural fields. Alarmingly, Maryland’s sewage sludge permits allow waste from multiple facilities to be applied to single fields, heightening the risk of contamination. Sewage sludge containing PFAS then runs off farm fields and filters into groundwater, contaminating drinking water sources. PFAS also bioaccumulates in fish and wildlife, and is retained in milk, fruits, and vegetables.

Building on previous bills targeting industrial sources of PFAS, the Sewage Sludge Regulation bill would limit PFAS in sewage sludge applied to farmland in order to safeguard our drinking water sources, environment, and the health of our farmers and communities. It offers tiered protections for Maryland farms, based on the level of PFAS found in sewage sludge, from greater than 50 parts per billion (ppb; no application to farmland), to 25-49 ppb (mitigation plan required of the relevant utility), to less than 25 ppb (no restrictions). The bill would also require wastewater treatment plants with sewage sludge testing over 25 ppb to track the source, and would allow local jurisdictions to set rates and fees for industrial users discharging PFAS.

While there is no known safe level for PFAS, this bill takes a significant step to lower health risks, and identify and mitigate sources of PFAS before getting to wastewater treatment plants.

Transportation and Climate Alignment Act of 2026

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This bill would create accountability and transparency about projects that increase pollution and commuter costs by requiring the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) to measure the greenhouse gas emissions of all major capital transportation projects in the state’s six-year capital transportation budget and determine if the overall budget aligns with the state’s goals to cut climate pollution as required by the Climate Solutions Now Act.

The bill would also increase investments in public transit, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and sustainable land use by requiring MDOT to offset greenhouse gas emissions from highway expansion projects over $100 million by providing clean transportation alternatives to affected residents. In addition, MDOT must ensure the state’s transportation budget aligns with Maryland’s climate goals by investing in new projects that cut pollution. This includes public transit, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, development that reduces vehicle traffic, and solar projects on MDOT property. The bill would also require MDOT to prioritize these investments in overburdened and underserved communities.

Support the Maryland Data Privacy Act

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 04:00:00 GMT

This bill would alter certain provisions of law to require a law enforcement agency or a unit of State or local government to deny access to certain databases, facilities, or buildings by certain individuals seeking access for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration law and would require the Attorney General to enforce certain provisions of the Act; and that a State employee that violates certain provisions of the Act is subject to certain discipline.