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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.
*hb0593*
HOUSE BILL 593
E1 6lr0759
CF SB 482
By: Delegates Hill, Boyce, Guzzone, Moreno, and Smith
Introduced and read first time: January 28, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 18, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Criminal Law – Interference With Critical Infrastructure or a Public Safety 2
Answering Point 3
FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person from intentionally, willfully, and without 4
authorization committing a certain act with the intent to interrupt or impair the 5
functioning of critical infrastructure; prohibiting a person from intentionally, 6
willfully, and without author ization committing a certain act that denies access to 7
an authorized user of or interrupt s or impair s the functioning of critical 8
infrastructure or a public safety answering point; and generally relating to 9
interference with critical infrastructure or a public safety answering point. 10
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Criminal Law 12
Section 7–302(a), (c), and (d) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASS EMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Article – Criminal Law 18
7–302. 19
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 20
2 HOUSE BILL 593
(2) “Access” means to instruct, communicate with, store data in, retrieve or 1
intercept data from, or otherwise use the resources of a computer program, computer 2
system, or computer network. 3
(3) (i) “Aggregate amount” means a direct loss of property or services 4
incurred by a victim. 5
(ii) “Aggregate amount” includes: 6
1. the value of any money, property, or service lost, stolen, or 7
rendered unrecoverable by the crime; or 8
2. any actual reasonable expenditure incurred by the victim 9
to verify whether a computer program, computer, computer system, or computer network 10
was altered, acquired, damaged, deleted, disrupted, or destroyed by access in violation of 11
this section. 12
(4) (i) “Computer” means an electronic, magnetic, optical, organic, or 13
other data processing device or system that performs logical, arithmetic, memory, or 14
storage functions. 15
(ii) “Computer” includes property, a data storage facility, or a 16
communications facility that is directly related to or operated with a computer. 17
(iii) “Computer” does not include an automated typewriter, a 18
typesetter, or a portable calculator. 19
(5) “Computer control language” means ordered statements that direct a 20
computer to perform specific functions. 21
(6) “Computer database” means a representation of information, 22
knowledge, facts, concepts, or instructions that: 23
(i) is intended for use in a computer, computer system, or computer 24
network; and 25
(ii) 1. is being prepared or has been prepared in a formalized 26
manner; or 27
2. is being produced or has been produced by a computer, 28
computer system, or computer network. 29
(7) “Computer network” means the interconnection of one or more 30
computers through: 31
(i) the use of a satellite, microwave, line, or other communication 32
HOUSE BILL 593 3
medium; and 1
(ii) terminals or a complex consisting of two or more interconnected 2
computers regardless of whether the interconnection is continuously maintained. 3
(8) “Computer program” means an ordered set of instructions or 4
statements that may interact with related data and, when executed in a computer system, 5
causes a computer to perform specified functions. 6
(9) “Computer services” includes computer time, data processing, and 7
storage functions. 8
(10) “Computer software” means a computer program, instruction, 9
procedure, or associated document regarding the operation of a computer system. 10
(11) “Computer system” means one or more connected or unconnected 11
computers, peripheral devices, computer software, data, or computer programs. 12
(12) “CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTU RE” MEANS SYSTEMS AND AS SETS, 13
WHETHER PHYSICAL OR VIRTUAL, THAT ARE SO VITAL TO THE STATE, A COUNTY, OR 14
A MUNICIPALITY THAT THE INCAPACITY OR DE STRUCTION OF ONE OR MORE 15
COMPONENTS WOULD HAVE A DEBILITATING IMPACT ON: 16
(I) PUBLIC SECURITY; 17
(II) ECONOMIC SECURITY; 18
(III) PUBLIC HEALTH; 19
(IV) PUBLIC SAFETY; 20
(V) PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION; OR 21
(VI) PUBLIC UTILITIES. 22
(13) “Ransomware” means a computer or data contaminant, encryption, or 23
lock that: 24
(i) is placed or introduced without authorization into a computer, a 25
computer network, or a computer system; and 26
(ii) restricts access by an authorized person to a computer, computer 27
data, a computer network, or a computer system in a manner that results in the person 28
responsible for the placement or introduction of the contaminant, encryption, or lock 29
demanding payment of money or other consideration to remove the contaminant, 30
encryption, or lock. 31
