---
type: "Bill"
title: "Postconviction Review - Procedure to Reduce Duration of Sentence (Maryland Second Look Act)"
description: "Postconviction Review - Procedure to Reduce Duration of Sentence (Maryland Second Look Act)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2025"
identifier: "HB 853"
citation: "Maryland HB 853 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Acevero", "Addison", "Alston", "Amprey", "Boafo", "Boyce", "Charkoudian", "Conaway", "Crutchfield", "Davis", "Embry", "Fair", "Fennell", "Harris", "Harrison", "Holmes", "Ivey", "J. Lewis", "J. Long", "Kaufman", "Martinez", "McCaskill", "Mireku-North", "Palakovich Carr", "Pasteur", "Patterson", "Pena-Melnyk", "Phillips", "Queen", "Roberson", "Rogers", "Ruff", "Ruth", "Simmons", "Smith", "Stinnett", "Taveras", "Taylor", "Toles", "Turner", "Wells", "White Holland", "Wilkins", "Williams", "Woods", "Young"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 38
vote_count: 17
first_action: "2025-01-30"
last_action: "2025-04-22"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/a7177bdf-7ba4-437e-8ad2-8a7f6c695978"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0853?ys=2025RS&search=True"
source_hash: "04971c40ea84a83b2b479a65fc907491116067666199e235f71be7f2b4e3c7e2"
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 853 (2025) — Postconviction Review - Procedure to Reduce Duration of Sentence (Maryland Second Look Act)

## Version chain

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

1. **Chapter - Postconviction Review - Procedure to Reduce Duration of Sentence (Maryland Second Look Act)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_96_hb0853e.pdf)
2. **Enrolled - Postconviction Review - Procedure to Reduce Duration of Sentence (Maryland Second Look Act)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0853e.pdf)
3. **First - Criminal Procedure - Petition to Reduce Sentence (Maryland Second Look Act)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0853f.pdf)
4. **Racial Equity Impact Note** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/Pubs/BudgetFiscal/2025RS-HB0853-REIN.pdf)
5. **Third - Postconviction Review - Procedure to Reduce Duration of Sentence (Maryland Second Look Act)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/hb/hb0853t.pdf)

## Votes

- On Third Reading and Final Passage (Hse concurred) — **89–47** (pass) · lower
- Floor Amendment Folden /523329/1 — **19–26** (fail) · upper
- FLA Del. Kipke /823623/1 — **50–77** (fail) · lower
- FLA Del. Griffith /893422/1 — **43–81** (fail) · lower
- Floor Amendment Corderman /263224/1 — **20–25** (fail) · upper
- FLA Del. Rose /293228/1 — **44–77** (fail) · lower
- FLA Del. Hartman /683627/1 — **38–87** (fail) · lower
- FLA Del. Buckel /913128/1 — **44–80** (fail) · lower
- FLA Del. Pippy /493028/1 — **40–93** (fail) · lower
- FLA Del. Hutchinson /473222/1 — **43–80** (fail) · lower
- FLA Del. Miller /513728/1 — **42–81** (fail) · lower
- On Third Reading — **89–49** (pass) · lower
- Floor Amendment Bailey /413126/1 — **24–23** (pass) · upper
- FLA Del. Hornberger /553722/1 — **45–78** (fail) · lower
- On Third Reading (Amend) — **31–16** (pass) · upper
- FLA Del. Pippy /123428/1 — **47–79** (fail) · lower
- FLA Del. Buckel /713626/1 — **45–86** (fail) · lower

## Sponsors

- Acevero — primary (person)
- Addison — primary (person)
- Alston — primary (person)
- Amprey — primary (person)
- Boafo — primary (person)
- Boyce — primary (person)
- Charkoudian — primary (person)
- Conaway — primary (person)
- Crutchfield — primary (person)
- Davis — primary (person)
- Embry — primary (person)
- Fair — primary (person)
- Fennell — primary (person)
- Harris — primary (person)
- Harrison — primary (person)
- Holmes — primary (person)
- Ivey — primary (person)
- J. Lewis — primary (person)
- J. Long — primary (person)
- Kaufman — primary (person)
- Martinez — primary (person)
- McCaskill — primary (person)
- Mireku-North — primary (person)
- Palakovich Carr — primary (person)
- Pasteur — primary (person)
- Patterson — primary (person)
- Pena-Melnyk — primary (person)
- Phillips — primary (person)
- Queen — primary (person)
- Roberson — primary (person)
- Rogers — primary (person)
- Ruff — primary (person)
- Ruth — primary (person)
- Simmons — primary (person)
- Smith — primary (person)
- Stinnett — primary (person)
- Taveras — primary (person)
- Taylor — primary (person)
- Toles — primary (person)
- Turner — primary (person)
- Wells — primary (person)
- White Holland — primary (person)
- Wilkins — primary (person)
- Williams — primary (person)
- Woods — primary (person)
- Young — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-01-30** First Reading Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2025-01-31** Hearing 2/18 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2025-02-17** Hearing canceled
- **2025-02-17** Hearing 2/18 at 11:00 a.m.
- **2025-03-14** Favorable with Amendments Report by Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-14** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-14** Motion Special Order until 03/15 (Delegate Clippinger) Adopted
- **2025-03-15** Floor Amendment {
- **2025-03-15** Floor Amendment {
- **2025-03-15** Floor Amendment {
- **2025-03-15** Floor Amendment {
- **2025-03-15** Floor Amendment {
- **2025-03-15** Floor Amendment {
- **2025-03-15** Floor Amendment {
- **2025-03-15** Floor Amendment {
- **2025-03-15** Floor Amendment {
- **2025-03-15** Floor Amendment {
- **2025-03-15** Floor Amendment {
- **2025-03-15** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2025-03-17** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2025-03-17** Referred Judicial Proceedings `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-19** Hearing 3/25 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2025-03-25** Hearing canceled
- **2025-03-25** Hearing 3/25 at 2:00 p.m.
- **2025-03-31** Favorable Report by Judicial Proceedings `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-31** Favorable `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-31** Motion Special Order until 4/1 (Senator Smith) Adopted
- **2025-04-02** Favorable Adopted `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-02** Floor Amendment {
- **2025-04-02** Floor Amendment {
- **2025-04-02** Floor Amendment {
- **2025-04-02** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2025-04-03** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2025-04-03** House Concurs Senate Amendments
- **2025-04-03** Motion Vote Previous Question (Delegate Ivey) Adopted
- **2025-04-03** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2025-04-03** Passed Enrolled
- **2025-04-22** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 96 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/a7177bdf-7ba4-437e-8ad2-8a7f6c695978`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).