Overview
- The Youth Charging Reform Act, which cleared the House 92–39 on Monday, is headed to Gov. Wes Moore, who says he plans to sign it.
- For most crimes the adult transfer age rises from 14 to 16, while 14- and 15-year-olds still go to adult court for first-degree murder or rape.
- Common charges like assault and gun possession now start in juvenile court, and prosecutors can still ask a judge to move a case to adult court.
- Youths charged as adults are barred from being housed with adult inmates, with a three-year phase-in and a narrow six-hour processing exception.
- Annual reports beginning Oct. 1, 2027 will track who is charged as an adult, any youth housed with adults, case transfers, and wait times, in a compromise opposed by many prosecutors and backed by reformers.