HB0942 • 2026

Criminal Law - Interference of Custody Orders - Penalties

Children Parental Rights

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Delegate S. Johnson
Last action: 2026-02-06
Official status: In the House - Hearing 2/26 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 - Interference of Custody Orders - Penalties

Prohibiting a person from knowingly and willfully interfering with a custody order over which a court of the State has jurisdiction by enticing or persuading a minor away or withholding a minor from a lawful custodian, a court-appointed guardian, or a person lawfully standing in loco parentis; and requiring a written warning for a violation of the Act to include certain information and a notice of the potential penalties that may be imposed for subsequent violations.

What This Bill Does

Prohibiting a person from knowingly and willfully interfering with a custody order over which a court of the State has jurisdiction by enticing or persuading a minor away or withholding a minor from a lawful custodian, a court-appointed guardian, or a person lawfully standing in loco parentis; and requiring a written warning for a violation of the Act to include certain information and a notice of the potential penalties that may be imposed for subsequent violations.

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

2026-02-06 House
Hearing 2/26 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-05 House
First Reading Judiciary
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Criminal Law - Interference of Custody Orders - Penalties

Official Summary Text

Prohibiting a person from knowingly and willfully interfering with a custody order over which a court of the State has jurisdiction by enticing or persuading a minor away or withholding a minor from a lawful custodian, a court-appointed guardian, or a person lawfully standing in loco parentis; and requiring a written warning for a violation of the Act to include certain information and a notice of the potential penalties that may be imposed for subsequent violations.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0942*

HOUSE BILL 942
E1 6lr2377
CF 6lr3303
By: Delegate S. Johnson
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Criminal Law – Interference of Custody Orders – Penalties 2

FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person from knowingly and willfully interfering with a 3
certain custody order in a certain manner; and generally relating to custody orders. 4

BY adding to 5
Article – Criminal Law 6
Section 3–504 7
Annotated Code of Maryland 8
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 9

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 10
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 11

Article – Criminal Law 12

3–504. 13

(A) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO A CUSTODY ORDER OVER WHICH A COURT OF 14
THE STATE HAS JURISDICTION. 15

(B) A PERSON MAY NOT KNOWINGLY AND WILLFU LLY INTERFERE WITH A 16
CUSTODY ORDER, BY ENTICING OR PERSUADING A MINOR AWAY OR WITHHOLDING A 17
MINOR FROM: 18

(1) THE MINOR’S LAWFUL CUSTODIAN; 19

(2) A COURT–APPOINTED GUARDIAN; OR 20

2 HOUSE BILL 942

(3) A PERSON LAWFULLY STANDING IN LOCO PARENTIS. 1

(C) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION: 2

(1) FOR A FIRST OFFENSE, SHALL RECEIVE A WRITTEN WARNING; 3

(2) FOR A SECOND OFFENSE, IS SUBJECT TO A CIVIL FINE NOT 4
EXCEEDING $250; 5

(3) FOR A THIRD OFFENSE, IS SUBJECT TO A CIVIL FINE NOT 6
EXCEEDING $500; 7

(4) FOR A FOURTH OFFENSE, IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR AND ON 8
CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 30 DAYS; AND 9

(5) FOR A FIFTH OR SUBSE QUENT OFFENSE, IS GUILTY OF A 10
MISDEMEANOR AND ON C ONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT 11
EXCEEDING 1 YEAR. 12

(D) A WRITTEN WARNING FOR A VIOLATION ISSUED UNDER SUBSECTION 13
(C)(1) OF THIS SECTION: 14

(1) SHALL BE SIGNED BY T HE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ISSUING 15
THE WARNING; AND 16

(2) SHALL CONTAIN: 17

(I) THE NAME, ADDRESS, AND DATE OF BIRTH OF THE PERSON 18
IN VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION; 19

(II) THE DATE AND TIME THAT THE VIOLATION OCCURRED; 20

(III) A DESCRIPTION OF THE VIOLATION THAT OCCURRED; AND 21

(IV) NOTICE OF THE POTENTIAL PENALT IES THAT MAY BE 22
IMPOSED FOR SUBSEQUENT VIOLATIONS. 23

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 24
October 1, 2026. 25