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HB0631 • 2026

Criminal Law - Threats Against State or Local Official - Penalties

Criminal Law - Threats Against State or Local Official - Penalties

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Delegate Schindler
Last action
2026-01-30
Official status
In the House - Hearing 2/10 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.

Criminal Law - Threats Against State or Local Official - Penalties

Increasing the penalties for a violation of the prohibition against making certain threats against a State official, a local official, a deputy State's Attorney, an assistant State's Attorney, or an assistant Public Defender.

What This Bill Does

  • Increasing the penalties for a violation of the prohibition against making certain threats against a State official, a local official, a deputy State's Attorney, an assistant State's Attorney, or an assistant Public Defender.

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. 2026-01-30 House

    First Reading Judiciary

  2. 2026-01-30 House

    Hearing 2/10 at 1:00 p.m.

  3. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Criminal Law - Threats Against State or Local Official - Penalties

Official Summary Text

Increasing the penalties for a violation of the prohibition against making certain threats against a State official, a local official, a deputy State's Attorney, an assistant State's Attorney, or an assistant Public Defender.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0631*

HOUSE BILL 631
E1 6lr2326

By: Delegate Schindler
Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Criminal Law – Threats Against State or Local Official – Penalties 2

FOR the purpose of increasing the penalties for a violation of the prohibition against 3
making certain threats against a State official , a local official, a deputy State’s 4
Attorney, an assistant State’s Attorney, or an assistant Public Defender ; and 5
generally relating to threats made against public officials. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Criminal Law 8
Section 3–708 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13

Article – Criminal Law 14

3–708. 15

(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 16

(2) “Local official” means an individual serving in a publicly elected office 17
of a local government unit, as defined in § 10–101 of the State Government Article. 18

(3) (i) “State official” has the meaning stated in § 5–101 of the General 19
Provisions Article. 20

(ii) “State official” includes the Governor, Governor –elect, 21
Lieutenant Governor, and Lieutenant Governor–elect. 22

2 HOUSE BILL 631

(4) “Threat” includes: 1

(i) an oral threat; or 2

(ii) a threat in any written form, whether or not the writing is signed, 3
or if the writing is signed, whether or not it is signed with a fictitious name or any other 4
mark. 5

(b) A person may not knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, 6
kidnap, or cause physical injury to a State official, a local official, a deputy State’s Attorney, 7
an assistant State’s Attorney, or an assistant Public Defender. 8

(c) A person may not knowingly send, deliver, part with, or make for the purpose 9
of sending or delivering a threat prohibited under subsection (b) of this section. 10

(d) A person who violates this section is guilty of a [misdemeanor] FELONY and 11
on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding [3] 10 years or a fine not exceeding 12
[$2,500] $5,000 or both. 13

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 14
October 1, 2026. 15