HB 104

Unhoused Individuals - Rights and Affirmative Defense

Sponsor: Bernice Mireku-North (District 14)Committee: JudiciarySubject: Criminal Law - ProceduresStatus: Hearing 2/03 at 1:00 p.m. (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Providing that all unhoused individuals have certain rights; establishing an affirmative defense of necessity to certain criminal charges relating to trespass or disturbing the peace; and repealing the authority of a municipality to prohibit vagrancy.

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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 (50)

MGA witness list

FAV 37FavorableFWA 2Favorable with amendmentsUNF 11Unfavorable

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Rabbitt, Dan	Behavioral Health System Baltimore	Written (PDF)
FAV	Carlock, Ruth	Brain Injury Association of Maryland	Position only
FAV	Muckle, Lonialobbyist	CASH Campaign of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sarro, Lisa	Community Legal Services	Written (PDF)
FAV	Council, Mark	Health Care for the Homeless	Oral
FAV	DiPietro, Barbara	Health Care for the Homeless	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Diamond, Joanna	Health Care for the Homeless	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lindamood, Kevin	Health Care for the Homeless	Oral
FAV	Williams, Malcolm	Health Care for the Homeless	Oral
FAV	Phillips, N. Scott	Legislative Black Caucus of MD	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fair, Kris	MD Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus	Written (PDF)
FAV	Carlson, Bill	Maryland Alliance for Justice Reform	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kovacs, Lisa	Maryland Association of Local Management Boards	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schumitz, Kalilobbyist	Maryland Center on Economic Policy	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mireku-North, Bernice	Maryland House of Delegates	Written (PDF)
FAV	McDermott, Meaghan	Maryland Legal Aid	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ruth, Laure	Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kemerer, Hannibal	Maryland Office of the Public Defender	Oral
FAV	Tars, Eric	National Homelessness Law Center	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Prater, David	Office of Attorney General	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	anderson, shannice	Office of The Public Defender	Written (PDF)
FAV	Snyder, Co-Chair, Abby	Poverty Free Maryland	Position only
FAV	Johnson, Carolyn	Public Justice Center	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Hoffman, Charlotte	Trans Maryland	Position only
FAV	OMalley, Catherine	Women's Law Center	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kaplowitz, Richard KAP	Year	Written (PDF)
FAV	DeStefano, Amanda	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Mireku-North, Delegate Mireku-Northlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Flowers, Christina	Individual	Oral
FAV	Gibson, Thomas	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Hagler, Dorsheena	Individual	Oral
FAV	Harris, Mrs.	Individual	Position only
FAV	Jasen, Debi	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lent, Michael	Individual	Position only
FAV	Lewis, Saleen	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	York, Katie	Individual	Position only
UNF	Cantu, Hugolobbyist	Apartments and Office Building Association	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Jackson, Samiralobbyist	MD Police Chiefs Assoc. and MD Sheriffs Assoc.	Written (PDF)
UNF	Sample, Sarah	Maryland Association of Counties	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Wiggins, Grasonlobbyist	Maryland Chamber of Commerce	Written (PDF)
UNF	Vormelker, Will	Maryland Judiciary	Written (PDF)
UNF	Bailey Thupari, Angelica	Maryland Municipal League	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	locklair, caileylobbyist	Maryland Retailers Association	Written (PDF)
UNF	Castelli, Williamlobbyist	Rifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLC	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	CARRICK, SHARON	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Meyerovich, Mark	Individual	Position only
UNF	Rosa, Richard	Individual	Position only
FWA	Pipkin, Matthewlobbyist	Maryland Multi-Housing Association	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Thompson, Mary Ann	St. Mary's County Detention and Rehabilitation Center	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

Apartments and Office Building AssociationUNF 1

Behavioral Health System BaltimoreFAV 1

Brain Injury Association of MarylandFAV 1

CASH Campaign of MarylandFAV 1

Community Legal ServicesFAV 1

Health Care for the HomelessFAV 5

Legislative Black Caucus of MDFAV 1

Maryland Alliance for Justice ReformFAV 1

Maryland Association of CountiesUNF 1

Maryland Association of Local Management BoardsFAV 1

Maryland Center on Economic PolicyFAV 1

Maryland Chamber of CommerceUNF 1

Maryland House of DelegatesFAV 1

Maryland JudiciaryUNF 1

Maryland Legal AidFAV 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland Multi-Housing AssociationFWA 1

Maryland Municipal LeagueUNF 1

Maryland Network Against Domestic ViolenceFAV 1

Maryland Office of the Public DefenderFAV 1

Maryland Retailers AssociationUNF 1

MD Legislative LGBTQ+ CaucusFAV 1

MD Police Chiefs Assoc. and MD Sheriffs Assoc.UNF 1

National Homelessness Law CenterFAV 1

Office of Attorney GeneralFAV 1

Office of The Public DefenderFAV 1

Poverty Free MarylandFAV 1

Public Justice CenterFAV 1

Rifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLCUNF 1

St. Mary's County Detention and Rehabilitation CenterFWA 1

Trans MarylandFAV 1

Women's Law CenterFAV 1

YearFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVMuckle, LoniaCASH Campaign of MarylandRegistered for: CASH Campaign of Maryland

FAVSchumitz, KaliMaryland Center on Economic PolicyRegistered for: Maryland Center on Economic Policy

UNFCantu, HugoApartments and Office Building AssociationRegistered for: Apartment & Office Building Association

UNFJackson, SamiraMD Police Chiefs Assoc. and MD Sheriffs Assoc.Registered for: Critical Response Group; Dell Technologies Inc.; Empower; Forward Financing; HDR Engineering, Inc.; Maryland Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs…

UNFWiggins, GrasonMaryland Chamber of CommerceRegistered for: Maryland Chamber of Commerce; United Way of Central Maryland, Inc.; Madison Marquette Property Investments LLC; Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund; Family Tree, The; OVG Facilities…

UNFlocklair, caileyMaryland Retailers AssociationRegistered for: HPSO Investments LLC, T/A Riverboat on the Potomac; Maryland Retailers Alliance; Maryland Retailers Association

UNFCastelli, WilliamRifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLCRegistered for: ASC Engineered Solutions; Berkshire Hathaway Energy GT&S, LLC; Board of County Commissioners of Allegany County, MD; Brown Advisory; Cable Telecommunications Association of Maryland, Delaware and D.C., Inc.; Colonial Pipeline Company…

FWAPipkin, MatthewMaryland Multi-Housing AssociationRegistered for: Maryland Multi-Housing Association