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HB0794 • 2026

Public Safety - Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission - Prohibition Against Certain Affiliation or Support by Police Officers

Public Safety - Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission - Prohibition Against Certain Affiliation or Support by Police Officers

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Delegates Acevero , Foley , Ivey , Martinez , Ruff , Spiegel , and Woorman
Last action
2026-02-05
Official status
In the House - Hearing 2/24 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.

Public Safety - Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission - Prohibition Against Certain Affiliation or Support by Police Officers

Requiring the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to prohibit police officers from affiliating with, supporting, or advocating for White supremacist groups, ideologies, or causes or participating in or actively promoting a certain extremist group.

What This Bill Does

  • Requiring the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to prohibit police officers from affiliating with, supporting, or advocating for White supremacist groups, ideologies, or causes or participating in or actively promoting a certain extremist group.

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. 2026-02-05 House

    Hearing 2/24 at 1:00 p.m.

  2. 2026-02-04 House

    First Reading Judiciary

  3. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Public Safety - Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission - Prohibition Against Certain Affiliation or Support by Police Officers

Official Summary Text

Requiring the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to prohibit police officers from affiliating with, supporting, or advocating for White supremacist groups, ideologies, or causes or participating in or actively promoting a certain extremist group.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0794*

HOUSE BILL 794
E4 6lr2686
HB 1435/25 – JUD
By: Delegates Acevero, Foley, Ivey, Martinez, Ruff, Spiegel, and Woorman
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Safety – Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission – 2
Prohibition Against Certain Affiliation or Support by Police Officers 3

FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to 4
prohibit police officers from affiliating with, supporting, or advocating for White 5
supremacist groups, ideologies, or causes or participating in or actively promoting a 6
certain extremist group; and generally relating to the Maryland Police Training and 7
Standards Commission. 8

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 9
Article – Public Safety 10
Section 3–201(a) and (b) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

BY adding to 14
Article – Public Safety 15
Section 3–207(p) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20

Article – Public Safety 21

3–201. 22

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 23

2 HOUSE BILL 794

(b) “Commission” means the Maryland Police Training and Standards 1
Commission. 2

3–207. 3

(P) (1) (I) IN THIS SUBSECTION TH E FOLLOWING WORDS HA VE THE 4
MEANINGS INDICATED. 5

(II) “BIPOC” MEANS BLACK PEOPLE , INDIGENOUS PEOPLE , 6
AND PEOPLE OF COLOR. 7

(III) “WHITE SUPREMACIST GROUPS, CAUSES, OR IDEOLOGIES” 8
MEANS GROUPS, CAUSES, OR IDEOLOGIES THAT: 9

1. PROMOTE WHITE SUPREMACY AND T HE IDEA THAT 10
WHITE PEOPLE ARE SUPERIOR TO BIPOC; 11

2. PROMOTE RELIGIOUS AND RACIAL BIGOTRY; 12

3. SEEK TO EXACERBATE RACIAL AND ETHNIC TENSIONS 13
BETWEEN BIPOC AND NON–BIPOC; OR 14

4. ENGAGE IN PATENTLY HATEFUL AND INFLAMMATORY 15
SPEECH, INTIMIDATION, AND VIOLENCE AGAINST BIPOC AS A MEANS OF 16
PROMOTING WHITE SUPREMACY. 17

(2) THE COMMISSION SHALL PROHIBIT POLICE OFFICERS FROM: 18

(I) AFFILIATING WITH , SUPPORTING, OR ADVOCATING FOR 19
WHITE SUPREMACIST GROUPS, CAUSES, OR IDEOLOGIES; OR 20

(II) PARTICIPATING IN OR ACTIVELY PROMOTING A N 21
INTERNATIONAL OR DOMESTIC EXTREMIST GROUP THAT THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF 22
INVESTIGATION HAS DET ERMINED SUPPORTS OR ENCOURAGES ILLEGAL V IOLENT 23
CONDUCT. 24

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 25
October 1, 2026. 26