Law Enforcement - Protective Body Armor - Requirements and Reporting, the official text

WES MOORE, Governor                        Ch. 462

Chapter 462

             (House Bill 904)

AN ACT concerning
    Law Enforcement – Protective Body Armor – Requirements and Reporting

FOR the purpose of providing that a law enforcement agency may not assign a law
         enforcement officer to duties other than administrative duties unless the officer is
         issued protective body armor; requiring a law enforcement agency to issue only
         protective body armor that meets certain standards; requiring a law enforcement
         agency to replace protective body armor before a certain date; requiring a law
         enforcement agency to notify the Maryland Police Training and Standards
         Commission under certain circumstances; requiring the Commission to notify the
         Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy under certain circumstances;
         providing that the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy may not
         disburse certain grant funds under certain circumstances; and generally relating to
         protective body armor.

BY adding to
         Article – Public Safety
         Section 3–535
         Annotated Code of Maryland
         (2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments,
         Article – Public Safety
         Section 4–101(a) and (e)
         Annotated Code of Maryland
         (2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement)

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

             Article – Public Safety

3–535.

        (A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS
INDICATED.

                (2) “COMMISSION” MEANS THE MARYLAND POLICE TRAINING AND
STANDARDS COMMISSION.

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Ch. 462  2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND

                (3) “LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN §
3–201 OF THIS TITLE.

                (4) “PROTECTIVE BODY ARMOR” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN §
4–101 OF THIS ARTICLE.

        (B) (1) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION, A LAW

ENFORCEMENT AGENCY MAY NOT ASSIGN A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TO DUTIES
OTHER THAN ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES UNLESS THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

IS ISSUED PROTECTIVE BODY ARMOR.

                (2) A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY MAY ISSUE ONLY PROTECTIVE
BODY ARMOR TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER THAT:

                         (I) CONFORMS TO ALL CURRENT NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF
JUSTICE BALLISTIC RESISTANCE OF BODY ARMOR STANDARDS; AND

                         (II) HAS NOT REACHED THE EXPIRATION OR SUGGESTED

REPLACEMENT DATE INDICATED BY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE PROTECTIVE

BODY ARMOR.

                (3) A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SHALL REPLACE PROTECTIVE

BODY ARMOR BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OR SUGGESTED REPLACEMENT DATE

INDICATED BY THE MANUFACTURER.

        (C) (1) IF A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY HAS NOT REPLACED A LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER’S PROTECTIVE BODY ARMOR BY THE 31ST DAY AFTER THE

EXPIRATION OR SUGGESTED REPLACEMENT DATE INDICATED BY THE

MANUFACTURER, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SHALL PROMPTLY NOTIFY THE
COMMISSION.

                (2) AFTER RECEIVING NOTIFICATION UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF
THIS SUBSECTION, THE COMMISSION SHALL NOTIFY THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF
CRIME PREVENTION AND POLICY THAT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY HAS

FAILED TO REPLACE PROTECTIVE BODY ARMOR IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBSECTION

(B) OF THIS SECTION.

                (3) (I) AFTER EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (II) OF
THIS PARAGRAPH, AFTER RECEIVING NOTIFICATION UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) OF
THIS SUBSECTION, THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION AND POLICY

SHALL WITHHOLD GRANT FUNDS AVAILABLE TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
UNTIL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY PROVIDES PROOF THAT THE LAW

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WES MOORE, Governor  Ch. 462

ENFORCEMENT AGENCY HAS PURCHASED OR ISSUED REPLACEMENT PROTECTIVE

BODY ARMOR THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS
SECTION.

                         (II) THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION AND
POLICY MAY NOT WITHHOLD FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY UNDER
SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH GRANT FUNDS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED
FOR THE PURCHASE OF PROTECTIVE BODY ARMOR.

                (4) THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION AND POLICY

MAY NOT DISBURSE GRANT FUNDS TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IF IN THE

IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING FISCAL YEAR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY:

                         (I) FAILED TO NOTIFY THE COMMISSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH
PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION; OR

                         (II) NOTIFIED THE COMMISSION ON THREE OR MORE
OCCASIONS UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION.

4–101.

         (a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.

         (e) “Protective body armor” means a vest or similar article that is:

                  (1) designed to be worn on the body to protect against blunt force trauma
associated with the impact of a firearm projectile; and

                  (2) manufactured of bullet resistant fabric that conforms to National
Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standard 0101.03 (or the current edition) and V–50 ballistic
testing requirements.

         SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
October 1, 2026.

Approved by the Governor, May 12, 2026.

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