2508                                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                                         Ch. 443

(1982 Replacement Volume and 1983 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article 27 - Crimes and Punishments

45A.

(a)  For the purposes of this section, THE FOLLOWING WORDS
HAVE THE MEANINGS INDICATED.

(1)   ["public] "PUBLIC record" includes all official
books, papers, or records whether kept on a manual or automated
basis, which are created, received, or used by the State or any
agency thereof, a bicounty or a multicounty agency, any county,
municipality, or other political subdivision.

(2)   "ACCESS" MEANS TO APPROACH, INSTRUCT, COMMUNICATE
WITH, STORE DATA IN, RETRIEVE DATA FROM, OR OTHERWISE MAKE USE OF
ANY RESOURCES OR EQUIPMENT INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
COMPUTERS AND OTHER DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT OR RESOURCES
CONNECTED THEREWITH.

(b)   It is unlawful for a person to do or attempt to do the
following:

(1)  Wilfully make a false entry in any public
records; [or]

(2)  Except under proper authority, wilfully alter,
deface, destroy, remove, or conceal any public record[.]; OR

(3)  EXCEPT UNDER PROPER AUTHORITY, WILFULLY AND
INTENTIONALLY ACCESS PUBLIC RECORDS.

(c)  Any person who violates this section is guilty of a
misdemeanor and may be imprisoned up to 3 years or fined up to
[$1,000] $10,000, or both.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this section
shall not be construed to preclude the application of any other
provisions of the criminal law of the State which applies or may
apply to any transaction.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall
take effect July 1, 1984.

Approved May 15, 1984.