Committee advances parole commission changes after amendments to restore hearing examiners

The Judiciary Committee on March 20 voted to advance House Bill 16 with amendments that alter the structure and hiring rules for the Maryland Parole Commission.

Delegate Phillips explained the amendment package, saying the original bill had required a minimum of five commissioners and that removing that requirement ‘‘drove a pretty significant fiscal note’’; the amendment removes that minimum while retaining other reforms to the parole commission. Claire, a staff presenter, summarized five sets of changes that accompany the motion.

The amendments restore the role of hearing examiners but add professionalization measures: future hiring of hearing examiners may include no more than 30% who have law-enforcement or corrections experience, and each hearing examiner must hold an undergraduate or advanced degree in psychology, psychiatry, social work, education or community organizing, or the equivalent through training or experience. The package also prevents the secretary from terminating examiners employed as of Oct. 1 solely to satisfy the 30% threshold and expands the scope of cases commissioners may hear to include noncumulative sentences of 15 or more years, where previously that threshold applied only to life sentences.

Committee members asked whether stakeholders would be harmed; the sponsor and counsel said they had consulted unions, hearing examiners and commissioners and ‘‘as far as I know, everybody’s okay.’’

After discussion the committee approved the amendments on a hands-up vote and then voted the bill "favorable with amendments" on a roll call, which the clerk recorded as 12 yes, 4 no, 0 abstain, 2 absent, 1 excused. The motion passed.

The committee did not adopt any floor amendments during the meeting; the bill will proceed as amended to the next stage.