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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
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*sb0482*
SENATE BILL 482
E1 6lr2984
CF HB 593
By: Senator McKay Senators McKay and Kagan
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted with floor amendments
Read second time: February 26, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Criminal Law – Interference With Critical Infrastructure or a Public Safety 2
Answering Point 3
FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person from intentionally, willfully, and without 4
authorization committing a certain act with the intent to interrupt or impair the 5
functioning of critical infrastructure; prohibiting a person from intentionally, 6
willfully, and without authorization committing a certain act that denies access to 7
an authorized user of or interrupts or impairs the functioning of critical 8
infrastructure or a public safety answering point; and generally relating to 9
interference with critical infrastructure or a public safety answering point. 10
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Article – Criminal Law 12
Section 7–302(a), (c), and (d) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2021 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 – Criminal Law 18
7–302. 19
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 20
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(2) “Access” means to instruct, communicate with, store data in, retrieve or 1
intercept data from, or otherwise use the resources of a computer program, computer 2
system, or computer network. 3
(3) (i) “Aggregate amount” means a direct loss of property or services 4
incurred by a victim. 5
(ii) “Aggregate amount” includes: 6
1. the value of any money, property, or service lost, stolen, or 7
rendered unrecoverable by the crime; or 8
2. any actual reasonable expenditure incurred by the victim 9
to verify whether a computer program, computer, computer syste m, or computer network 10
was altered, acquired, damaged, deleted, disrupted, or destroyed by access in violation of 11
this section. 12
(4) (i) “Computer” means an electronic, magnetic, optical, organic, or 13
other data processing device or system that performs l ogical, arithmetic, memory, or 14
storage functions. 15
(ii) “Computer” includes property, a data storage facility, or a 16
communications facility that is directly related to or operated with a computer. 17
(iii) “Computer” does not include an automated typew riter, a 18
typesetter, or a portable calculator. 19
(5) “Computer control language” means ordered statements that direct a 20
computer to perform specific functions. 21
(6) “Computer database” means a representation of information, 22
knowledge, facts, concepts, or instructions that: 23
(i) is intended for use in a computer, computer system, or computer 24
network; and 25
(ii) 1. is being prepared or has been prepared in a formalized 26
manner; or 27
2. is being produced or has been produced by a computer, 28
computer system, or computer network. 29
(7) “Computer network” means the interconnection of one or more 30
computers through: 31
SENATE BILL 482 3
(i) the use of a satellite, microwave, line, or other communication 1
medium; and 2
(ii) terminals or a complex consisting of two or more interconnected 3
computers regardless of whether the interconnection is continuously maintained. 4
(8) “Computer program” means an ordered set of instructions or 5
statements that may interact with related data and, when executed in a computer system, 6
causes a computer to perform specified functions. 7
(9) “Computer services” includes computer time, data processing, and 8
storage functions. 9
(10) “Computer software” means a computer program, instruction, 10
procedure, or associated document regarding the operation of a computer system. 11
(11) “Computer system” means one or more connected or unconnected 12
computers, peripheral devices, computer software, data, or computer programs. 13
(12) “CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTU RE” MEANS SYSTEMS AND AS SETS, 14
WHETHER PHYSICAL OR VIRTUAL, THAT ARE SO VITAL TO THE STATE, A COUNTY, OR 15
A MUNICIPALITY THAT THE INCAPACITY OR DE STRUCTION OF ONE OR MORE 16
COMPONENTS WOULD HAVE A DEBILITATING IMPACT ON: 17
(I) PUBLIC SECURITY; 18
(II) ECONOMIC SECURITY; 19
(III) PUBLIC HEALTH; 20
(IV) PUBLIC SAFETY; 21
(V) PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION; OR 22
(VI) PUBLIC UTILITIES. 23
(13) “Ransomware” means a computer or data contaminant, encryption, or 24
lock that: 25
(i) is placed or introduced without authorization into a computer, a 26
computer network, or a computer system; and 27
(ii) restricts access by an authorized person to a computer, computer 28
data, a computer network, or a computer system in a manner that results in the person 29
responsible for the placement or introduction of the contaminant, encryptio n, or lock 30
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demanding payment of money or other consideration to remove the contaminant, 1
