HB1054 • 2026

Criminal Law - Ethics Violations, Malfeasance, Misfeasance, and Nonfeasance - Statute of Limitations

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Delegates Phillips , Acevero , Addison , Embry , Ruff , and Stinnett
Last action: 2026-03-24
Official status: In the Senate - Hearing 3/31 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 - Ethics Violations, Malfeasance, Misfeasance, and Nonfeasance - Statute of Limitations

Increasing the statute of limitations from 2 years to 3 years for prosecutions relating to the commission of, attempt to commit, or conspiracy to commit a criminal offense under the Maryland Public Ethics Law and other criminal provisions prohibiting malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance by certain public officers.

What This Bill Does

Increasing the statute of limitations from 2 years to 3 years for prosecutions relating to the commission of, attempt to commit, or conspiracy to commit a criminal offense under the Maryland Public Ethics Law and other criminal provisions prohibiting malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance by certain public officers.

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

2026-03-24 Senate
Hearing 3/31 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-03-18 House
Favorable Report by Judiciary
2026-03-05 House
Third Reading Passed (133-0)
2026-03-04 House
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
2026-03-03 Senate
Referred Judicial Proceedings
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 Law - Ethics Violations, Malfeasance, Misfeasance, and Nonfeasance - Statute of Limitations
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Judiciary
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Criminal Law - Ethics Violations, Malfeasance, Misfeasance, and Nonfeasance - Statute of Limitations

Official Summary Text

Increasing the statute of limitations from 2 years to 3 years for prosecutions relating to the commission of, attempt to commit, or conspiracy to commit a criminal offense under the Maryland Public Ethics Law and other criminal provisions prohibiting malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance by certain public officers.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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.
*hb1054*

HOUSE BILL 1054
E2 6lr2174

By: Delegates Phillips, Acevero, Addison, Embry, Ruff, and Stinnett
Introduced and read first time: February 9, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 4, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Criminal Law – Ethics Violations, Malfeasance, Misfeasance, and Nonfeasance – 2
Statute of Limitations 3

FOR the purpose of increasing the statute of limitations for prosecutions relating to the 4
commission of, attempt to commit, or conspiracy to commit a criminal offense under 5
the Maryland Public Ethics Law and other criminal provisions prohibiting 6
malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance by certain public officers ; and generally 7
relating to the statute of limitations for prosecutions relating to a criminal violation 8
of Maryland Public Ethics Law and other crimes prohibiting ma lfeasance, 9
misfeasance, or nonfeasance by public officers. 10

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 12
Section 5–106(f) and (g) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17

Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 18

5–106. 19

2 HOUSE BILL 1054

(f) A prosecution for the commission of or the attempt to commit a misdemeanor 1
constituting[: (1) ] a criminal offense under the Maryland Public Ethics Law [;] or [(2)] 2
CONSTITUTING criminal malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance in office committed by 3
an officer of the State, or of an agency of the State, or of a political subdivision of the State, 4
or of a bicounty or multicounty agency in the State shall be instituted within [2] 3 years 5
after the offense was committed. 6

(g) A prosecution for conspiracy to commit any of the offenses enumerated in 7
subsection (f) of this section shall be instituted within [2] 3 years after the offense was 8
committed. 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.