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<section article="gps" article_name="Public Safety" number="5-602" title_number="5" title_name="Firearms" subtitle_number="6" subtitle_name="Extreme Risk Protective Orders">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A petition for an extreme risk protective order shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>be signed and sworn to by the petitioner under the penalty of perjury;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>include any information known to the petitioner that the respondent poses an immediate and present danger of causing personal injury to the respondent, the petitioner, or another by possessing a firearm;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>set forth specific facts in support of the information described in item (ii) of this paragraph;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>explain the basis for the petitioner’s knowledge of the supporting facts, including a description of the behavior and statements of the respondent or any other information that led the petitioner to believe that the respondent presents an immediate and present danger of causing personal injury to the respondent or others;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>describe the number, types, and location of any known firearms believed to be possessed by the respondent; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>include any supporting documents or information regarding:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>any unlawful, reckless, or negligent use, display, storage, possession, or brandishing of a firearm by the respondent;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>any act or threat of violence the respondent made against the respondent or against another, whether or not the threat of violence involved a firearm;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>any violation by the respondent of a protective order under Title 4, Subtitle 5 of the Family Law Article;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>any violation by the respondent of a peace order under Title 3, Subtitle 15 of the Courts Article; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="5">
          <text>any abuse of a controlled dangerous substance or alcohol by the respondent, including any conviction for a criminal offense involving a controlled dangerous substance or alcohol.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A petition for an extreme risk protective order may include, to the extent disclosure is not otherwise prohibited, health records or other health information concerning the respondent.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>A petitioner seeking an extreme risk protective order under this subtitle may file a petition with:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the District Court; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>when the Office of the District Court Clerk is closed, a District Court commissioner.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>All court records relating to a petition for an extreme risk protective order made under this subtitle are confidential and the contents may not be divulged, by subpoena or otherwise, except by order of the court on good cause shown.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>This subsection does not prohibit review of a court record relating to a petition by:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>personnel of the court;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the respondent or counsel for the respondent;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>authorized personnel of the Maryland Department of Health;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>authorized personnel of a local core service agency or local behavioral health authority;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>a law enforcement agency;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>a person authorized by a court order on good cause shown; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>researchers affiliated with institutions of higher education that have entered into an agreement with the Maryland Judiciary providing for the confidentiality of the record in accordance with subsection (d) of this section conducting related academic or policy research.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Maryland Judiciary shall require an institution of higher education that has researchers reviewing court records relating to extreme risk protective orders to enter into an agreement that provides for the storage and handling of the records.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The agreement shall provide that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>each record relating to an extreme risk protective order shall remain in the custody of the institution of higher education receiving the record;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>each record relating to an extreme risk protective order may be used only for the research and study for which it was assembled or obtained; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>a person may not disclose a record relating to an extreme risk protective order to any person who is not engaged in the research or study project.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The agreement under this subsection may not apply to or restrict the use or publication of any statistics, information, or other material that summarizes or refers to records in the aggregate, without disclosing the identity of any person who is the subject of the record.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The Maryland Judiciary, on its own motion, may institute an injunction and any other appropriate remedy:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>for a violation of the agreement under this subsection; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of a record relating to an extreme risk protective order by any person.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>A petitioner who, in good faith, files a petition under this subtitle is not civilly or criminally liable for filing the petition.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>Nothing in this subtitle may be interpreted to require a health care provider to disclose health records or other health information concerning a respondent except:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>in accordance with a subpoena directing delivery of the records or information to the court under seal; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>by order of the court.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
