Juvenile Sex Offender Registry - Qualifying Offenses and Access

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0012*

HOUSE BILL 12
E3, E2 6lr1181
HB 952/25 – JUD (PRE–FILED)
By: Delegates Griffith and Grammer
Requested: October 14, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Juvenile Sex Offender Registry – Qualifying Offenses and Access 2

FOR the purpose of authorizing a local superintendent or the superintendent’s designee to 3
access the registry of juvenile sex offenders; adding certain offenses to the list of 4
offenses for which a person adjudicated delinquent is required to be included in the 5
registry of juvenile sex offenders; and generally relating to juvenile records and the 6
registry of juvenile sex offenders. 7

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 9
Section 3–8A–27(b)(1) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – Criminal Procedure 14
Section 11–704.1 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2025 Replacement Volume) 17

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19

Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 20

3–8A–27. 21

(b) (1) A court record pertaining to a child is confidential and its contents may 22
not be divulged, by subpoena or otherwise, except by order of the court upon good cause 23
2 HOUSE BILL 12

shown or as provided in §§ 7–303 and 22–309 of the Education Article OR IN § 11–704.1(C) 1
OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE ARTICLE. 2

Article – Criminal Procedure 3

11–704.1. 4

(a) In this section, “juvenile registrant” means a person who is required to be 5
included in the registry of juvenile sex offenders under subsection (b) of this section. 6

(b) A person shall be included in a registry of juvenile sex offenders that is 7
maintained by the Department separately from the sex offender registry if[: 8

(1)] the person has been adjudicated delinquent for an act that, if committed 9
by an adult[: 10

(i)], would constitute a violation of: 11

(1) § 3–303, § 3–304, [or § 3–307(a)(1) or (2)] § 3–307, § 3–308, § 3–309, 12
OR § 3–310 of the Criminal Law Article; [or 13

(ii)] (2) [would constitute a violation of ] § 3–305 or § 3 –306(a)(1) 14
or (2) of the Criminal Law Article as the sections existed before October 1, 2017; [and 15

(2) the person was a minor who was at least 14 years old at the time the 16
delinquent act was committed.] 17

(3) § 3–602 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE; 18

(4) § 3–902 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE IF THE VICTIM IS A 19
MINOR; OR 20

(5) § 11–207 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE IF THE VICTIM DOES 21
NOT HAVE KNOWLEDGE O F OR DOES NOT CONSEN T TO THE PRODUCTION OR 22
DISTRIBUTION OF THE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. 23

(c) The registry of juvenile sex offenders shall be accessible only by law 24
enforcement personnel for law enforcement purposes AND BY THE LOCAL 25
SUPERINTENDENT OR THE SUPERINTENDENT’S DESIGNEE. 26

(d) When the juvenile court’s jurisdiction over a juvenile registr ant terminates 27
under § 3 –8A–07 of the Courts Article OR WHEN A JUVENILE R EGISTRANT REACHES 28
THE AGE OF 18 YEARS, WHICHEVER OCCURS LAT ER, the juvenile registrant shall be 29
removed from the registry. 30

HOUSE BILL 12 3

(e) A juvenile registrant shall appear in person at a loca tion designated by the 1
Department of Juvenile Services every 3 months to: 2

(1) update and verify with the Department of Juvenile Services the 3
information included in the registry of juvenile sex offenders under this section; and 4

(2) allow the Department of Juvenile Services to take a digital image of the 5
juvenile registrant. 6

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 7
October 1, 2026. 8