HB1146 • 2026

Crime of Violence - Medical Facilities and Places of Worship - Penalty (Sacred Places Safety Act)

Crime Healthcare

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Delegates Alston , Acevero , Beauchamp , Coley , Kaufman , J. Long , Martinez , McComas , Miller , M. Morgan , Nkongolo , Phillips , Roberson , Roberts , Ruff , Schmidt , Simmons , Taylor , Tomlinson , and Woods
Last action: 2026-02-16
Official status: In the House - Hearing 3/05 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-06-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Crime of Violence - Medical Facilities and Places of Worship - Penalty (Sacred Places Safety Act)

Prohibiting a person from committing a crime of violence while the person is in a medical facility or a place of worship; and providing that a person who violates the Act is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment of up to 10 years.

What This Bill Does

Prohibiting a person from committing a crime of violence while the person is in a medical facility or a place of worship; and providing that a person who violates the Act is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment of up to 10 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

2026-02-16 House
Hearing 3/05 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-11 House
First Reading Judiciary
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Crime of Violence - Medical Facilities and Places of Worship - Penalty (Sacred Places Safety Act)
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Racial Equity Impact Note

Official Summary Text

Prohibiting a person from committing a crime of violence while the person is in a medical facility or a place of worship; and providing that a person who violates the Act is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment of up to 10 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.
*hb1146*

HOUSE BILL 1146
E1, E2 6lr2677
HB 1308/25 – JUD
By: Delegates Alston, Acevero, Beauchamp, Coley, Kaufman, J. Long, Martinez,
McComas, Miller, M. Morgan, Nkongolo, Phillips, Roberson, Roberts, Ruff,
Schmidt, Simmons, Taylor, Tomlinson, and Woods
Introduced and read first time: February 11, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Crime of Violence – Medical Facilities and Places of Worship – Penalty 2
(Sacred Places Safety Act) 3

FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person from committing a crime of violence while the 4
person is in a medical facility or a place of worship; and generally relating to crimes 5
of violence. 6

BY adding to 7
Article – Criminal Law 8
Section 14–105 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

14–105. 15

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 16
INDICATED. 17

(2) “MEDICAL FACILITY” INCLUDES: 18

(I) A FACILITY AS DEFINE D IN § 10–101 OF THE 19
HEALTH – GENERAL ARTICLE; 20

2 HOUSE BILL 1146

(II) A HEALTH CARE FACILITY AS DEFINED IN § 19–114 OF THE 1
HEALTH – GENERAL ARTICLE; AND 2

(III) AN AGENCY, A CLINIC, OR AN OFFICE OPERATED UNDER THE 3
DIRECTION OF THE LOC AL HEALTH OFFICER OR UNDER THE REGULATORY 4
AUTHORITY OF THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. 5

(3) “PLACE OF WORSHIP ” MEANS A NONRESIDENTI AL LOCATION 6
WHERE MORE THAN ONE INDIVIDUAL ASSEMBLES FOR PURPOSES OF RELIGIOUS OR 7
SPIRITUAL OBSERVANCE. 8

(B) A PERSON MAY NOT COMMI T A CRIME OF VIOLENC E, AS DEFINED IN § 9
14–101 OF THIS TITLE, IN A MEDICAL FACILITY OR A PLACE OF WORSHIP. 10

(C) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS GUIL TY OF A FELONY AND , 11
IN ADDITION TO ANY O THER PENALTY IMPOSED FOR THE UNDERLYING C RIME OF 12
VIOLENCE, ON CONVICTION IS SUB JECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 10 13
YEARS. 14

(D) A SENTENCE IMPOSED UND ER THIS SECTION MAY BE IMPOS ED 15
SEPARATE FROM AND CO NSECUTIVE TO OR CONC URRENT WITH A SENTEN CE FOR 16
ANY CRIME BASED ON THE ACT ESTABLISHING THE VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION. 17

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 18
1, 2026. 19