Bill > HB240

This bill establishes reporting requirements for the Maryland Judicial Public Text Messaging System, a court notification system originally authorized by an administrative order in April 2020. Starting December 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the Administrative Office of the Courts must submit a comprehensive report to the General Assembly detailing the system's performance. The required report must include specific metrics such as the number of individuals who requested or declined text notifications, the total number of notifications sent, breakdown of notification timing (including those sent 7 days before a proceeding and those sent 6 or fewer days before), the number of undelivered notifications, participant assistance requests, and a comparative analysis of court appearance rates between system participants and non-participants. Additionally, the report must include a forward-looking review of potential future development, expansion, and implementation plans for the text messaging system. The bill will take effect on July 1, 2025, providing a structured approach to tracking and evaluating this judicial communication tool.

Justice

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0240?ys=2025RS