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*sb0689*
SENATE BILL 689
E5, E4 6lr3365
CF HB 1347
By: Senator McKay Senators McKay, Waldstreicher, West, and Sydnor
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 5, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Task Force to Study Postrelease Services and Requirements 2
(Bri’s Law) on the Creation of a Division of Returning Citizens and Expanded 3
Reentry Services – Requirement Alterations and Extension of Report Deadline 4
(Bri’s Law) 5
FOR the purpose of establishing the Task Force to Study Postrelease Services and 6
Requirements; and generally relating to the Task Force to Study Postrelease 7
Services and Requirements altering the requirements of the Task Force on the 8
Creation of a Division of Returning Citizens and Expanded Reentry Services; 9
extending the deadline for the reporting requirement for the Task Force; and 10
generally relating to the Task Force on the Creation of a Division of Returning 11
Citizens and Expanded Reentry Services. 12
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 13
Chapter 936 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2024 14
Section 1(a) 15
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 16
Chapter 936 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2024 17
Section 1(h) 18
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 19
Chapter 936 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2024, as amended by 20
Chapters 112 and 113 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025 21
Section 1(i) 22
2 SENATE BILL 689
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 1
Chapter 936 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 20 24, as amended by 2
Chapters 112 and 113 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025 3
Section 2 4
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 5
Chapter 937 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2024 6
Section 1(a) 7
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Chapter 937 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2024 9
Section 1(h) 10
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11
Chapter 937 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2024, as amended by Chapters 12
112 and 113 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025 13
Section 1(i) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 15
Chapter 937 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2024, as amended by 16
Chapters 112 and 113 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025 17
Section 2 18
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19
That: That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20
(a) There is a Task Force to Study Postrelease Services and Requirements. 21
(b) The Task Force consists of the following members: 22
(1) two members of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 23
the Senate; 24
(2) two members of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of 25
the House; 26
(3) the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services, or the 27
Secretary’s designee; and 28
(4) the President of the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association, or the 29
President’s designee. 30
(c) The Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services shall be the chair of 31
the Task Force. 32
SENATE BILL 689 3
(d) The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services shall provide staff 1
for the Task Force. 2
(e) A member of the Task Force: 3
(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Task Force; but 4
(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 5
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 6
(f) The Task Force shall: 7
(1) study: 8
(i) each type of release from incarceration in the State; and 9
(ii) for each type of release, postrelease programs and requirements 10
designed to prevent individuals released from incarceration from recidivating; and 11
(2) make recommendations for improving postrelease programming and 12
requirements based on its findings. 13
(g) On or before July 1, 2027, the Tas k Force shall report its findings and 14
recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the State 15
Government Article, the General Assembly. 16
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 17
1, 2026. It shall remain effective for a period of 2 years and 1 month and, at the end of June 18
30, 2028, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be 19
abrogated and of no further force and effect. 20
Chapter 936 of the Acts of 2024 21
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That: 23
(a) There is a Task Force on the Creation of a Division of Returning Citizens and 24
Expanded Reentry Services. 25
(h) The Task Force shall: 26
(1) identify and assess the reentry services that exist in the State; 27
(2) identify gaps in reentry services currently provided in the State; 28
(3) assess the markers of successful reentry; 29
4 SENATE BILL 689
(4) ensure that the recommendations of the Task Force equally consider 1
returning citizens regardless of gender; 2
(5) develop a plan to establish a Division of Returning Citizens within the 3
Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to: 4
(i) assess measures of reentry success; 5
(ii) coordinate existing Department and community reentry 6
programs; 7
(iii) remove barriers to reentry; 8
(iv) empower residents to break the cycle of recidivism; and 9
(v) connect incarcerated individuals to pre –release and postrelease 10
assistance; [and] 11
(6) develop a plan to expand the following services for individuals in the 12
State after release from incarceration: 13
(i) housing services, including: 14
1. a needs assessment before an individual is released; 15
2. assistance in finding a halfway house, family home, or 16
apartment; 17
3. transportation to an individual’s home on release; 18
4. referral to first–time home buyer programs; and 19
5. other housing services currently provided by the Re–entry 20
and Transition Services Unit; 21
(ii) employment services, including: 22
1. a needs assessment before an individual is released; 23
2. employment and entrepreneur training; 24
3. resume assistance; 25
4. assistance obtaining vital documents and State 26
identification; 27
5. connection to employers; and 28
SENATE BILL 689 5
6. other employment services curren tly provided by the 1
Re–entry and Transition Services Unit; 2
(iii) socialization services, including: 3
1. a needs assessment before an individual is released; 4
2. financial literacy training; 5
3. connection with a mentor; 6
4. technology acclimation and training; and 7
5. other socialization services currently provided by the 8
