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*hb0269*
HOUSE BILL 269
G2 6lr0006
(PRE–FILED) CF SB 80
By: Chair, Government, Labor, and Elections Committee (By Request –
Departmental – State Ethics Commission)
Requested: September 16, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 26, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Public Ethics Law – Financial Disclosure Statements – State Officials 2
of and Candidates to Be a State Official of the Judicial Branch 3
FOR the purpose of clarifying certain duties of the Commission on Judicial Disabilities and 4
the Judicial Ethics Committee; requiring the Administrative Office of the Courts or 5
another body designated by the Supreme Court of Maryland to administer and 6
implement certain provisions of law relating to financial disclosure statements for 7
State officials of the Judici al Branch and candidates to be a State official of the 8
Judicial Branch and maintain and make available to the public the records and 9
statements of State officials of the Judicial Branch and candidates to be a State 10
official of the Judicial Branch; repealin g a requirement that the Supreme Court of 11
Maryland transmit copies of certain statements to the State Ethics Commission; and 12
generally relating to statements for State officials of and candidates to be a State 13
official of the Judicial Branch. 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – General Provisions 16
Section 5–104 and 5–606 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 19
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 20
Article – General Provisions 21
2 HOUSE BILL 269
Section 5–610(a) 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 3
BY repealing 4
Article – General Provisions 5
Section 5–610(c) 6
Annotated Code of Maryland 7
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 8
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GE NERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 9
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 10
Article – General Provisions 11
5–104. 12
(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section and in § 5 –871 of 13
this title, this title shall be administered and implemented by the Ethics Commission. 14
(b) The Joint Ethics Committee, acting as an advisory body, shall administer and 15
implement Subtitle 5 of this title as [it] THAT SUBTITLE applies to members of the General 16
Assembly. 17
(c) (1) The Commission on Judicial Disabilit ies, the Judicial Ethics 18
Committee, or another body designated by the Supreme Court of Maryland, acting as an 19
advisory body, shall administer and implement [Subtitles 5 and 6] SUBTITLE 5 of this title 20
as [those subtitles apply ] THAT SUBTITLE APPLIE S to Sta te officials of the Judicial 21
Branch AND CANDIDATES TO BE A STATE OFFICIAL OF THE JUDICIAL BRANCH. 22
(2) THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS OR ANOTHER 23
BODY DESIGNATED BY T HE SUPREME COURT OF MARYLAND, ACTING AS AN 24
ADVISORY BODY, SHALL ADMINISTER AND IMPLEMENT SUBTITLE 6 OF THIS TITLE 25
AS THAT SUBTITLE APP LIES TO STATE OFFICIALS OF TH E JUDICIAL BRANCH AND 26
CANDIDATES TO BE A STATE OFFICIAL OF THE JUDICIAL BRANCH. 27
5–606. 28
(a) (1) (i) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection OR 29
SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION , the Ethics Commission and the Joint Ethics 30
Committee shall maintain the statements submitted under this subtitle and, during 31
normal office hours, make the statements available to the public for examination and 32
copying. 33
HOUSE BILL 269 3
(ii) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Ethics 1
Commission and the Joint Ethics Committee may charge a reasonable fee and adopt 2
administrative procedures for the examination and copying of a statement. 3
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, for statements 4
submitted on or after January 1, 2019, the Ethics Commission shall make freely available 5
to the public on the Internet, through an online registration program, a [financial 6
disclosure] statement required under § 5 –601(a) of this subtitle and a preliminary 7
disclosure required under § 5–602(c) of this subtitle that is filed by: 8
(i) a State official OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OR THE 9
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH; 10
(ii) a candidate for office as a State official OF THE EXECUTIVE 11
BRANCH OR THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH; or 12
(iii) a secretary of a principal department in the Executive Branch. 13
(3) The Ethics Commission and the Joint Ethics Committee may not: 14
(i) provide public access to a portion of a statement that is filed after 15
January 1, 2019, and that includes an individual’s home address that the individual has 16
identified as the individual’s home address; or 17
(ii) post on the Internet information related to consideration 18
received that is reported under § 5–607(j) of this subtitle. 19
(b) (1) The Ethics Commission and the Joint Ethics Committee shall maintain 20
a record of: 21
(i) the name and home address of each individual who examines or 22
copies a statement under SUBSECTION (A) OF this section; and 23
(ii) the name of the indi vidual whose statement was examined or 24
copied. 25
(2) On the request of the individual whose statement was examined or 26
copied, the Ethics Commission or the Joint Ethics Committee shall forward to that 27
individual a copy of the record specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection. 28
(C) THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS OR ANOTHER BOD Y 29
DESIGNATED BY THE SUPREME COURT OF MARYLAND SHALL: 30
(1) MAINTAIN THE RECORDS OF STATE OFFICIALS OF THE JUDICIAL 31
BRANCH AND CANDIDATES TO BE A STATE OFFICIAL OF THE JUDICIAL BRANCH; 32
AND 33
4 HOUSE BILL 269
(2) MAKE THE STATEMENTS SUBMITTED UNDER THIS SUBTITLE 1
AVAILABLE TO THE PUB LIC FOR EXAMINATION AND COPYING DURING N ORMAL 2
OFFICE HOURS. 3
5–610. 4
(a) In accordance with its administrative authority over the Judicial Branch 5
under the M aryland Constitution, the Supreme Court of Maryland shall adopt and 6
administer rules that require each individual specified in § 5 –601(b) of this subtitle to file 7
a statement periodically that discloses, as a public record, the information concerning the 8
individual’s financial affairs that the court considers necessary or appropriate to promote 9
continued trust and confidence in the integrity of the Judicial Branch. 10
[(c) Within 30 days after receiving a statement under this section, the Supreme 11
Court of Ma ryland or its designee shall transmit a copy of the statement to the Ethics 12
Commission.] 13
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 14
1, 2026. 15
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.