---
type: "Bill"
title: "Task Force to Study Crime Classification and Penalties"
description: "Task Force to Study Crime Classification and Penalties"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2019"
identifier: "HB 542"
citation: "Maryland HB 542 (2019)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Criminal Law - Substantive Crimes", "Committees and Commissions", "Crimes and Punishments", "Laws and Ordinances", "Legislative Services", "Department of", "Penalties and Sentences", "Public Officials", "Reports", "Rules and Regulations", "Sunset"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Cox"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 15
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2019-02-04"
last_action: "2019-04-30"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/31e9172f-5dfb-40f4-8329-56646d0577d7"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?id=HB542&stab=01&pid=billpage&tab=subject3&ys=2019rs"
source_hash: "31ee471073dc55feeda593f4f957dd6a121160f63a5e9e680c42a11d2247f394"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-md"]
---

# Maryland HB 542 (2019) — Task Force to Study Crime Classification and Penalties

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Bill Text** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2019RS/bills/hb/hb0542f.pdf)

## Votes

- On third reading — **45–0** (pass) · upper
- On Third Reading — **140–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Cox — primary (person)
- Adams — cosponsor (person)
- Atterbeary — cosponsor (person)
- Beitzel — cosponsor (person)
- Corderman — cosponsor (person)
- Fraser-Hidalgo — cosponsor (person)
- Hartman — cosponsor (person)
- Kipke — cosponsor (person)
- McComas — cosponsor (person)
- McKay — cosponsor (person)
- Metzgar — cosponsor (person)
- Miller — cosponsor (person)
- Moon — cosponsor (person)
- Pippy — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-02-04** First Reading Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-05** Hearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2019-04-05** Favorable Report by Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-04-05** Favorable Report Adopted `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-04-05** Second Reading Passed
- **2019-04-06** Third Reading Passed (140-0) `passage`
- **2019-04-08** First Reading Senate Rules `referral-committee`
- **2019-04-08** Rereferred to Judicial Proceedings
- **2019-04-08** Favorable Report by Judicial Proceedings `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-04-08** Favorable Report Adopted `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-04-08** Second Reading Passed
- **2019-04-08** Motion two readings same day Const/Rule 24 (Senator Zirkin) Adopted
- **2019-04-08** Third Reading Passed (45-0) `passage`
- **2019-04-08** Returned Passed
- **2019-04-30** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 372 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/31e9172f-5dfb-40f4-8329-56646d0577d7`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).