The companion bill is HB 577 . Each chamber passed a different proposal for judicial salary increases this week. Legislators heard testimony recently on bills concerning State funding of court costs. HB 722 would establish a State funding formula that would increase State grants for local circuit court costs. Currently the State pays about two thirds of the funding for circuit courts.
Current law allows a charge of second degree murder or manslaughter in such cases.
The House and Senate each passed a different version of a measure to make computer piracy a felony. Under current law, computer hacking is a misdemeanor, no matter how great the resulting loss. These bills are a part of the Technology 2000 initiatives put forth by the Governor, President, and Speaker. The Technology 2000 legislation announced in January by Governor Glendening, President Miller, and Speaker Taylor is moving through the process. Several measures are out of committee and on the floor for consideration, while others have passed from the original chamber of introduction to the opposite chamber.