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*hb0450*
HOUSE BILL 450
E2 6lr1214
CF SB 294
By: Delegates Guyton, Bagnall, Boyce, Conaway, Embry, Feldmark, Fennell,
Foley, Forbes, Harrison, Hornberger, D. Jones, Kaiser, Kaufman, Lehman,
Lewis, J. Long, Lopez, Miller, Phillips, Roberts, Rose, Ruth, Schindler,
Spiegel, Stein, Stinnett, Taveras, Terrasa, Tomlinson, Watson,
White Holland, Wolek, Woods, Woorman, and Wu
Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 22, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Criminal Procedure – Protection of Identity of Victim of Sexual Assault or 2
Stalking 3
FOR the purpose of prohibiting a court or a party in a criminal or juvenile delinquency case 4
from disclosing or allowing inspection of a certain court filing or record to a nonparty 5
unless the court or the party redacts certain identifying information rela ting to a 6
certain victim of sexual assault or victim of stalking that appears in the filing or 7
record, subject to a certain exception; requiring a court to redact certain identifying 8
information relating to a certain victim of sexual assault or victim of s talking from 9
an existing filing or record on certain request; providing for disclosure or inspection 10
of a certain record or filing by a certain health occupations board; and generally 11
relating to protection of victims. 12
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – Criminal Procedure 14
Section 11–301 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2025 Replacement Volume) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
2 HOUSE BILL 450
Article – Criminal Procedure 1
11–301. 2
(a) On motion of the State or on request of a victim or witness, during a criminal 3
trial or a juvenile delinquency adjudicatory hearing, a court may prohibit the release of the 4
address or telephone number of the victim or witness unless the court determines that good 5
cause is shown for the release of the information. 6
(b) (1) (i) In this subsection SECTION the following words have the 7
meanings indicated. 8
(ii) (2) “Identifying information” means the name of, and any 9
other information that could reasonably be expected to identify, a minor victim , A VICTIM 10
OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR A VICTIM OF STALKING. 11
(iii) (3) “Minor victim” means [a] AN ALLEGED victim of a crime 12
or delinquent act who was a minor at the time that the crime or delinquent act occurred. 13
(IV) (4) “VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSA ULT” MEANS AN ALLEGED 14
VICTIM OF SEXUALLY A SSAULTIVE BEHAVIOR A S DEFINED IN § 10–923 OF THE 15
COURTS ARTICLE OR A CRIME UNDER TITLE 3, SUBTITLE 11 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW 16
ARTICLE. 17
(V) (5) “VICTIM OF STALKING ” MEANS AN ALLEGED VICTIM 18
OF STALKING AS DEFINED IN § 3–802 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE. 19
(B) ON MOTION OF THE STATE OR ON REQUEST O F A VICTIM OR WITNES S, 20
DURING A CRIMINAL TR IAL OR A JUVENILE DE LINQUENCY ADJUDICATO RY 21
HEARING, A COURT MAY PROHIBIT THE RELEASE OF THE ADDRESS OR TELEPHONE 22
NUMBER OF THE VICTIM OR WITNESS UNLESS THE COURT DETERMINES THAT GOOD 23
CAUSE IS SHOWN FOR THE RELEASE OF THE INFORMATION. 24
(2) (C) Notwithstanding any other law, on notice that an electronic or 25
paper filing includes identifying in formation of a minor victim, unless the court finds by 26
