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HB0349 • 2026

Public Safety - Law Enforcement - Use of Body-Worn Cameras

Public Safety - Law Enforcement - Use of Body-Worn Cameras

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Delegates Simmons , Behler , Cardin , Feldmark , Fennell , Kipke , Nkongolo , Odom , Rogers , Schmidt , Stinnett , Taylor , and Turner
Last action
2026-01-29
Official status
In the House - Hearing 2/24 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date
2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Public Safety - Law Enforcement - Use of Body-Worn Cameras

Altering certain provisions of law to require a certain law enforcement agency to require the use of body-worn cameras, subject to a certain policy, by each sworn law enforcement officer, regardless of rank, employed by the law enforcement agency while the officer is in uniform, in public, and conducting law enforcement related duties.

What This Bill Does

  • Altering certain provisions of law to require a certain law enforcement agency to require the use of body-worn cameras, subject to a certain policy, by each sworn law enforcement officer, regardless of rank, employed by the law enforcement agency while the officer is in uniform, in public, and conducting law enforcement related duties.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-29 House

    Hearing 2/24 at 1:00 p.m.

  2. 2026-01-19 House

    First Reading Judiciary

  3. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Public Safety - Law Enforcement - Use of Body-Worn Cameras

  4. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Racial Equity Impact Note

Official Summary Text

Altering certain provisions of law to require a certain law enforcement agency to require the use of body-worn cameras, subject to a certain policy, by each sworn law enforcement officer, regardless of rank, employed by the law enforcement agency while the officer is in uniform, in public, and conducting law enforcement related duties.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0349*

HOUSE BILL 349
E4 6lr1757
HB 707/24 – JUD
By: Delegates Simmons, Behler, Cardin, Feldmark, Fennell, Kipke, Nkongolo,
Odom, Rogers, Schmidt, Stinnett, Taylor, and Turner
Introduced and read first time: January 19, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Safety – Law Enforcement – Use of Body–Worn Cameras 2

FOR the purpose of altering certain provisions of law to require a certain law enforcement 3
agency to require the use of body–worn cameras, subject to a certain policy, by each 4
sworn law enforcement officer, regardless of rank, employed by the law enforcement 5
agency while the officer is in uniform, in public, and conducting law enforcement 6
related duties; and generally relating to the use of body –worn cameras by law 7
enforcement officers. 8

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Public Safety 10
Section 3–511(c) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15

Article – Public Safety 16

3–511. 17

(c) (1) (i) This paragraph applies to: 18

1. the Department of State Police; 19

2. the Anne Arundel County Police Department; 20

3. the Howard County Police Department; and 21

2 HOUSE BILL 349

4. the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. 1

(ii) [On or before July 1, 2023, a] A law enforcement agency to which 2
this paragraph applies shall require the use of body–worn cameras, subject to the policy on 3
the use of body–worn cameras developed by the law enforcement agency, by each SWORN 4
law enforcement officer, REGARDLESS OF RANK, employed by the law enforcement agency 5
[who regularly interacts with members of the public as part of the law enforcement officer’s 6
official duties ] WHILE THE OFFICER IS IN UNIFORM, IN PUBLIC, AND CONDUCTING 7
LAW ENFORCEMENT RELATED DUTIES. 8

(2) On or before July 1, 2025, a law enforcement agency of a county, other 9
than a law enforcement agency described in paragraph (1) of this subsection, shall require 10
the use of body –worn cameras, subject to the policy on the use of body –worn cameras 11
developed by the law enforcement agency, by each SWORN law enforcement officer , 12
REGARDLESS OF RANK, employed by the law enforcement agency [who regularly interacts 13
with members of the public as part of the law enforcement officer’s official duties ] WHILE 14
THE OFFICER IS IN UN IFORM, IN PUBLIC, AND CONDUCTING LAW E NFORCEMENT 15
RELATED DUTIES. 16

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 17
October 1, 2026. 18