Bill > HB1423

This bill establishes a Commission to Review and Assess Racial Disparities in the State Criminal Justice System, which will be composed of 11 members representing various stakeholders including state legislators, judicial representatives, state agencies, and community advocates. The Commission's primary purpose is to conduct an extensive study and provide recommendations on racial disparities within Maryland's criminal justice system, focusing on issues such as disparate treatment of African Americans, Hispanics, and other non-White individuals across different stages of the criminal justice process, including policing, arrests, charging, sentencing, and prosecution. The Commission will investigate potential systemic improvements, including race-neutral risk assessments, sentencing alternatives, and methods to reduce recidivism, with specific attention to mandatory minimum sentencing, felony murder doctrine, and judicial discretion. The members will not receive compensation but will be reimbursed for expenses, and they are required to hold at least four public hearings to examine these issues. The Commission must submit a comprehensive report with its findings and recommendations to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and the House Judiciary Committee by September 1, 2026. The bill will take effect on July 1, 2025, and remain active for two years, automatically expiring on June 30, 2027, without further legislative action.