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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0165*
HOUSE BILL 165
D1, D2 6lr0738
(PRE–FILED)
By: Delegate Bouchat
Requested: August 27, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Courts – Sheriffs’ Salaries – Alterations 2
FOR the purpose of requiring that the salaries of certain sheriffs be equal to the salaries of 3
certain State’s Attorneys; and generally relating to sheriffs’ salaries. 4
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 5
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 6
Section 2 –314(a), 2–318(a), 2 –319(a), 2 –320(a), 2 –321(a), 2 –323(a), 2 –324(a), 7
2–325(a), 2 –326(a), 2 –328(a), 2 –332(a), 2 –333(a), 2 –334(a), 2 –335(b), 8
2–336(a), and 2–337(a) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 13
Section 2–314(b), 2–318(b)(1), 2–319(b), 2–320(b), 2–321(b)(1), 2–323(b)(1), 2–324(b), 14
2–325(b)(1), 2–326(b)(1), 2–328(b), 2–332(b), 2–333(b)(1), 2–334(b), 2–335(c), 15
2–336(b), and 2–337(b)(1) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MAR YLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 21
2–314. 22
(a) This section applies only in Allegany County. 23
2 HOUSE BILL 165
(b) (1) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 1
SUBSECTION, THE Sheriff of Allegany County shall receive the salary set by the County 2
Commissioners of Allegany County in accordance with Title 28, Subtitle 1 of the Local 3
Government Article. 4
(2) BEGINNING IN CALENDAR YEAR 2027, THE SALARY OF THE 5
SHERIFF OF ALLEGANY COUNTY IS EQUAL TO TH E SALARY OF THE STATE’S 6
ATTORNEY FOR ALLEGANY COUNTY. 7
2–318. 8
(a) This section applies only in Calvert County. 9
(b) (1) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 10
SUBSECTION, THE Sheriff of Calvert County shall receive an annual salary: 11
(i) [Of $90,480 for calendar year 2018; and 12
(ii)] Beginning in calendar year 2019, equal to the salary of a 13
Department of State Police lieutenant colonel, class code 5905 (grade 13, step 12); AND 14
(II) BEGINNING IN CALENDAR YEAR 2027, EQUAL TO THE 15
SALARY OF THE STATE’S ATTORNEY FOR CALVERT COUNTY. 16
2–319. 17
(a) This section applies only in Caroline County. 18
(b) (1) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 19
SUBSECTION, THE Sheriff of Caroline County shall receive an annual salary equal to 85% 20
of the annual salary of the State’s Attorney for Caroline County. 21
(2) BEGINNING IN 2027, THE SHERIFF OF CAROLINE COUNTY SHALL 22
RECEIVE AN ANNUAL SA LARY EQUAL TO THE SA LARY OF THE STATE’S ATTORNEY 23
FOR CAROLINE COUNTY. 24
2–320. 25
(a) This section applies only in Carroll County. 26
(b) (1) The Sheriff of Carroll County shall receive an annual salary of $140,000 27
beginning December 5, 2023. 28
(2) Beginning in 2026, the salary for the Sheriff shall be $191,078.10. 29
HOUSE BILL 165 3
(3) Beginning in 2027, the salary for the Sheriff shall be [$212,309] EQUAL 1
TO THE SALARY OF THE STATE’S ATTORNEY FOR CARROLL COUNTY. 2
2–321. 3
(a) This section applies only in Cecil County. 4
(b) (1) The Sheriff of Cecil County shall receive an annual salary [of]: 5
(i) [$71,500 for fiscal year 2015; 6
(ii) $75,075 for fiscal year 2016; 7
(iii) $77,350 for fiscal year 2017; 8
(iv) $79,675 for fiscal year 2018; 9
(v) Except as provided in item (vi) of this paragraph, $82,075 for 10
fiscal year 2019; and 11
(vi)] For each term of office beginning with the term that begins in 12
fiscal year 2019 AND ENDING IN FISCAL YEAR 2027, not less than $100,000, as 13
determined by the County Council of Cecil County; AND 14
(II) BEGINNING IN FISCAL YEAR 2028, EQUAL TO THE SALARY 15
OF THE STATE’S ATTORNEY FOR CECIL COUNTY. 16
2–323. 17
(a) This section applies only in Dorchester County. 18
(b) (1) (I) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (II) OF THIS 19
PARAGRAPH, THE Sheriff of Dorchester County shall receive an annual salary eq ual to 20
80% of the annual salary of the State’s Attorney for Dorchester County. 21
(II) BEGINNING IN 2027, THE SHERIFF OF DORCHESTER 22
COUNTY SHALL RECEIVE AN ANNUAL SALARY EQU AL TO THE SALARY OF THE 23
STATE’S ATTORNEY FOR DORCHESTER COUNTY. 24
2–324. 25
(a) This section applies only in Frederick County. 26
(b) (1) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 27
SUBSECTION, THE Sheriff of Frederick County shall receive an annual salary of $125,000. 28
4 HOUSE BILL 165
(2) BEGINNING IN 2027, THE SHERIFF OF FREDERICK COUNTY 1
SHALL R ECEIVE AN ANNUAL SAL ARY EQUAL TO THE SAL ARY OF THE STATE’S 2
ATTORNEY FOR FREDERICK COUNTY. 3
2–325. 4
(a) This section applies only in Garrett County. 5
(b) (1) (I) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (II) OF THIS 6
PARAGRAPH, THE Sheriff of Garrett County shall receive an annual salary that is 80% of 7
the salary of the State’s Attorney of Garrett County. 8
(II) BEGINNING IN 2027, THE SHERIFF OF GARRETT COUNTY 9
SHALL RECEIVE AN ANN UAL SALARY EQUAL TO THE SALARY OF THE STATE’S 10
ATTORNEY OF GARRETT COUNTY. 11
2–326. 12
