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<section article="gcp" article_name="Criminal Procedure" number="11-926.1" title_number="11" title_name="Victims and Witnesses" subtitle_number="9" subtitle_name="Victims and Witnesses -- Services">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy shall establish and administer a reporting program for tracking the location, status, and chain of custody for sexual assault evidence collection kits.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The reporting program shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>track the location, status, and chain of custody of sexual assault evidence collection kits in the State;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>receive information relating to the location, status, and chain of custody from any law enforcement agency or person with control or possession of a sexual assault evidence collection kit; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>allow for a victim or a victim’s representative to track the location, status, and chain of custody of a sexual assault evidence collection kit containing samples taken from the victim.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Information contained in the reporting system is not open to public inspection.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy may disclose information contained in the reporting system only to:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>the victim about whom the information pertains;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>a victim’s representative for the victim about whom the information pertains;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>a sexual assault crisis program established under § 11–923 of this subtitle;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>a child advocacy center established under § 11–928 of this subtitle;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="5">
          <text>a law enforcement agency;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="6">
          <text>a State’s Attorney;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="7">
          <text>a person authorized by the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy to receive the information; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="8">
          <text>a person entitled to receive the information by federal or State law, subpoena, court rule, or court order.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, beginning October 1, 2023, a law enforcement agency or any person, including a health care provider, forensic laboratory, or State’s Attorney, that has control or possession of a sexual assault evidence collection kit shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>report location, status, and chain of custody information to the reporting program established under this section in a manner required by the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>comply with all regulations developed by the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy under this section.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A law enforcement agency or a person, including a health care provider, forensic laboratory, or State’s Attorney, that had control or possession of a sexual assault evidence collection kit before October 1, 2023, and has control or possession of the sexual assault evidence collection kit on or after October 1, 2023, shall report location, status, and chain of custody information to the reporting program established under this section on or before March 31, 2026.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy, in consultation with the Maryland Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Policy and Funding Committee, shall adopt any regulations necessary to carry out this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Regulations adopted by the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy in accordance with this section shall include:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>requirements for reporting the location and chain of custody of a sexual assault evidence collection kit to the program established by the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy under this section; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>procedures for disclosing information about sexual assault evidence collection kits included in the reporting program, including disclosure to parties authorized to receive information contained in the reporting system.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
