Higher Education - Tuition Exemption for Foster Care Recipients - Eligibility
HB 982, titled the Gun Theft Felony Act of 2025, amends Maryland’s theft statute to create a specific felony offense for theft of a firearm, including antique firearms and replicas of antique firearms. Under the bill, a person convicted of stealing a firearm would face felony penalties of up to 5 years’ imprisonment and/or a $1,000 fine for a first conviction, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment and/or a $2,500 fine for a second or subsequent conviction. Any sentence imposed for firearm theft must run consecutive to any sentence for another offense.
The bill also makes a targeted change to the general theft penalty structure by carving firearm theft out of the existing value-based misdemeanor/felony thresholds. The broader theft statute in Criminal Law § 7-104 remains in place for other property and services, but firearm theft is treated separately and more severely regardless of the firearm’s market value. The bill preserves existing provisions on theft by deception, possession of stolen property, lost or misdelivered property, theft of services, and related procedural rules, while adding a new firearm-specific penalty subsection and updating cross-references and limitations periods accordingly.
HB 982 would amend Article 7-104 of the Criminal Law Article to create a distinct felony category for theft of a firearm and to exclude firearm theft from the ordinary dollar-value thresholds that govern theft penalties. This would increase criminal exposure for firearm theft cases, require consecutive sentencing for firearm theft convictions, and apply to theft of all firearms, including antique firearms and replicas. The bill would take effect October 1, 2025, and would affect prosecutors, defendants charged with theft offenses, and courts applying Maryland’s theft sentencing scheme.
The available context suggests strong support for the bill in the House, as reflected by its third reading passage on a 128-1 vote. The bill’s broad bipartisan-style sponsor list also suggests substantial legislative interest in tougher penalties for firearm theft. No committee transcript or detailed floor debate is provided, so the record does not show extensive public disagreement, but the near-unanimous vote indicates the measure was generally well received.
The main policy issue is whether firearm theft should be punished more severely than other thefts regardless of value. Supporters appear to favor creating a dedicated felony offense and mandatory consecutive sentencing to deter gun theft and address public safety concerns. Potential concerns, though not documented in the provided discussion, would likely center on proportionality, the treatment of antique or replica firearms, and whether a separate firearm-specific penalty is necessary when theft law already covers stolen property by value.