Public Safety - Law Enforcement Officers - Prohibition on Face Coverings

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0155*

HOUSE BILL 155
E4 6lr1226
(PRE–FILED) CF SB 1
By: Delegates Williams, Lehman, Pena –Melnyk, Behler, Boafo, Charkoudian,
Crutchfield, Feldmark, Foley, Forbes, Guyton, Harrison, Hill, Ivey,
Kaufman, Korman, Martinez, Mireku –North, Palakovich Carr, Pasteur,
Ruth, Schindler, Solomon, Stinnett, Wilkins, Wims, Woorman, Wu, Young,
and Ziegler
Requested: October 16, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Safety – Law Enforcement Officers – Prohibition on Face Coverings 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to 3
develop a certain model policy prohibiting the use of a face covering by a law 4
enforcement officer in the course of duty; requiring a law enforcement agency to 5
adopt a policy consistent with the model policy developed by the Commission; 6
prohibiting a certain law enforcement offic er from wearing a certain face covering 7
while in the performance of duty in the State, with a certain exception; and generally 8
relating to law enforcement officers. 9

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10
Article – Public Safety 11
Section 3–201(a) and (b) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14

BY adding to 15
Article – Public Safety 16
Section 3–207(p) and 3–535 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19

SECTION 1. BE IT ENAC TED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21

Article – Public Safety 22
2 HOUSE BILL 155

3–201. 1

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 2

(b) “Commission” means the Maryland Police Training and Standards 3
Commission. 4

3–207. 5

(P) (1) (I) IN THIS SUBSECTION TH E FOLLOWING WORDS HA VE THE 6
MEANINGS INDICATED. 7

(II) “FACE COVERING” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 3–535 OF 8
THIS TITLE. 9

(III) “LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY” HAS THE MEANING STATED 10
IN § 3–535 OF THIS TITLE. 11

(IV) “LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER” HAS THE MEANING STATED 12
IN § 3–535 OF THIS TITLE. 13

(2) (I) THE COMMISSION SHALL DEVE LOP A MODEL POLICY 14
PROHIBITING THE USE OF A FACE COVERING BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IN 15
THE COURSE OF DUTY CONSISTENT WITH § 3–535 OF THIS TITLE. 16

(II) THE MODEL POLICY DEVELOPED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION 17
SHALL INCLUDE LANGUAGE AFFIRMING: 18

1. THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY’S COMMITMENT TO 19
TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND PUBLIC TRUST; 20

2. THAT THE AUTHORIZED USE OF FACE COVERI NGS 21
SHALL BE LIMITED TO SPECIFIC AND CLEARLY DEFINED CIRCUMSTANCES; AND 22

3. THAT GENERALIZED AND UNDIFFERENTIATED FEAR 23
AND APPREHENSION ABO UT LAW ENFORCEMENT O FFICER SAFETY IS NOT 24
SUFFICIENT TO JUSTIFY THE USE OF FACE COVERINGS. 25

(3) A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY W ITH LAW ENFORCEMENT 26
OFFICERS OPERATING IN THE STATE SHALL ADOPT A POLICY CONSISTENT WITH THE 27
MODEL POLICY DEVELOPED BY THE COMMISSION UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 28
SUBSECTION. 29

HOUSE BILL 155 3

3–535. 1

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 2
INDICATED. 3

(2) (I) “FACE COVERING ” MEANS ANY OPAQUE MAS K, GARMENT, 4
HELMET, HEADGEAR, OR OTHER ITEM THAT CONCEALS OR OBSCURES THE FACE OF 5
AN INDIVIDUAL. 6

(II) “FACE COVERING ” INCLUDES A BALACLAVA , SKI MASK , 7
NECK GAITER, OR TACTICAL MASK. 8

(III) “FACE COVERING” DOES NOT INCLUDE: 9

1. A TRANSLUCENT FACE SHIELD OR CLEAR MASK THAT 10
DOES NOT CONCEAL THE WEARER’S FACE; 11

2. A MEDICAL –GRADE OR SURGICAL MA SK WORN TO 12
PROTECT AGAINST THE TRANSMISSION OF DISEASE OR INFECTION; 13

3. A MASK OR AN APPARATUS , SUCH AS A 14
SELF–CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS, NECESSARY TO PROTECT AGAINST 15
EXPOSURE TO ANY TOXI NS, GAS, SMOKE, OR OTHER HAZARDOUS O R HARMFUL 16
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION; 17

4. A MASK , HELMET, SELF–CONTAINED BREATHING 18
APPARATUS, OR OTHER DEVICE NECESSARY FOR UNDERWATER USE; 19

5. A MOTORCYCLE HELMET WHEN WORN BY AN 20
INDIVIDUAL UTILIZING A MOTORCYCLE OR OTHE R VEHICLE THAT REQUI RES A 21
HELMET FOR SAFE OPERATIONS; 22

6. EYEWEAR NECESSARY TO PROTECT AN INDIVIDUA L 23
FROM THE USE OF RETINAL WEAPONS AND LASERS; 24

7. A GARMENT WORN FOR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES; 25

8. PROTECTIVE GEAR WORN DURING TACTICAL 26
OPERATIONS FOR PURPOSES OF PHYSICAL SAFETY; OR 27

9. ANY OTHER ITEM WORN TO FOLLOW APPLICABLE 28
LAWS ON OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY OR REASONABLE W ORKPLACE 29
ACCOMMODATIONS. 30
4 HOUSE BILL 155

(3) “LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY” INCLUDES A LAW ENFOR CEMENT 1
AGENCY OF: 2

(I) THE STATE; 3

(II) ANOTHER STATE; 4

(III) A POLITICAL SUBDIVIS ION OF THE STATE OR ANOTHER 5
STATE; OR 6

(IV) THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 7

(4) “LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFIC ER” MEANS A SWORN MEMBER OF A 8
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. 9

(B) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A LAW ENFOR CEMENT OFFICER 10
ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN AN UNDERCOVER OPERATION. 11

(C) A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFI CER MAY NOT WEAR A F ACE COVERING 12
WHILE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF DUTY IN THE STATE, EXCEPT AS AUTHORIZED IN A 13
POLICY ADOPTED UNDER § 3–207(P)(3) OF THIS TITLE. 14

(D) (1) A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION: 15

(I) IS GUILTY OF A MISDE MEANOR AND ON CONVIC TION IS 16
SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 2 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING 17
$2,000 OR BOTH; AND 18

(II) WAIVES ALL IMMUNITY IN A CIVIL ACTION BA SED ON THE 19
VIOLATION. 20

(2) A VIOLATION OF THIS SE CTION CONSTITUTES PO LICE 21
MISCONDUCT FOR PURPOSES OF SUBTITLE 1 OF THIS TITLE. 22

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 23
October 1, 2026. 24