3276

JOINT RESOLUTIONS

WHEREAS, It is necessary and proper for the Insurance
Commissioner to determine the factual predicate for any new
or additional regulations; and

WHEREAS, The bonding industry impacts upon a large
segment of the population as well as a number of
governmental agencies, including the judiciary; and

WHEREAS, A proper study of additional or new
regulations would include the information and advice of the
public, various governmental agencies, the judiciary, and
the bail bonding industry; and

WHEREAS, The promulgation of new or additional rules
and regulations would be facilitated by the establishment of
a study commission composed of members of the public,
bonding industry, various governmental agencies, and the
judiciary; and

WHEREAS, The entire study would be designated not only
to evaluate whether to promulgate new or additional rules or
regulations and, if so, what specific new or additional
rules and regulations to promulgate, but would be targeted
for the protection and the improvement of the positive
aspects of the bonding system and the bail bond process
including:

(1) The preservation and protection of the
individual right to bail and the speedy access to criminal
justice without reasonable incarceration;

(2)  The recognition that the present system
places little or no burden on the taxpayers of the State;
and

(3)  The present system allows the capture of
fugitives by the bondsmen at little or no expense to the
citizenry; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the
Insurance Commissioner is requested to conduct a
comprehensive review of the bail bonding and surety industry
in this State with the objective of evaluating whether or
not new or extensive regulations of the bail bonding
industry is necessary; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Insurance Commissioner is urged to
appoint a committee to study the bail bonding industry. The
committee should be comprised of seven members: one trial
judge to be selected by the Maryland Judicial Conference;
one private member to be selected by the President of the
Senate of Maryland; one private member to be selected by the
Speaker of the House of Delegates; two persons selected by
the Independent Bail Bond Association of Maryland, and two
persons to be selected by the Insurance Commissioner; and be
it further