Correctional Services - Maryland Parole Commission - Members
Correctional Services - Maryland Parole Commission - Members
Crime
Passed Legislature
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Sponsor
Senator Smith
Last action
2026-03-26
Official status
In the House - Third Reading Passed with Amendments (99-33)
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.
Correctional Services - Maryland Parole Commission - Members
Altering the appointing authority and method of appointment of parole commissioners by repealing certain authority of the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services and requiring the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint members of the Maryland Parole Commission from nominees chosen by a certain panel; and requiring the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy to provide staffing for the panel.
What This Bill Does
Altering the appointing authority and method of appointment of parole commissioners by repealing certain authority of the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services and requiring the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint members of the Maryland Parole Commission from nominees chosen by a certain panel; and requiring the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy to provide staffing for the panel.
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.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 823, AS AMENDED
(First Reading File Bill)
Strike the Judicial Proceedings Committee Amendment (SB0823/283725/1) in its
entirety.
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 823, AS AMENDED
(First Reading File Bill)
Strike the Judicial Proceedings Committee Amendment (SB0823/283725/1) in its
entirety.
On page 2 of the bill , in line 3, after “ ASSOCIATION;” insert “ AND”; in line 6,
strike the semicolon and substitute a period; and strike in their entirety lines 7 through
15, inclusive.
Plain English: AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 823
(First Reading File Bill)
On page 2, strike line 7 in its entirety; and in lines 8, 10, 12, and 14, strike “7.”,
“8.”, “9.”, and “10.”, respectively, and substitute “6.”, “7.”, “8.”, and “9.”, respectively.
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 823
(First Reading File Bill)
On page 2, strike line 7 in its entirety; and in lines 8, 10, 12, and 14, strike “7.”,
“8.”, “9.”, and “10.”, respectively, and substitute “6.”, “7.”, “8.”, and “9.”, respectively.
Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILL 823
(Third Reading File Bill)
AMENDMENT NO.
AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILL 823
(Third Reading File Bill)
AMENDMENT NO.
1
On page 1, in line 2, after “Members” insert “and Hearing Examiners”; in line
4, after “commissioners;” insert “requiring a new commissioner to be appointed within
a certain number of days under certain circumstances; prohibiting a hearing examiner
appointed under certain authority from serving for more than a certain number of days;
altering certain requirements for hearing examiners; requiring a vote of the majority of
commissioners appointed to the Maryland Parole Commission, instead of a certain
minimum number, to approve a certain incarcerated individual for parole;”; and in line
7, strike “7–202(a)” and substitute “7-202, 7-204, 7-205(a), and 7–307”.
AMENDMENT NO.
2
On page 1, strike beginning with “THE” in line 15 down through “Senate,” in line
16 and substitute “ SUBJECT TO SUBPAR AGRAPH (III) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , THE
GOVERNOR”.
Bill History
2026-04-08House
Favorable with Amendments Report by Judiciary
2026-03-26House
Hearing 3/31 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-03-26House
Third Reading Passed (99-33)
2026-03-22House
Favorable with Amendments { 893720/1 Adopted
2026-03-22House
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-03-19Senate
Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings
Text - First - Correctional Services - Maryland Parole Commission - Members
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Judicial Proceedings
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Correctional Services - Maryland Parole Commission - Members
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Judiciary
Official Summary Text
Altering the appointing authority and method of appointment of parole commissioners by repealing certain authority of the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services and requiring the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint members of the Maryland Parole Commission from nominees chosen by a certain panel; and requiring the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy to provide staffing for the panel.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0823*
SENATE BILL 823
E5 6lr0857
By: Senator Smith
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 4, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Correctional Services – Maryland Parole Commission – Members 2
FOR the purpose of altering the appointing authority and method of appointment of parole 3
commissioners; and generally relating to the Maryland Parole Commission. 4
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 5
Article – Correctional Services 6
Section 7–202(a) 7
Annotated Code of Maryland 8
(2025 Replacement Volume) 9
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 10
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 11
Article – Correctional Services 12
7–202. 13
(a) (1) The Commission consists of ten members. 14
(2) (I) [With the approval of the] THE Governor [and], WITH the advice 15
and consent of the Senate, [the Secretary] shall appoint the members of the Commission 16
FROM AMONG NOMINEES CHOSEN BY A PANEL CONSISTING OF: 17
2 SENATE BILL 823
1. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MARYLAND 1
POLICE TRAINING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION; 2
2. THE SECRETARY OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND 3
CORRECTIONAL SERVICES; 4
3. THE PUBLIC DEFENDER OF MARYLAND; 5
4. THE PRESIDENT OF THE MARYLAND STATE’S 6
ATTORNEYS’ ASSOCIATION; 7
5. THREE SERVICE PROVID ERS FROM THE FIELDS OF 8
MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE TREATM ENT, VOCATIONAL AND EDUCATIO NAL 9
TRAINING, OR COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR; 10
6. THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS; 11
7. 6. THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF 12
SOCIAL WORKERS – MARYLAND CHAPTER, OR THE PRESIDENT’S DESIGNEE; 13
8. 7. THREE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC , 14
APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR; 15
9. 8. ONE PRISONERS’ RIGHTS ADVOCATE, APPOINTED BY 16
THE GOVERNOR; AND 17
10. 9. ONE VICTIMS’ RIGHTS ADVOCATE, APPOINTED BY THE 18
GOVERNOR. 19
(II) THE PANEL SHALL SUBMIT TO THE GOVERNOR THE NAMES 20
OF AT LEAST THREE QUALIFIED NOMINEES FOR EACH COMMISSIONER VACANCY TO 21
BE FILLED. 22
(III) THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION AND 23
POLICY SHALL PROVIDE STAFFING FOR THE PANEL. 24
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 25
October 1, 2026. 26