Baltimore City Sheriff's Office - Collective Bargaining - Compensation

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0503*

HOUSE BILL 503
D2 6lr1582
HB 1091/25 – APP CF 6lr3705
By: Delegates Smith, Amprey, Conaway, and Young
Introduced and read first time: January 27, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 7, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office – Collective Bargaining – Compensation 2

FOR the purpose of including salary and wages in the compensation with regard to which 3
full–time sworn law enforcement officers and court security officers in Baltimore City 4
may collectively bargain; altering the person with whom the full–time sworn officers 5
and c ourt security officers are to seek recognition for the purposes of collectively 6
bargaining concerning certain matters; specifying that the full –time sworn officers 7
and court security officers are to bargain in good faith with the Sheriff, or the 8
Sheriff’s designee, and Baltimore City, rather than either the Sheriff or the Sheriff’s 9
designee or Baltimore City based on the subject of the collective bargaining; and 10
generally relating to collective bargaining rights for employees in the Baltimore City 11
Sheriff’s Office. 12

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 13
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 14
Section 2–316(a) and (i)(1) and (2) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 18
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 19
Section 2–316(i)(3) 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 22

2 HOUSE BILL 503

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2

Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 3

2–316. 4

(a) This section applies only in Baltimore City. 5

(i) (1) This subsection applies only to all full –time sworn law enforcement 6
officers who are deputy sheriffs at the rank of lieutenant or below and court security 7
officers. 8

(2) This subsection does not apply to the following employees in the 9
Sheriff’s Office: 10

(i) Sworn law enforcement officers in the Sheriff’s Office at a rank 11
of captain or above; 12

(ii) Employees in appointed positions; 13

(iii) Civilian merit system employees; 14

(iv) Full–time reduced hours employees; 15

(v) Part–time employees; 16

(vi) Contractual employees; 17

(vii) Temporary employees; 18

(viii) Emergency employees; or 19

(ix) Employees whose employment is administered under the 20
Baltimore City policies and procedures manual. 21

(3) (i) A deputy sheriff or a court security officer has the right to: 22

1. Take part in or refrain from taking part in forming, 23
joining, supporting, or participating in any employee organization or its lawful activities; 24

2. Be represented by an exclusive representative, if any, in 25
collective bargaining; and 26

3. Engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of 27
collective bargaining. 28

HOUSE BILL 503 3

(ii) Full–time sworn law enfor cement officers and court security 1
officers may seek recognition by the Sheriff or the Sheriff’s designee in order to organize 2
and bargain collectively in good faith WITH THE SHERIFF, OR THE SHERIFF’S 3
DESIGNEE, AND THE CITY concerning the following matters: 4

1. Compensation, [excluding] INCLUDING salary, wages , 5
MERIT STEP INCREASES , and those benefits determined, offered, administered, 6
controlled, or managed by the City; 7

2. Leave, holidays, and vacations; and 8

3. Hours, working conditions, and job security. 9

(iii) [Sworn law enforcement officers and court security officers may 10
seek recognition in order to organize and bargain collectively in good faith with the City 11
concerning merit step increases and those be nefits determined, offered, administered, 12
controlled, or managed by the City. 13

(iv)] 1. A sworn law enforcement officer or a court security officer 14
who is a member of a bargaining unit with an exclusive representative may discuss any 15
matter with the employer without the intervention of the exclusive representative. 16

2. If a discussion under subsubparagraph 1 of this 17
subparagraph leads to a resolution or an adjustment of a dispute, the resolution or 18
adjustment may not be inconsistent with the terms of a collective bargaining agreement 19
then in effect. 20

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 21
1, 2026. 22

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.