SB0321 • 2026

Public Safety - Law Enforcement Agencies - Use of Body-Worn Cameras

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Senator Sydnor
Last action: 2026-01-23
Official status: In the Senate - Hearing 2/05 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.

Public Safety - Law Enforcement Agencies - Use of Body-Worn Cameras

Altering certain provisions of law to require a law enforcement agency to require the use of body-worn cameras, subject to a certain policy, by each sworn law enforcement officer, regardless of rank, employed by the law enforcement agency while the officer is in uniform, in public, and conducting law enforcement-related duties.

What This Bill Does

Altering certain provisions of law to require a law enforcement agency to require the use of body-worn cameras, subject to a certain policy, by each sworn law enforcement officer, regardless of rank, employed by the law enforcement agency while the officer is in uniform, in public, and conducting law enforcement-related duties.

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

2026-01-23 Senate
Hearing 2/05 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-01-22 Senate
First Reading Judicial Proceedings
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Public Safety - Law Enforcement Agencies - Use of Body-Worn Cameras

Official Summary Text

Altering certain provisions of law to require a law enforcement agency to require the use of body-worn cameras, subject to a certain policy, by each sworn law enforcement officer, regardless of rank, employed by the law enforcement agency while the officer is in uniform, in public, and conducting law enforcement-related duties.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0321*

SENATE BILL 321
E4 6lr2001

By: Senator Sydnor
Introduced and read first time: January 22, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Safety – Law Enforcement Agencies – Use of Body–Worn Cameras 2

FOR the purpose of altering certain provisions of law to require a law enforcement agency 3
to require the use of body –worn cameras, subject to a certain policy, by each sworn 4
law enforcement officer, regardless of rank, employed by the law enforcement agency 5
while the officer is in uniform, in public, and conducting law enforcement –related 6
duties; and generally relating to the use of body –worn cameras by law enforcement 7
officers. 8

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Public Safety 10
Section 3–511(c) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15

Article – Public Safety 16

3–511. 17

1. the Department of State Police; 19

2. the Anne Arundel County Police Department; 20

3. the Howard County Police Department; and 21

2 SENATE BILL 321

4. the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. 1

(ii) On or before July 1, 2023, a] A law enforcement agency [to which 2
this paragraph applies] shall require the use of body –worn cameras, subject to the policy 3
on the use of body–worn cameras developed by the law enforcement agency, by each SWORN 4
law enforcement officer, REGARDLESS OF RANK, employed by the law enforcement agency 5
[who regularly interacts with members of the public as part of the law enforcement officer’s 6
official duties ] WHILE THE OFFICER IS IN UNIFORM, IN PUBLIC, AND CONDUCTING 7
LAW ENFORCEMENT–RELATED DUTIES. 8

[(2) On or before July 1, 2025, a law enforcement agency of a county, other 9
than a law enforcement agency described in paragraph (1) of this subsection, shall require 10
the use of body –worn cameras, subject to the policy on the use of body –worn cameras 11
developed by the law enforcement agency, by each law enforcement officer employed by the 12
law enforcement agency who regularly interacts with members of the public as part of the 13
law enforcement officer’s official duties.] 14

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 15
October 1, 2026. 16