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House passes PACE Act limiting use of artistic expression as evidence in criminal cases
Summary
Lawmakers approved House Bill 687, which codifies standards for admitting creative expression (music, poetry, social posts) as evidence in criminal or juvenile proceedings; the House passed the bill 99‑37 after debate on lyrics and social media.
Annapolis, March 19, 2026 — The Maryland House of Delegates voted 99‑37 to pass House Bill 687, the PACE Act, which restricts when a defendant’s creative expression can be used against them in criminal and juvenile proceedings.
Floor debate focused on how the bill applies to music, social media, journals and other artistic forms. The floor leader described the measure as codifying the existing Maryland test (Maryland v. Monteque standard) and said judges must weigh…
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