MD HB336

District Court commissioners may only issue arrest warrants when the applicant is a police officer (as defined in § 3–201 of the Public Safety Article) or a State's Attorney, eliminating the ability for private citizens to obtain arrest warrants directly from commissioners

Maximum imprisonment penalty for making false statements or reports to government officials increases from 6 months to 3 years, while the $500 fine cap remains unchanged

Arrest warrants from commissioners still require probable cause plus one additional condition: defendant failed to respond to a summons, whereabouts unknown, defendant in custody for another offense, or defendant poses a danger to others or the community

Effective date: October 1, 2026