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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0360*
HOUSE BILL 360
E2 6lr1994
CF 6lr2087
By: Delegates Moon, Davis, Phillips, and Williams
Introduced and read first time: January 19, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Criminal Procedure – Automated Expungement 2
(Clean Slate Act of 2026) 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services 4
and the Judiciary to expunge all cases meeting certain criteria on or before a certain 5
date; requiring the Department and the Judiciary to expunge certain newly eligible 6
cases on a monthly basis; and generally relating to expungement. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Criminal Procedure 9
Section 10–112.1 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2025 Replacement Volume) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Criminal Procedure 15
10–112.1. 16
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 17
INDICATED. 18
(2) (I) “DISPOSITION” MEANS THE OUTCOME OF A CRIMINAL 19
CHARGE OR CASE RECORDED IN ELECTRONIC COURT RECORDS. 20
(II) “DISPOSITION” INCLUDES AN ACQUITTA L, A DISMISSAL, A 21
NOLLE PROSEQUI, A FINDING OF GUILTY, A PROBATION BEFORE JUDGMENT, A PLEA 22
2 HOUSE BILL 360
OF GUILTY, A PLEA OF NOLO CONTENDERE, MARKING THE CHARGE “STET” ON THE 1
DOCKET, AND AN ORDER OF AN APPELLATE COURT ENDING A CRIMINAL CASE. 2
(III) “DISPOSITION” DOES NOT REFER TO TH E OUTCOME OF A 3
CRIMINAL SENTENCE. 4
(3) “EXPUNGE” MEANS TO: 5
(I) REMOVE ALL REFERENCES TO A SPECIFIED CRIMINAL CASE 6
FROM THE CENTRAL REPOSITORY; AND 7
(II) REMOVE FROM PUBLIC V IEW ALL ELECTRONIC C OURT 8
RECORDS RELATING TO THE CASE , WITHOUT NEEDING TO R EDACT PHYSICAL OR 9
ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS, RECORDINGS, OR AUDIO OR VISUAL MEDIA. 10
(B) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2028, THE DEPARTMENT AND THE JUDICIARY 11
SHALL EXPUNGE ALL CASES IN WHICH: 12
(1) (I) ALL CHARGES OR DISPOSITIONS IN THE CASE ARE LIST ED 13
UNDER § 10–105(A) OF THIS SUBTITLE; 14
(II) THE CASE IS ELIGIBLE UNDER § 10–107 OF THIS SUBTITLE; 15
AND 16
(III) AT LEAST 3 YEARS HAVE PASSED SI NCE THE DATE OF THE 17
DISPOSITION OF THE CASE; OR 18
(2) (I) ANY CONVICTIONS IN THE CASE ARE MISD EMEANOR 19
CONVICTIONS LISTED UNDER § 10–110(A) OF THIS SUBTITLE, OTHER THAN: 20
1. ASSAULT IN THE SECOND DEGREE UNDER § 3–203 OF 21
THE CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE; AND 22
2. ANY CHARGE MARKED IN ELECTRONIC COURT 23
RECORDS AS A DOMESTICALLY RELATED CRIME UNDER § 6–233 OF THIS ARTICLE; 24
(II) THE CASE IS ELIGIBLE UNDER §§ 10–107 AND 10–110(D)(2) 25
AND (3) OF THIS SUBTITLE; AND 26
(III) AT LEAST 7 YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE DISPOSITION OF 27
THE CASE, EXCEPT THAT IF THE P ERSON IS CONVICTED O F A NEW CRIME DURING 28
THE 7–YEAR PERIOD , THE ORIGINAL CONVICT ION OR CONVICTIONS A RE NOT 29
HOUSE BILL 360 3
ELIGIBLE FOR EXPUNGE MENT UNLESS THE NEW CONVICTION BECOMES E LIGIBLE 1
FOR EXPUNGEMENT. 2
(C) (1) BEGINNING AUGUST 1, 2028, THE JUDICIARY SHALL, ONCE PER 3
MONTH, IDENTIFY ALL CASES THAT ARE NEWLY ELIGI BLE FOR EXPUNGEMENT 4
BASED ON THE CRITERIA SET FORTH IN SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. 5
(2) PROMPTLY AFTER MAKING EACH DETERMINATION R EQUIRED 6
UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE JUDICIARY SHALL 7
ELECTRONICALLY NOTIFY THE DEPARTMENT OF ALL CASES THAT AR E NEWLY 8
ELIGIBLE FOR EXPUNGEMENT. 9
(3) WITHIN ONE MONTH OF THE NOTIFICATION REQUIRED UNDER 10
PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE DEPARTMENT AND THE JUDICIARY 11
SHALL EXPUNGE ALL NEWLY ELIGIBLE CASES. 12
SECTION 2. A ND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
October 1, 2026. 14