Re–entry and Transition Services Unit; 9
(iv) health services, including: 10
1. a needs assessment before an individual is released; 11
2. connection to: 12
A. a primary care provider; 13
B. mental health services; 14
C. dental care; 15
D. anger management therapy; 16
E. substance abuse counseling; and 17
F. nutrition counseling; and 18
3. other health services currently provided by the Re –entry 19
and Transition Services Unit; 20
(v) legal assistance, including: 21
1. a needs assessment before an individual is released; 22
2. assistance with obtaining child support; 23
3. assistance with expungement of criminal records; and 24
6 SENATE BILL 689
4. other legal services currently provided by the Re –entry 1
and Transition Services Unit; 2
(vi) education services, including: 3
1. a needs assessment before an individual is released; 4
2. connection to GED programs; 5
3. connection to postsecondary education; and 6
4. other education services currently provided by the 7
Re–entry and Transition Services Unit; 8
(vii) coordination with county reentry programs, including: 9
1. notification of release to a home county; and 10
2. assistance acquiring dental and health records; 11
(viii) other services identified at the time of the trial, during 12
incarceration, or on release of an individual who is being released from incarceration; and 13
(ix) other services currently provided by the Re–entry and Transition 14
Services Unit; AND 15
(7) STUDY PROGRAMS AND S ERVICES TO PREVENT R ECIDIVISM BY 16
INDIVIDUALS IN THE STATE AFTER RELEASE FROM INCARCERATION. 17
Chapter 936 of the Acts of 2024, as amended by Chapters 112 and 113 of the Acts 18
of 2025 19
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That: 21
(i) On or before [October] DECEMBER 31, 2026, the Task Force shall, in 22
accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, submit a report to the General 23
Assembly of its findings and recommendations. 24
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 25
1, 2024. It shall remain effective for a period of 3 years and 1 month and, at the end of June 26
30, 2027, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be 27
abrogated and of no further force and effect. 28
Chapter 937 of the Acts of 2024 29
SENATE BILL 689 7
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That: 2
(a) There is a Task Force on the Creation of a Division of Returning Citizens and 3
Expanded Reentry Services. 4
(h) The Task Force shall: 5
(1) identify and assess the reentry services that exist in the State; 6
(2) identify gaps in reentry services currently provided in the State; 7
(3) assess the markers of successful reentry; 8
(4) ensure that the recommendations of the Task Force equally consider 9
returning citizens regardless of gender; 10
(5) develop a plan to establish a Division of Returning Citizens within the 11
Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to: 12
(i) assess measures of reentry success; 13
(ii) coordinate existing Department and community reentry 14
programs; 15
(iii) remove barriers to reentry; 16
(iv) empower residents to break the cycle of recidivism; and 17
(v) connect incarcerated individuals to pre–release and postrelease 18
assistance; [and] 19
(6) develop a plan to expand the following services for individuals in the 20
State after release from incarceration: 21
(i) housing services, including: 22
1. a needs assessment before an individual is released; 23
2. assistance in finding a halfway house, family home, or 24
apartment; 25
3. transportation to an individual’s home on release; 26
4. referral to first–time home buyer programs; and 27
8 SENATE BILL 689
5. other housing services currently provided by the Re–entry 1
and Transition Services Unit; 2
(ii) employment services, including: 3
1. a needs assessment before an individual is released; 4
2. employment and entrepreneur training; 5
3. resume assistance; 6
4. assistance obtaining vital documents and State 7
identification; 8
5. connection to employers; and 9
6. other employment services currently provided by the 10
Re–entry and Transition Services Unit; 11
(iii) socialization services, including: 12
1. a needs assessment before an individual is released; 13
2. financial literacy training; 14
3. connection with a mentor; 15
4. technology acclimation and training; and 16
5. other socialization services currently provided by the 17
Re–entry and Transition Services Unit; 18
(iv) health services, including: 19
1. a needs assessment before an individual is released; 20
2. connection to: 21
A. a primary care provider; 22
B. mental health services; 23
C. dental care; 24
D. anger management therapy; 25
E. substance abuse counseling; and 26
SENATE BILL 689 9
F. nutrition counseling; and 1
3. other health services currently provided by the Re –entry 2
and Transition Services Unit; 3
(v) legal assistance, including: 4
1. a needs assessment before an individual is released; 5
2. assistance with obtaining child support; 6
3. assistance with expungement of criminal records; and 7
4. other legal services currently provided by the Re –entry 8
and Transition Services Unit; 9
(vi) education services, including: 10
1. a needs assessment before an individual is released; 11
2. connection to GED programs; 12
3. connection to postsecondary education; and 13
4. other education services currently provided by the 14
Re–entry and Transition Services Unit; 15
(vii) coordination with county reentry programs, including: 16
1. notification of release to a home county; and 17
2. assistance acquiring dental and health records; 18
(viii) other services identified at the time of the tr ial, during 19
incarceration, or on release of an individual who is being released from incarceration; and 20
(ix) other services currently provided by the Re–entry and Transition 21
Services Unit; AND 22
(7) STUDY PROGRAMS AND S ERVICES TO PREVENT R ECIDIVISM BY 23
INDIVIDUALS IN THE STATE AFTER RELEASE FROM INCARCERATION. 24
Chapter 937 of the Acts of 2024, as amended by Chapters 112 and 113 of the Acts 25
of 2025 26
10 SENATE BILL 689
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That: 2
(i) On or before [October] DECEMBER 31, 2026, the Task Force shall, in 3
accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, submit a report to the General 4
Assembly of its findings and recommendations. 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 6
1, 2024. It shall remain effective for a period of 3 years and 1 month and, at the end of June 7
30, 2027, this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be 8
abrogated and of no further force and effect. 9
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 10
June 1, 2026. 11
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.