encryption, or lock. 2
(c) (1) A person may not intentionally, willfully, and without authorization: 3
(i) access, attempt to access, cause to be accessed, or exceed the 4
person’s authorized access to all or part of a computer network, computer control language, 5
computer, computer software, computer system, computer service, or computer database; 6
or 7
(ii) copy, attempt to copy, possess, or attempt to possess the contents 8
of all or part of a computer database accessed in violation of item (i) of this paragraph. 9
(2) A person may not commit an act prohibited by paragraph (1) of this 10
subsection with the intent to: 11
(i) cause the malfunction or interrupt the operation of all or any part 12
of a computer, computer network, computer control language, computer software, computer 13
system, computer service, or computer data; or 14
(ii) alter, damage, or destroy all or any part of data or a computer 15
program stored, maintained, or produced by a computer, computer network, computer 16
software, computer system, computer service, or computer database. 17
(3) A person may not intentionally, willfully, and without authorization: 18
(i) possess, identify, or attempt to identify a valid access code; or 19
(ii) publicize or distribute a valid access code to an unauthorized 20
person. 21
(4) A person may not commit an act prohibited under this subsection with 22
the intent to interrupt or impair the functioning of: 23
(i) the State government; 24
(ii) a service, device, or system related to the production, 25
transmission, delivery, or storage of electricity or natural gas in the State that is owned, 26
operated, or controlled by a person other than a public service company, as defined in § 27
1–101 of the Public Utilities Article; 28
(iii) a service provided in the State by a public service company, as 29
defined in § 1–101 of the Public Utilities Article; 30
(iv) a health care facility, as defined in § 18 –338.1 of the 31
Health – General Article; or 32
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(v) a public school, as defined in § 1–101 of the Education Article. 1
(5) (i) This paragraph does not apply to a person who has a bona fide 2
scientific, educational, governmental, testing, news, or other similar justification for 3
possessing ransomware. 4
(ii) A person may not knowingly possess ransomware with the intent 5
to use the ransomware for the purpose of introduction into the computer, computer 6
network, or computer system of another person without the authorization of the other 7
person. 8
(6) A pe rson may not INTENTIONALLY, WILLFULLY, AND WITHOUT 9
AUTHORIZATION commit an act prohibited under this subsection with the intent to 10
interrupt or impair the functioning of CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OR a public safety 11
answering point, as defined in § 1–301 of the Public Safety Article. 12
(7) A PERSON MAY NOT INTENTIONALLY, WILLFULLY, AND WITHOUT 13
AUTHORIZATION COMMIT AN ACT PROHIB ITED UNDER THIS SUBS ECTION THAT 14
DENIES ACCESS TO AN AUTHORIZED USER OF O R INTERRUPTS OR IMPA IRS THE 15
FUNCTIONING OF CRITI CAL INFRASTRUCTURE O R A PUBLIC SAFETY AN SWERING 16
POINT, AS DEFINED IN § 1–301 OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 17
(d) (1) A person who violates subsection (c)(1) of this section is guilty of a 18
misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine 19
not exceeding $1,000 or both. 20
(2) A person who violates subsection (c)(2) or (3) of this section: 21
(i) if the aggregate amount of the loss is $10,000 or more, is guilty 22
of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not 23
exceeding $10,000 or both; or 24
(ii) if the aggregate amount of the loss is less than $10,000, is guilty 25
of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 5 years or a 26
fine not exceeding $5,000 or both. 27
(3) A person who violates subsection (c)(4) of this section: 28
(i) if the aggregate amount of the loss is $10,000 or more, is guilty 29
of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not 30
exceeding $100,000 or both; or 31
(ii) if the aggregate amount of the loss is less than $10,000, is guilty 32
of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 5 years or a 33
fine not exceeding $25,000 or both. 34
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(4) A person who violates subsection (c)(5) of this section is guilty of a 1
misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 2 years or a fine 2
not exceeding $5,000 or both. 3
(5) A person who violates subsection (c)(6) of this section is guilty of a felony 4
and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 5 years or a fine not exceeding 5
$25,000 or both. 6
(6) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES SUBSECTION (C)(7) OF THIS SECTION IS 7
GUILTY OF A FELONY A ND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONM ENT NOT 8
EXCEEDING 10 YEARS OR A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $50,000 OR BOTH. 9
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 10
October 1, 2026. 11
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.