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HB 563·MD·house

Criminal Law - Emergency Response Animal - Prohibited Actions Against

Signed into LawFiled Jan 28, 2026
Sponsor: Behler
Latest Action

Approved by the Governor - Chapter 402

Apr 6, 2026

Summary

The bill makes it illegal to harass, interfere with, injure, kill, or cause serious physical injury to animals used by law‑enforcement or emergency‑response units. Violations are treated as misdemeanors with jail time and fines that vary by the type of conduct. It also removes an existing exemption that allowed self‑defense against such animals.

AI-generated summary — may be incomplete or inaccurate. Verify against the official bill text.

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