Baltimore – On Tuesday afternoon, Governor Wes Moore along with Maryland’s legislative leaders signed multiple bills into law. The emphasis was particularly on reforms in the criminal justice system and protections for individuals. government workers confronting employment termination under the Trump administration.
Moore, along with Democratic House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones and Senate President Bill Ferguson, signed more than 140 bills on Tuesday afternoon. Among these was the Expungement Reform Act of 2025, designed to broaden individuals' opportunities to clear their criminal records after completing their sentences and meeting rehabilitation criteria for specific offenses, such as probation infractions.
The legislation, introduced on behalf of the Moore administration, builds on an executive clemency directive that the governor released last June, granting pardon 175,000 convictions pertaining to marijuana possession .
The removal of the wait time for expunging records will take effect Oct. 1.
For far too many Maryland residents, their criminal record remains a burden that haunts them indefinitely," Moore stated. "They are unable to secure loans, purchase homes, or find employment due to offenses committed years—possibly even decades—ago.
Supporters of criminal justice celebrated the passage of the bill, stating that it will remove undue obstacles for individuals in Maryland who have finished serving their sentences previously.
“By creating a more efficient and accessible pathway for individuals to expunge cannabis-related convictions and seek post-conviction relief, this bill is a crucial step in addressing the harms caused by decades of cannabis criminalization in Maryland,” Liz Budnick, lead counsel with The Last Prisoner Project, said in a statement. “We are thrilled that more Marylanders will now be able to move forward with their lives, access new opportunities and contribute fully to their communities.”
The Second Look Act also was signed on Tuesday. Under that bill, people imprisoned for at least 20 years who were between 18 and 24 years old at the time of their offense will be given the right to petition for a sentence reconsideration hearing before a judge.
Individuals found guilty of sexual crimes, those responsible for the demise of a first responder, and people who receive a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole are not eligible.
The legislation will become active on October 1st.
Natasha Dartigue, the public defender from Maryland, welcomed the implementation of the Second Look Act on Tuesday, stating that it "helps tackle the uneven sentencing policies that have contributed to Maryland's widespread incarceration issues."
The bill was a priority for the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus during the 2025 session. In a statement issued after it was signed, Del. Jheanelle Wilkins, a Montgomery County Democrat and chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, said the policy reflects the “values of compassion, accountability, and second chances.”
“While we have a long way to go, this is what progress looks like — we look forward to the ongoing work to dismantle racial inequities and deliver justice for all Marylanders,” said Wilkins.
Moore, Jones and Ferguson also signed the Protect Our Federal Workers Act Tuesday, which will create the Federal Government Employee Assistance Loan Fund to provide money to Maryland residents who worked for the federal government but were terminated by President Donald Trump’s administration during the ongoing waves of mass firings under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). It also provides an additional $1.5 million to the attorney general’s office to carry out lawsuits against the federal government.
According to Moore, there are over 260,000 federal workers living in Maryland, and 160,000 federal jobs located in the state.
Jones described Trump’s dismissal of thousands of federal workers as "unlawful," and characterized it as an effort to defame and upset them.
"I do not find pleasure in individuals losing their employment. I do not view job losses as an acceptable consequence, and I do not consider our federal employees as mere pawns for politics," she stated.
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