SB0543 • 2026

Judgeships - Circuit Court and District Court

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Chair, Judicial Proceedings Committee (By Request - Maryland Judicial Conference )
Last action: 2026-03-21
Official status: In the Senate - Recommitted to Judicial Proceedings (Senator Smith)
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.

Judgeships - Circuit Court and District Court

Increasing from three to four the number of resident judges of the Circuit Court for St.

What This Bill Does

Increasing from three to four the number of resident judges of the Circuit Court for St.
Mary's County; and increasing from five to six the number of associate judges in the District Court in District 11 by increasing from two to three the number of associate judges appointed from Washington County.

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

2026-04-09 Senate
Favorable Report by Judicial Proceedings
2026-03-21 Senate
Favorable
2026-03-21 Senate
Motion Recommit to Committee (Senator Smith) Adopted
2026-02-05 Senate
Hearing 2/18 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-04 Senate
First Reading Judicial Proceedings
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Judgeships - Circuit Court and District Court
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Judicial Proceedings

Official Summary Text

Increasing from three to four the number of resident judges of the Circuit Court for St. Mary's County; and increasing from five to six the number of associate judges in the District Court in District 11 by increasing from two to three the number of associate judges appointed from Washington County.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0543*

SENATE BILL 543
D1 6lr2493
CF HB 493
By: Chair, Judicial Proceedings Committee (By Request – Maryland Judicial
Conference)
Introduced and read first time: February 4, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Judgeships – Circuit Court and District Court 2

FOR the purpose of increasing the number of resident judges of the Circuit Court for St. 3
Mary’s County; increasing the number of associate judges of the District Court in a 4
certain district appointed from Washington County ; and generally relating to 5
judgeships in the circuit courts and the District Court. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 8
Section 1–503(a)(18) and 1–603(b)(11) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2020 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 – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 14

1–503. 15

(a) In each county in the first seven judicial circuits there shall be the number of 16
resident judges of the circuit court set forth below, including the judge or judges provided 17
for by the Constitution: 18

(18) St. Mary’s .......................................................................................... [3] 4 19

1–603. 20

2 SENATE BILL 543

(b) In each of the districts provided for in § 1 –602 of this subtitle, there shall be 1
the following number of associate judges of the District Court: 2

(11) District 11 — [5] 6, three to be appointed from Frederick County and 3
[two] THREE to be appointed from Washington County 4

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 5
October 1, 2026. 6