(a) This section applies only in Harford County. 13
(b) (1) (I) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (II) OF THIS 14
PARAGRAPH, THE salary for the Sheriff of Harford County is equal to the salary of a 15
Department of State Police lieutenant colonel, at the highest available step for a lieutenant 16
colonel under the Department of State Police pay plan in effect on the day prior to the day 17
that the Sheriff begins a term of office. 18
(II) BEGINNING IN 2027, THE SALARY OF THE SHERIFF OF 19
HARFORD COUNTY IS EQUAL TO THE SA LARY OF THE STATE’S ATTORNEY FOR 20
HARFORD COUNTY. 21
2–328. 22
(a) This section applies only in Kent County. 23
(b) (1) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 24
SUBSECTION, THE Sheriff of Kent County shall receive an annual salary equal to 80% of 25
the annual salary of the State’s Attorney for Kent County. 26
(2) BEGINNING IN 2027, THE SHERIFF OF KENT COUNTY SHALL 27
RECEIVE AN ANNUAL SA LARY EQUAL TO THE AN NUAL SALARY OF THE STATE’S 28
ATTORNEY FOR KENT COUNTY. 29
2–332. 30
(a) This section applies only in St. Mary’s County. 31
HOUSE BILL 165 5
(b) The Sheriff of St. Mary’s County shall receive an annual salary [of]: 1
(1) [$100,000 for calendar year 2015; 2
(2) $102,000 for calendar year 2016; 3
(3) $104,040 for calendar year 2017; and 4
(4)] Beginning in calendar year 2018, equal to the salary of a Department 5
of State Police lieutenant colonel (step 12); AND 6
(2) BEGINNING IN CALENDAR YEAR 2027, EQUAL TO THE SALARY OF 7
THE STATE’S ATTORNEY FOR ST. MARY’S COUNTY. 8
2–333. 9
(a) This section applies only in Somerset County. 10
(b) (1) (I) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (II) OF THIS 11
PARAGRAPH, THE Sheriff of Somerset County shall receive an annual salary of not less 12
than $105,000. 13
(II) BEGINNING IN 2027, THE SHERIFF OF SOMERSET COUNTY 14
SHALL RECEIVE AN ANN UAL SALARY EQUAL TO THE SALARY OF THE STATE’S 15
ATTORNEY FOR SOMERSET COUNTY. 16
2–334. 17
(a) This section applies only in Talbot County. 18
(b) (1) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 19
SUBSECTION, THE Sheriff of Talbot County shall receive a salary as set by the County 20
Council of Talbot County. 21
(2) BEGINNING IN 2027, THE SHERIFF OF TALBOT COUNTY SHALL 22
RECEIVE A SALARY EQUAL TO THE SALARY OF THE STATE’S ATTORNEY FOR TALBOT 23
COUNTY. 24
2–335. 25
(b) This section applies only in Washington County. 26
6 HOUSE BILL 165
(c) (1) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 1
SUBSECTION, THE Sheriff’s salary is 90% of the salary of the State’s Attorney of 2
Washington County. 3
(2) BEGINNING IN 2027, THE SHERIFF’S SALARY IS EQUAL TO THE 4
SALARY OF THE STATE’S ATTORNEY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY. 5
2–336. 6
(a) This section applies only in Wicomico County. 7
(b) (1) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 8
SUBSECTION, THE Sheriff of Wicomico County shall receive an annual salary of the greater 9
of: 10
[(1)] (I) $58,000 in calendar year 1998 and thereafter; or 11
[(2)] (II) The salary set by the County Council of Wicomico County before 12
the start of the term of office. 13
(2) BEGINNING IN 2027, THE SHERIFF OF WICOMICO COUNTY SHALL 14
RECEIVE AN ANNUAL SA LARY EQUAL TO THE AN NUAL SALARY OF THE STATE’S 15
ATTORNEY FOR WICOMICO COUNTY. 16
2–337. 17
(a) This section applies only in Worcester County. 18
(b) (1) (I) [The] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (II) OF THIS 19
PARAGRAPH, THE Sheriff of Worcester County shall receive an annual salary as set by the 20
County Commissioners of Worcester County of at least $85,000. 21
(II) BEGINNING IN 2027, THE SHERIFF OF WORCESTER 22
COUNTY SHALL RECEIVE AN ANNUAL SALARY EQU AL TO TH E ANNUAL SALARY OF 23
THE STATE’S ATTORNEY FOR WORCESTER COUNTY. 24
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, in accordance with Article 25
III, § 35 of the Maryland Constitution, this Act may not be construed to extend or apply to 26
the salary or compensation of the Sheriff of Allegany County, the Sheriff of Calvert County, 27
the Sheriff of Caroline County, the Sheriff of Carroll County, the Sheriff of Cecil County, 28
the Sheriff of Dorchester County, the Sheriff of Frederick County, the Sheriff of Garrett 29
County, the Sheriff of Harford County, the Sheriff of Kent County, the Sheriff of St. Mary’s 30
County, the Sheriff of Somerset County, the Sheriff of Talbot Cou nty, the Sheriff of 31
Washington County, the Sheriff of Wicomico County, or the Sheriff of Worcester County 32
while serving in a term of office beginning before the effective d ate of this Act, but the 33
provisions of this Act concerning the salary or compensation of the sheriffs listed under this 34
HOUSE BILL 165 7
section shall take effect at the beginning of the next following term of office. This limitation 1
does not apply to an individual appoint ed or elected after the effective date of this Act to 2
fill out an unexpired term. 3
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 4
October 1, 2026. 5