clear and convincing evidence that there is good cause to order otherwise, the court or a 27
party in a criminal or juvenile delinquency case may not disclose or allow inspection of an 28
electronic or paper court filing, including a charging document, to a nonparty to the 29
criminal or juvenile delinquency case unless the court or the party disclosing or allowing 30
inspection of the filing redacts all identifying information that appears in the filing. 31
(3) (D) (1) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY O THER LAW , ON NOTICE 32
THAT A CASE FILING O R RECORD INCLUDES ID ENTIFYING INFORMATIO N OF A 33
VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT OR A VICTIM OF STALKING, UNLESS THE COURT FINDS 34
HOUSE BILL 450 3
CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE THAT THERE IS GOOD CAUSE TO ORD ER 1
OTHERWISE, THE COURT OR A PARTY IN A CRIMINAL OR JUV ENILE DELINQUENCY 2
CASE MAY NOT DISCLOS E OR ALLOW INSPECTIO N OF AN ELECTRONIC O R PAPER 3
COURT FILING OR RECO RD, INCLUDING A CHARGING DOCUMENT, TO A NONPARTY 4
TO THE CRIMINAL OR J UVENILE DELINQUENCY CASE, EXCEPT TO THE VICTIM OR 5
THE VICTIM’S REPRESENTATIVE, UNLESS THE COURT OR THE PARTY DISCLOSING OR 6
ALLOWING INSPECTION OF THE FILING OR REC ORD REDACTS ALL IDEN TIFYING 7
INFORMATION THAT APPEARS IN THE FILING OR RECORD. 8
(4) (2) ON WRITTEN REQUEST OF A VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT OR 9
A VICTIM OF STALKING , THE COURT SHALL REDA CT IDENTIFYING INFOR MATION 10
RELATING TO THE VICTIM FROM AN EXISTING FILING OR RECORD. 11
(3) (I) 1. A HEALTH OCCUPATIONS BOARD THAT HAS LICENSED 12
OR CERTIFIED THE DEF ENDANT OR RESPONDENT MAY PETITI ON THE COURT TO 13
ORDER THE DISCLOSURE OR ALLOW INSPECTION OF AN UNREDACTED FIL ING OR 14
RECORD DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF 15
INVESTIGATING OR OTH ERWISE DISCIPLINING THE DEFENDANT OR RES PONDENT 16
FOR SEXUAL MISCONDUC T IN ACCORDA NCE WITH § 1–212 OF THE HEALTH 17
OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE. 18
2. THE HEALTH OCCUPATION S BOARD SHALL SERVE 19
NOTICE OF THE PETITION ON EACH PARTY IN THE CASE. 20
(II) AFTER RECEIVING NOTIC E OF A PETITION UNDE R 21
SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , THE STATE’S ATTORNEY SHALL NOTIFY 22
EACH VICTIM IN THE CASE: 23
1. THAT A PETITION HAS BEEN FILED TO RELEAS E THE 24
VICTIM’S IDENTIFYING INFORMATION TO A HEALTH OCCUPATIONS BOARD FOR THE 25
PURPOSE OF DISCIPLINE AGAINST THE DEFENDANT OR RESPONDENT; 26
2. OF THE TYPE OF INFORMATION THAT MAY BE 27
RELEASED TO THE BOARD; 28
3. HOW THE VICTIM MAY O BJECT TO THE DISCLOS URE 29
TO OR INSPECTION OF THE UNREDACTED FILING OR RECORD; AND 30
4. OF THE SEXUAL ASSAUL T CRISIS PROGRAMS 31
CERTIFIED UNDER § 11–923 OF THIS TITLE. 32
(III) UNLESS A VICTIM IN THE C ASE OBJECTS , AN 33
INVESTIGATION OR OTH ER DISCIPLINARY ACTI ON TAKEN BY A HEALTH 34
OCCUPATIONS BOARD AG AINST A DEFENDANT IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 1–212 OF 35
4 HOUSE BILL 450
THE HEALTH OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE IS GOOD CAUSE TO ALLOW DISCLOSURE OR 1
INSPECTION OF AN UNREDACTED FILING OR RECORD. 2
(IV) A HEALTH OCCUPATIONS B OARD THAT OBTAINS A FILING 3
OR RECORD UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH MAY NOT PU BLICLY DISCLOSE THE RECORD 4
OR FILING. 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 6
October 1, 2026. 7
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.