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SB1003 • 2026

Howard County - Sheriff and State's Attorney - Compensation Ho. Co. 13-26

Howard County - Sheriff and State's Attorney - Compensation Ho. Co. 13-26

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Howard County Senators
Last action
2026-05-12
Official status
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 581
Effective date
2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Howard County Sheriff and State's Attorney Salary Changes

This law changes the annual salaries for the Howard County Sheriff and State's Attorney, increasing them over several years.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the salary of the Howard County Sheriff to $220,601 in 2027, $227,230 in 2028, $234,079 in 2029, and $241,149 starting from 2030.
  • Changes the salary of the Howard County State's Attorney to match that of a District Court judge for 2026, then increases it to $220,601 in 2027, $227,230 in 2028, $234,079 in 2029, and $241,149 starting from 2030.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Sheriff of Howard County
  • The State's Attorney of Howard County

Terms To Know

Sheriff
A law enforcement official responsible for maintaining order and enforcing the law in a county.
State's Attorney
The chief public prosecutor who represents the state or county in criminal cases.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This act does not affect salaries of the Sheriff or State’s Attorney for terms beginning before October 1, 2026.
  • It only applies to individuals appointed or elected after this date to fill unexpired terms.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-12 Post Passage

    Approved by the Governor - Chapter 581

  2. 2026-04-11 House

    Favorable Report by Judiciary

  3. 2026-04-10 House

    Rereferred to Judiciary

  4. 2026-04-08 Senate

    Favorable Report by Judicial Proceedings

  5. 2026-04-02 House

    Third Reading Passed (134-0)

  6. 2026-03-31 House

    Second Reading Passed

  7. 2026-03-27 House

    Favorable Adopted

  8. 2026-03-27 House

    Motion Special Order until Next Session (Delegate Pippy) Adopted

  9. 2026-03-27 Senate

    Returned Passed

  10. 2026-03-24 Senate

    Hearing 4/02 at 1:00 p.m.

  11. 2026-03-23 House

    Referred Rules and Executive Nominations

  12. 2026-03-20 Senate

    Rereferred to Judicial Proceedings

  13. 2026-03-20 Senate

    Third Reading Passed (41-0)

  14. 2026-03-19 Senate

    Favorable Adopted

  15. 2026-03-19 Senate

    Second Reading Passed

  16. 2026-02-24 Senate

    First Reading Senate Rules

  17. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Howard County - Sheriff and State's Attorney - Compensation Ho. Co. 13-26

  18. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - Senate - Committee - Judicial Proceedings

  19. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Third - Howard County - Sheriff and State's Attorney - Compensation Ho. Co. 13-26

  20. Maryland General Assembly

    Vote - House - Committee - Judiciary

  21. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - Chapter - Howard County - Sheriff and State's Attorney - Compensation Ho. Co. 13-26

Official Summary Text

Altering the annual salary of the Sheriff of Howard County and altering the annual salary of the State's Attorney of Howard 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.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb1003*

SENATE BILL 1003
D2, L6 6lr1694

By: Howard County Senators
Introduced and read first time: February 24, 2026
Assigned to: Rules
Re–referred to: Judicial Proceedings, March 5, 2026
Committee Report: Favorable
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 19, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Howard County – Sheriff and State’s Attorney – Compensation 2

Ho. Co. 13–26 3

FOR the purpose of altering the annual salary of the Sheriff of Howard County and the 4
annual salary of the State’s Attorney for Howard County; and generally relating to 5
the Howard County Sheriff and the State’s Attorney for Howard County. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 8
Section 2–327(b) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 12
Article – Criminal Procedure 13
Section 15–414(a) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2025 Replacement Volume) 16

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 17
Article – Criminal Procedure 18
Section 15–414(b) 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
2 SENATE BILL 1003

(2025 Replacement Volume) 1

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 2
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 3

Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 4

2–327. 5

(b) [(1)] The Sheriff of Howard County shall receive: 6

[(i) An annual salary of $109,000 for calendar year 2021; and 7

(ii)] (1) For calendar year 2022 [and each subsequent] THROUGH 8
calendar year 2026, an annual salary equal to the salary of a major on step 6 of the Howard 9
County Police Management Schedule for the first year of the Sheriff’s term[.]; 10

(2) [The salary of the Sheriff shall incre ase annually, according to the 11
Howard County Police Management Schedule, for as long as the individual holds the 12
position of Sheriff] AN ANNUAL SALARY OF $220,601 FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2027; 13

(3) AN ANNUAL SALARY OF $227,230 FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2028; 14

(4) AN ANNUAL SALARY OF $234,079 FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2029; AND 15

(5) AN ANNUAL SALARY OF $241,149 FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2030 AND 16
EACH SUBSEQUENT CALENDAR YEAR. 17

Article – Criminal Procedure 18

15–414. 19

(a) This section applies only in Howard County. 20

(b) The ANNUAL State’s Attorney’s salary is [equal]: 21

(1) EQUAL to the salary of a judge of the District Court of Maryland FOR 22
CALENDAR YEAR 2026; 23

(2) $220,601 FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2027; 24

(3) $227,230 FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2028; 25

(4) $234,079 FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2029; AND 26

SENATE BILL 1003 3

(5) $241,149 FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2030 AND EACH SUBSEQUENT 1
CALENDAR YEAR. 2

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, in accordance with Article 3
III, § 35 of the Maryland Constitution, this Act may not be construed to extend or apply to 4
the salary or compensation of the Sheriff of Howard County or the State’s Attorney of 5
Howard County while serving in a term of office beginning before the effective date of this 6
Act, but the provisions of this Act concerning the salary or compensation of the Sheriff of 7
Howard County or the State’s Attorney of Howard County shall take effect at the beginning 8
of the next following term of office. This limitation does not apply to an individual appointed 9
or elected after the effective date of this Act to fill out an unexpired term. 10

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 11
October 1, 2026. 12

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.