HB1044 • 2026

Criminal Procedure - Postconviction Release - Crimes Resulting in Death of Young Victim

Crime

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Delegates Valentine , Arikan , Baker , Bouchat , Griffith , Hornberger , Hutchinson , R. Long , Miller , Reilly , Tomlinson , and Wivell
Last action: 2026-02-10
Official status: In the House - Hearing 3/10 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 Procedure - Postconviction Release - Crimes Resulting in Death of Young Victim

Prohibiting the release of a defendant pending sentencing or exhaustion of appellate review after conviction of a specified crime resulting in the death of a victim under the age of 14 years.

What This Bill Does

Prohibiting the release of a defendant pending sentencing or exhaustion of appellate review after conviction of a specified crime resulting in the death of a victim under the age of 14 years.

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

2026-02-10 House
Hearing 3/10 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-09 House
First Reading Judiciary
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Criminal Procedure - Postconviction Release - Crimes Resulting in Death of Young Victim

Official Summary Text

Prohibiting the release of a defendant pending sentencing or exhaustion of appellate review after conviction of a specified crime resulting in the death of a victim under the age of 14 years.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1044*

HOUSE BILL 1044
E2, D1 6lr1759
CF SB 640
By: Delegates Valentine, Arikan, Baker, Bouchat, Griffith, Hornberger,
Hutchinson, R. Long, Miller, Reilly, Tomlinson, and Wivell
Introduced and read first time: February 9, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Criminal Procedure – Postconviction Release – Crimes Resulting in Death of 2
Young Victim 3

FOR the purpose of prohibiting the release of a defendant pending sentencing or exhaustion 4
of appellate review after conviction of a certain crime resulting in the death of a 5
victim under a certain age; and generally relating to postconviction release. 6

BY adding to 7
Article – Criminal Procedure 8
Section 5–301 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 3. Postconviction Release” 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2025 Replacement Volume) 11

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

Article – Criminal Procedure 14

SUBTITLE 3. POSTCONVICTION RELEASE. 15

5–301. 16

A COURT MAY NOT RELEAS E A DEFENDANT AFTER CONVICTION PENDING 17
SENTENCING OR EXHAUSTION OF ANY APPELLATE REVIEW IF: 18

(1) THE DEFENDANT WAS CONVICTED OF: 19

(I) A CRIME OF VIOLENCE , AS DEFINED IN § 14–101 OF THE 20
CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE; OR 21
2 HOUSE BILL 1044

(II) A VIOLATION OF § 3–602.1 (CHILD NEGLECT ) OF THE 1
CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE; AND 2

(2) THE CRIME RESULTED I N THE DEATH OF A VIC TIM UNDER THE 3
AGE OF 14 YEARS. 4

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURT HER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 5
October 1, 2026. 6