HB0003 - Land Use - Expedited Development Review Processes for Affordable Housing Requirements

HB0003 – Requiring local jurisdictions to establish and implement an expedited development review process for certain proposed affordable housing developments; applying the process to a charitable organization seeking to develop affordable housing on its own land and a public housing authority proposing to develop affordable housing on land owned by a charity or a government entity; and establishing a good-faith waiver for local jurisdictions that cannot implement an expedited development review process. — Referred to committee. — still in committee, 20 Apr

HB 0006 - Public Safety - Law Enforcement - Quotas (Community-Oriented Policing Act)

Altering a prohibition against using the number of arrests made, investigations conducted, citations issued, or warrants served or executed by a law enforcement officer as a criterion for the evaluation, compensation, discipline, promotion, demotion, dismissal, or transfer of the officer; and prohibiting law enforcement agencies from requiring, suggesting, requesting, or directing an officer to act for the purpose of increasing the number of investigations, warrants served or executed, or citations or arrests delivered. — still in committee, 21 Apr.

HB0009 - State Retirement and Pension System - Forfeiture of Benefits

Establishing that a public employee is subject to forfeiture of benefits from the State Retirement and Pension System when a public employee is found guilty of, pleads guilty to, or enters a plea of nolo contendere to a qualifying crime that is committed in the course of the performance of the public employee’s duties; providing for the processes and procedures to implement a forfeiture of benefits; and providing for the processes and procedures to reverse a forfeiture of benefits. — still in committee, 21 Apr.

HB0021 - Criminal Procedure - Warrantless Arrest - Straw Purchase Participant

Adding the crime of knowingly being a participant in a straw purchase of a regulated firearm to the list of crimes subject to warrantless arrest; and providing a penalty on conviction of imprisonment not to exceed 10 years or a fine of up to $25,000 or both. — still in committee, 21 Apr

HB0202 - Election Law - Absentee Ballots - Signature Requirements and Verification

Prohibiting a local board of elections from removing an absentee ballot from a return envelope or ballot/return envelope or counting the ballot unless the return envelope or ballot/return envelope is signed by the voter and, except under certain circumstances, a witness, and the local board verifies the voter’s signature; and providing that the witness signature requirement does not apply to active duty uniformed services members serving overseas or their spouses or dependents who live overseas. Current status: In committee 21 Apr

HB0025 - Public Schools - Sexually Explicit Materials - Prohibited in Libraries and Media Centers

Prohibiting sexually explicit materials in elementary, middle, and secondary public school libraries and media centers; defining sexually explicit materials as books and auditory and visual material that contain graphic or obscene depictions of sexual activity that are not age appropriate or used as part of the approved instructional materials for instruction on family life and human sexuality; etc. — still in committee, 21 Apr

HB0027 - No–Knock Warrants 

This bill repeals the authority to issue and execute a no-knock search warrant and alters procedures for the issuance and execution of a search warrant. The bill (1) establishes that a search warrant may not authorize a law enforcement officer executing the warrant to enter a building, apartment, premises, or place to be searched without first announcing the officer’s purpose and authority; (2) specifies that a search warrant may be executed only between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; and (3) requires an officer executing a search warrant to, prior to entering the building, apartment, premises, or place to be searched under the warrant’s authority, give notice reasonably calculated to alert any occupants within the location of the officer’s authority and purpose. — still in committee, 21 Apr.

HB0130 - Department of General Services - State Buildings and Facilities - Energy Conservation and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions

Altering the State’s goals for reducing energy consumption in State buildings; requiring the Maryland Green Building Council to update the High Performance Green Building Program to ensure that the Program aligns with certain greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals; requiring the Department of General Services to identify State-owned facilities that are potential candidates for energy performance contracts; etc. CURRENT STATUS:  First Reading in the Senate