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*sb0294*
SENATE BILL 294
E2 6lr1215
HB 613/25 – JUD CF HB 450
By: Senator Love
Introduced and read first time: January 21, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 20, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Criminal Procedure – Protection of Identity of Victim of Sexual Assault or 2
Stalking 3
FOR the purpose of prohibiting a court or a party in a criminal or juvenile delinquency case 4
from disclosing or allowing inspection of a certain court filing or record to a nonparty 5
unless the court or the party redacts certain identifying information rela ting to a 6
certain victim of sexual assault or victim of stalking that appears in the filing or 7
record, subject to a certain exception; requiring a court to redact certain identifying 8
information relating to a certain victim of sexual assault or victim of s talking from 9
an existing filing or record on certain request; providing for disclosure or inspection 10
of a certain record or filing by a certain health occupations board; and generally 11
relating to protection of victims. 12
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – Criminal Procedure 14
Section 11–301 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2025 Replacement Volume) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Criminal Procedure 20
11–301. 21
2 SENATE BILL 294
(a) On motion of the State or on request of a victim or witness, during a criminal 1
trial or a juvenile delinquency adjudicatory hearing, a court may prohibit the release of the 2
address or telephone number of the victim or witness unless the court determines that good 3
cause is shown for the release of the information. 4
(b) (1) (i) In this subsection SECTION the following words have the 5
meanings indicated. 6
(ii) (2) “Identifying information” means the name of, and any 7
other information that could reasonably be expected to identify, a minor victim , A VICTIM 8
OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR A VICTIM OF STALKING. 9
(iii) (3) “Minor victim” means [a] AN ALLEGED victim of a crime 10
or delinquent act who was a minor at the time that the crime or delinquent act occurred. 11
(IV) (4) “VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSA ULT” MEANS AN ALLEGED 12
VICTIM OF SEXUALLY A SSAULTIVE BEHAVIOR A S DEFINED IN § 10–923 OF THE 13
COURTS ARTICLE OR A CRIME UNDER TITLE 3, SUBTITLE 11 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW 14
ARTICLE. 15
(V) (5) “VICTIM OF STALKING ” MEANS AN ALLEGED VIC TIM 16
OF STALKING AS DEFINED IN § 3–802 OF THE CRIMINAL LAW ARTICLE. 17
(B) ON MOTION OF THE STATE OR ON REQUEST O F A VICTIM OR WITNES S, 18
DURING A CRIMINAL TRIAL OR A JUVENILE DELINQUENCY ADJUDICATORY 19
HEARING, A COURT MAY PROHIBIT THE RELEASE OF THE ADDRESS OR TELEPHONE 20
NUMBER OF THE VICTIM OR WITNESS UNLESS THE COURT DETERMINES THAT GOOD 21
CAUSE IS SHOWN FOR THE RELEASE OF THE INFORMATION. 22
(2) (C) Notwithstanding any other law, on notice that an electronic or 23
paper filing includes identifying information of a minor victim, unless the court finds by 24
clear and convincing evidence that there is good cause to order otherwise, the court or a 25
party in a criminal or juvenile delinquency case may not disclose or allow inspection of an 26
electronic or paper court filing, including a charging document, to a nonparty to the 27
criminal or juvenile delinquency case unless the court or the party disclosing or allowing 28
inspection of the filing redacts all identifying information that appears in the filing. 29
(3) (D) (1) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY O THER LAW , ON NOTICE 30
THAT A CASE FILING O R RECORD INCLUDES ID ENTIFYING INFORMATIO N OF A 31
VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT OR A VICTIM OF STALKING, UNLESS THE COURT FINDS 32
CLEAR AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE THAT THERE IS GOOD CAUSE TO ORD ER 33
OTHERWISE, THE COURT OR A PARTY IN A CRIMINAL OR JUV ENILE DELINQUENCY 34
CASE MAY NOT DISCLOS E OR ALLOW INSPECTIO N OF AN ELECTRONIC O R PAPER 35
COURT FILING OR RECO RD, INCLUDING A CHARGING DOCUMENT, TO A NONPARTY 36
SENATE BILL 294 3
TO THE CRIMINAL OR J UVENILE DELINQUENCY CASE, EXCEPT TO THE VICTIM OR 1
THE VICTIM’S REPRESENTATIVE, UNLESS THE COURT OR THE PARTY DISCLOSING OR 2
ALLOWING INSPECTION OF THE FILING OR REC ORD REDACTS ALL IDEN TIFYING 3
INFORMATION THAT APPEARS IN THE FILING OR RECORD. 4
(4) (2) ON WRITTEN REQUEST OF A VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT OR 5
A VICTIM OF STALKING , THE COURT SHALL REDA CT IDENTIFYING INFOR MATION 6
RELATING TO THE VICTIM FROM AN EXISTING FILING OR RECORD. 7
(3) (I) 1. A HEALTH OCCUPATIONS BOARD THAT HAS LICENSED 8
OR CERTIFIED THE DEF ENDANT OR RESPONDENT MAY PETITION THE COU RT TO 9
ORDER THE DISCLOSURE OR ALLOW INSPECTION OF AN UNREDACTED FIL ING OR 10
RECORD DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF 11
INVESTIGATING OR OTHERWISE DISCIPLINING THE DEF ENDANT OR RESPONDENT 12
FOR SEXUAL MISCONDUC T IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 1–212 OF THE HEALTH 13
OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE. 14
2. THE HEALTH OCCUPATION S BOARD SHALL SERVE 15
NOTICE OF THE PETITION ON EACH PARTY IN THE CASE. 16
(II) AFTER RECEIVING NOTICE OF A PETITION UNDER 17
SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , THE STATE’S ATTORNEY SHALL NOTIFY 18
EACH VICTIM IN THE CASE: 19
1. THAT A PETITION HAS BEEN FILED TO RELEAS E THE 20
VICTIM’S IDENTIFYING INFORMATION TO A HEALTH OCCUPATIONS BOARD FOR THE 21
PURPOSE OF DISCIPLINE AGAINST THE DEFENDANT OR RESPONDENT; 22
2. OF THE TYPE OF INFOR MATION THAT MAY BE 23
RELEASED TO THE BOARD; 24
3. HOW THE VICTIM MAY OB JECT TO THE DISCLOSU RE 25
TO OR INSPECTION OF THE UNREDACTED FILING OR RECORD; AND 26
4. OF THE SEXUAL ASSAUL T CRISIS PROGRAMS 27
CERTIFIED UNDER § 11–923 OF THIS TITLE. 28
(III) UNLESS A VICTIM IN TH E CASE OBJECTS , AN 29
INVESTIGATION OR OTH ER DISCIPLINARY ACTI ON TAKEN BY A HEALTH 30
OCCUPATIONS BOARD AG AINST A DEFENDANT IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 1–212 OF 31
THE HEALTH OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE IS GOOD CAUSE TO ALLOW DISCLOSURE OR 32
INSPECTION OF AN UNREDACTED FILING OR RECORD. 33
4 SENATE BILL 294
(IV) A HEALTH OCCUPATIONS B OARD THAT OBTAINS A FI LING 1
OR RECORD UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH MAY NOT PU BLICLY DISCLOSE THE RECORD 2
OR FILING. 3
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 4
October 1, 2026. 5
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.