HB 556

Drug Paraphernalia for Administration - Decriminalization

Sponsor: Karen Simpson (District 3)Committee: JudiciarySubject: Criminal Law - Substantive CrimesStatus: Hearing 2/11 at 1:00 p.m. (as of Dec 1, 2025)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Repealing the prohibition against a person using or possessing with intent to use, delivering or selling under certain circumstances, or manufacturing or possessing with intent to deliver or sell under certain circumstances drug paraphernalia to inject, ingest, inhale, or otherwise introduce into the human body a controlled dangerous substance; altering a prohibition against a person possessing or distributing controlled paraphernalia under certain circumstances; etc.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (0)

MGA witness list

FAV 38FavorableUNF 6Unfavorable

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Arikat, Loraine	1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East	Written (PDF)
FAV	Anderson, Cola	BRIDGES Coalition (Baltimore Resources for Indoor Drug-use Grassroots Education & Safety)	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Archie, Ashley	Baltimore City Directorate	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ogbue, Christine	Baltimore City Health Department	Oral
FAV	Roche, Julia	Baltimore City Health Dept	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kerr, Samantha	Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Fell, Dave	Behavioral Health Leadership Institute	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rabbitt, Dan	Behavioral Health System Baltimore	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Johnson, Ro	Charm City Care Connection	Written (PDF)
FAV	Frailey, Gregory	Good Trouble Church	Written (PDF)
FAV	Evans, Katharine	Grey Matters	Written (PDF)
FAV	Diamond, Joanna	Health Care for the Homeless	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jackson, Edward	Law Enforcement Action Partnership	Written (PDF)
FAV	Browning, Jeremy	Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs	Oral
FAV	Lynch, Meghan	Maryland Department of Health	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bogdan, Henrylobbyist	Maryland Nonprofits	Written (PDF)
FAV	Keller, Emily	Maryland's Office of Overdose Response	Written (PDF)
FAV	Themelis, Nina	Mayor's Office of Government Relations	Written (PDF)
FAV	Geddes, Annlobbyist	Mental Health Association of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Dunleavy, Jessie	NA	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Rosen-Cohen, Nancy	NCADD-Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Spangler, Adam	Office of Attorney General	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bradford, Timothy	Office of the Public Defender	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Woolard, Ashley	Public Justice Center	Written (PDF)
FAV	Emerson, Jessica	The Human Trafficking Prevention Project	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hoffman, Charlotte	Trans Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Adams, MD, Joseph	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Curwen-Garber, Darci	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Simpson, Delegate Simpsonlegislator	Individual	Position only
FAV	Dunn, Sam	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Heiman, Heather	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Higdon, Thomas	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mauer, William	Individual	Position only
FAV	Simpson, Karen	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Smith, Harriet	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Spradley, Elizabeth	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sterling, Eric	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Vetter, Drew	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Williamson, Marot	Maryland State's Attorney Association	Oral
UNF	Mansfield, Andrealobbyist	Towing & Recovery Professionals of Maryland	Written (PDF)
UNF	Sybert, Christine	Individual	Position only
UNF	Tibbals, Trudy	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Williams, Peggy	Individual	Position only
UNF	Williams, Peggy	Individual	Position only

Organizations on record

1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers EastFAV 1

Baltimore City DirectorateFAV 1

Baltimore City Health DepartmentFAV 1

Baltimore City Health DeptFAV 1

Baltimore Harm Reduction CoalitionFAV 1

Behavioral Health Leadership InstituteFAV 1

Behavioral Health System BaltimoreFAV 1

BRIDGES Coalition (Baltimore Resources for Indoor Drug-use Grassroots Education & Safety)FAV 1

Charm City Care ConnectionFAV 1

Good Trouble ChurchFAV 1

Grey MattersFAV 1

Health Care for the HomelessFAV 1

Law Enforcement Action PartnershipFAV 1

Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ AffairsFAV 1

Maryland Department of HealthFAV 1

Maryland NonprofitsFAV 1

Maryland State's Attorney AssociationUNF 1

Maryland's Office of Overdose ResponseFAV 1

Mayor's Office of Government RelationsFAV 1

Mental Health Association of MarylandFAV 1

NAFAV 1

NCADD-MarylandFAV 1

Office of Attorney GeneralFAV 1

Office of the Public DefenderFAV 1

Public Justice CenterFAV 1

The Human Trafficking Prevention ProjectFAV 1

Towing & Recovery Professionals of MarylandUNF 1

Trans MarylandFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVBogdan, HenryMaryland NonprofitsRegistered for: Maryland Nonprofits

FAVGeddes, AnnMental Health Association of MarylandRegistered for: Mental Health Association of Maryland; Maryland Coalition of Families

UNFMansfield, AndreaTowing & Recovery Professionals of MarylandRegistered for: HDR Engineering, Inc.; Adventist HealthCare, Inc.; Alkermes; Alterwood Health, Inc.; American Chemistry Council; Amrize North America Inc., formerly Holcim Participations (US) Inc.…