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SB 943

Family and Law Enforcement Protection Act

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Ben Brooks and 7 co-sponsors

SB 943 requires petitioners to supply detailed firearm information in DV orders and mandates surrender of all firearms and licenses by respondents at interim, temporary, and final

Hearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m.
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Bill Summary · SB 943

SB 943 — Family and Law Enforcement Protection Act

Status: Hearing scheduled 2/19 at 1:00 p.m.
Introduced: January 27, 2025 (Maryland Senate Bill)
Committee: Judicial Proceedings

Main purpose

SB 943 strengthens requirements for identifying, seizing, and documenting respondents’ firearms in domestic violence protective‑order proceedings and creates a short‑term task force to study firearm use in domestic violence situations. The goal is to increase victim safety by (1) obtaining more detailed information about respondents’ firearm access at the petition stage, (2) making surrender of firearms and handgun qualification licenses mandatory at earlier stages of protection proceedings, and (3) improving statewide policy through a focused study.

Key provisions

  • Petition content: If the petitioner knows or alleges the respondent has a valid handgun qualification license or owns/possesses a firearm, the petition must include specified information known to the petitioner. Required details include (summarized):

    • duration of relationship; whether petitioner herself/himself has firearms or a license; safety plan/advocacy contacts;
    • likely firearm location, last sighting, make/model, number/type of firearms, vehicle info and plate if firearm kept in car;
    • names/DOBs of household members where firearms might be present; respondent’s attitude toward law enforcement;
    • other indicators (military service, hunting license, range use, pawn history, social‑media photos with firearms, suicidal or mental‑health history, knowledge/access to explosives/bomb‑making materials), and contact info for others who can verify locations.

  • Interim protective orders: Must order the respondent to surrender any firearms in their possession and to refrain from purchasing or possessing firearms for the duration of the interim order.

  • Temporary protective orders: Currently limited surrender authority to orders arising from firearm use/threats or serious bodily‑harm threats. SB 943 removes that limitation and requires surrender of firearms and handgun qualification licenses and a prohibition on possession/purchase for the duration of any temporary protective order, regardless of the nature of alleged abuse.

  • Final protective orders: Continue to require surrender of firearms and add explicit surrender of handgun qualification licenses and a prohibition on purchasing/possessing firearms for the order’s duration.

  • Surrender procedures: When ordered to surrender, the respondent must deliver all firearms and any handgun qualification license to law enforcement within 24 hours and provide written proof of surrender to the court and local sheriff’s office within two business days. If no firearm is possessed, the respondent must file a sworn affidavit within two business days.

Task Force

Creates the Task Force to Study the Use of Firearms in Domestic Violence Situations, staffed by the Center for Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention. The task force must report recommendations to the General Assembly by November 15, 2025. The task force provisions take effect June 1, 2025 and terminate November 30, 2025.

Fiscal and administrative impacts

  • State: One‑time Judiciary programming costs estimated at $80,100 (FY2026) to update protective‑order systems and materials; MDH costs for task‑force staffing estimated at $39,900 (FY2026). No material revenue impact projected.
  • Local: Potentially significant operational impact for local law enforcement (e.g., storage, tracking, return/disposition of surrendered firearms). The bill may impose a mandate on units of local government.

Who is affected

  • Petitioners (persons seeking relief): may be required to provide more detailed firearm‑related information.
  • Respondents: must surrender firearms and handgun qualification licenses more promptly and across more types of orders.
  • Courts and commissioners: implement new order language and deadlines, process proof of surrender and affidavits.
  • Local law enforcement: accept and store surrendered firearms, verify surrender, coordinate with courts.
  • State agencies: MDH (task force staffing) and Judiciary (systems updates).

Timeline / Next steps

  • Task force: June 1 – Nov 30, 2025 (report due Nov 15, 2025).
  • Hearing on bill: scheduled 2/19 at 1:00 p.m. (Judicial Proceedings Committee).
  • If enacted, procedural changes (24‑hour surrender, 2‑day proof) would take effect according to the bill’s effective‑date language (task‑force dates are specified in the fiscal note).

If you want, I can prepare a one‑page fact sheet for court staff or a checklist for petitioners summarizing the new firearm‑related information they may need to provide.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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