Individuals who knowingly transfer the human immunodeficiency virus to another will now be charged with reckless endangerment and/or assault in the second degree rather than an outdated misdemeanor.
Prior to this legislation, only law enforcement officials conducted the administrative duties of reviewing speed camera violations. This bill authorizes a trained technician to assist with speed camera monitoring. This will free up law enforcement for critical public safety duties which is crucial, especially in smaller jurisdictions with less law enforcement personnel.
This bill is an extension of SB290, which I sponsored in 2023 and which authorized the Attorney General (AG) to investigate and prosecute police-involved incidents that result in a death. SB290, also required that the AG produce reports that outline the incident types, locations, and demographic characteristics. SB391 will now require that the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission review the reports and make recommendations based on data and their field expertise.
Paradoxically, Maryland’s strict gun laws create a demand for illegally trafficked firearms. With stringent background checks, age restrictions, and limits on private sales, it’s harder for individuals to obtain guns here. This drives the black-market demand for trafficked firearms, many of which come from states with more relaxed regulations. Two-thirds of crime guns in Maryland are trafficked from southern states and the majority of trafficked guns entering Maryland travel through the I-95 corridor from southern states with weaker gun laws. This critical legislation aims to decrease the number of illegal firearms on our streets by ensuring those who illegally traffic firearms into our state will be charged with a felony.
This bill allows those with invisible disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities, to opt-in to receiving a non-apparent disability notation on their driver’s license, identification cards, or moped license. This notation will ensure that first responders, especially law enforcement, are more prepared to interact with individuals with non-apparent disabilities.
The bill reduces the penalties for specified cannabis offenses. It further authorizes a person who is at least 21 years of age to manufacture a personal use amount of cannabis products or concentrated cannabis for personal use or adult sharing at a private residence. The bill designates manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, or possessing certain large quantities of certain controlled dangerous substances as a felony. And reclassifies specified firearm offenses from misdemeanors to felonies.