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(c) (1) A person may not intentionally, willfully, and without authorization: 1
(i) access, attempt to access, cause to be accessed, or exceed the 2
person’s authorized access to all or part of a computer network, computer control language, 3
computer, computer software, computer system, computer service, or computer database; 4
or 5
(ii) copy, attempt to copy, possess, or attempt to possess the contents 6
of all or part of a computer database accessed in violation of item (i) of this paragraph. 7
(2) A person may not commit an act prohibited by paragraph (1) of this 8
subsection with the intent to: 9
(i) cause the malfunction or interrupt the operation of all or any part 10
of a computer, computer network, computer control language, computer software, computer 11
system, computer service, or computer data; or 12
(ii) alter, damage, or destroy all or any part of data or a computer 13
program stored, maintained, or produced by a computer, c omputer network, computer 14
software, computer system, computer service, or computer database. 15
(3) A person may not intentionally, willfully, and without authorization: 16
(i) possess, identify, or attempt to identify a valid access code; or 17
(ii) publicize or distribute a valid access code to an unauthorized 18
person. 19
(4) A person may not commit an act prohibited under this subsection with 20
the intent to interrupt or impair the functioning of: 21
(i) the State government; 22
(ii) a service, device, or system related to the production, 23
transmission, delivery, or storage of electricity or natural gas in the State that is owned, 24
operated, or controlled by a person other than a public service company, as defined in § 25
1–101 of the Public Utilities Article; 26
(iii) a service provided in the State by a public service company, as 27
defined in § 1–101 of the Public Utilities Article; 28
(iv) a health care facility, as defined in § 18 –338.1 of the 29
Health – General Article; or 30
(v) a public school, as defined in § 1–101 of the Education Article. 31
HOUSE BILL 593 5
(5) (i) This paragraph does not apply to a person who has a bona fide 1
scientific, educational, governmental, testing, news, or other similar justification for 2
possessing ransomware. 3
(ii) A person may not knowingly possess ransomware with the intent 4
to use the ransomware for the purpose of introduction into the computer, computer 5
network, or computer system of another person without the authorization of the other 6
person. 7
(6) A person may n ot INTENTIONALLY, WILLFULLY, AND WITHOUT 8
AUTHORIZATION commit an act prohibited under this subsection with the intent to 9
interrupt or impair the functioning of CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OR a public safety 10
answering point, as defined in § 1–301 of the Public Safety Article. 11
(7) A PERSON MAY NOT INTENTIONALLY, WILLFULLY, AND WITHOUT 12
AUTHORIZATION COMMIT AN ACT PROHIB ITED UNDER THIS SUBS ECTION THAT 13
DENIES ACCESS TO AN AUTHORIZED USER OF OR INTERRUPTS OR IMP AIRS THE 14
FUNCTIONING OF CRITI CAL INFRASTRUCTURE O R A PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWER ING 15
POINT, AS DEFINED IN § 1–301 OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 16
(d) (1) A person who violates subsection (c)(1) of this section is guilty of a 17
misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine 18
not exceeding $1,000 or both. 19
(2) A person who violates subsection (c)(2) or (3) of this section: 20
(i) if the aggregate amount of the loss is $10,000 or more, is guilty 21
of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not 22
exceeding $10,000 or both; or 23
(ii) if the aggregate amount of the loss is less than $10,000, is guilty 24
of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 5 years or a 25
fine not exceeding $5,000 or both. 26
(3) A person who violates subsection (c)(4) of this section: 27
(i) if the aggregate amount of the loss is $10,000 or more, is guilty 28
of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not 29
exceeding $100,000 or both; or 30
(ii) if the aggregate amount of the loss is less than $10,000, is guilty 31
of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 5 years or a 32
fine not exceeding $25,000 or both. 33
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(4) A person who violates subsection (c)(5) of this section is guilty of a 1
misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 2 years or a fine 2
not exceeding $5,000 or both. 3
(5) A person who violates subsection (c)(6) of this section is guilty of a felony 4
and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 5 years or a fine not exceeding 5
$25,000 or both. 6
(6) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES SUBSECTION (C)(7) OF THIS SECTION IS 7
GUILTY OF A FELONY A ND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONM ENT NOT 8
EXCEEDING 10 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $50,000 OR BOTH. 9
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 10
October 1, 2026. 11
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.