Maryland HB 205: Violent Criminals - Parole Limitation and Legislative Testimony Removal (Sexual Offender Accountability and Victim Protection Act)

Bill Text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0205*

HOUSE BILL 205
E5, E2 6lr1473
(PRE–FILED)
By: Delegates Bouchat, Nkongolo, Schmidt, and Tomlinson
Requested: October 30, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Violent Criminals – Parole Limitation and Legislative Testimony Removal 2
(Sexual Offender Accountability and Victim Protection Act) 3

FOR the purpose of providing that an incarcerated individual who is serving a certain 4
sentence for a certain sexual crime may be considered for parole only one time after 5
becoming eligible; providing that if a victim, victim’s family, victims’ advocacy 6
organization, or victim’s representative objects to the granting of parole to a certain 7
individual, parole shall be denied permanently; requiring that a certain record of 8
legislative testimony of an individual who has been convicted of a certain crime of 9
violence be removed from the General Assembly’s website on request of the victim, 10
victim’s family, or victim’s representative; and generally relating to violent criminals 11
and victims’ rights. 12

BY adding to 13
Article – Correctional Services 14
Section 7–311 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2025 Replacement Volume) 17

BY adding to 18
Article – Criminal Procedure 19
Section 11–106 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2025 Replacement Volume) 22

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 23
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 24

Article – Correctional Services 25

2 HOUSE BILL 205

7–311. 1

(A) AN INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL WHO IS SERVING A SENTENCE OF LIFE 2
PLUS ANY NUMBER OF YEARS FOR A CONVICTION OF A SEXUAL CRIME UNDER TITLE 3
3, SUBTITLE 3 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE OR SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR 4
UNDER § 3–602 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE MAY BE CONSIDERED FOR PAROLE 5
ONLY ONE TIME AFTER BECOMING ELIGIBLE AS PROVIDED UNDER THIS SUBTITLE. 6

(B) BEFORE AN INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION 7
(A) OF THIS SECTION IS CONSIDERED FOR PAROLE, THE COMMISSION SHALL MAKE 8
ALL REASONABLE EFFORTS TO LOCATE ALL VICTIMS OF THE CRIME AND THE 9
VICTIMS’ REPRESENTATIVES AND PROVIDE TO THE VICTIMS AND THE VICTIMS’ 10
REPRESENTATIVES NOTIFICATION OF THE PAROLE CONSIDERATION. 11

(C) IF A VICTIM, VICTIM’S FAMILY, VICTIMS’ ADVOCACY GROUP, VICTIM’S 12
REPRESENTATIVE, OR THE COMMISSION OBJECTS TO THE GRANTING OF PAROLE TO 13
AN INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION, 14
PAROLE SHALL BE DENIED PERMANENTLY. 15

Article – Criminal Procedure 16

11–106. 17

(A) IN THIS SECTION, “CRIME OF VIOLENCE” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN 18
§ 14–101 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE. 19

(B) IF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF A CRIME OF VIOLENCE 20
TESTIFIES BEFORE A COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, ALL WRITTEN AND 21
AUDIOVISUAL RECORD OF THE TESTIMONY SHALL BE REMOVED FROM THE 22
GENERAL ASSEMBLY’S WEBSITE ON REQUEST OF THE VICTIM, VICTIM’S FAMILY, OR 23
VICTIM’S REPRESENTATIVE. 24

(C) IN PLACE OF TESTIMONY THAT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE 25
GENERAL ASSEMBLY’S WEBSITE UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION, THE 26
FOLLOWING NOTICE SHALL BE SUBSTITUTED: 27

“(NAME) PROVIDED LEGISLATIVE TESTIMONY ON (DATE). THIS TESTIMONY 28
HAS BEEN REMOVED TO PROTECT VICTIMS’ RIGHTS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO 29
RECEIVE A COPY OF THIS TESTIMONY, PLEASE CONTACT THE MANAGER OF THE 30
COMMITTEE BY E–MAIL AT (E–MAIL ADDRESS) OR BY STANDARD MAIL AT (ADDRESS). 31

PLEASE ALLOW A MINIMUM OF 30 DAYS AND UP TO 6 MONTHS FOR REVIEW 32
AND APPROVAL OR DENIAL OF YOUR REQUEST. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT YOU MAY 33

HOUSE BILL 205 3

BE QUESTIONED REGARDING YOUR IDENTITY AND THE REASON FOR YOUR REQUEST. 1
A MANAGER OF THE COMMITTEE WILL CONSULT WITH THE VICTIM OR THE VICTIM’S 2
REPRESENTATIVE BEFORE DETERMINING WHETHER TO APPROVE OR DENY YOUR 3
REQUEST. PLEASE NOTE THAT MOST, IF NOT ALL, REQUESTS FOR A COPY OF THE 4
TESTIMONY FROM ANYONE OTHER THAN A CURRENT VOTING MEMBER OF THE 5
GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILL BE DENIED.”. 6

(D) A COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SHALL FOLLOW THE 7
PROCEDURE DESCRIBED IN THE NOTICE SET FORTH IN SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS 8
SECTION. 9

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 10
October 1, 2026. 11