Legislation regarding the red-hot issues of police transparency, body cameras, race-based traffic stops and aiding ex-offenders are on the governor’s desk today for his signature.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said he will also sign a bill, passed by the General Assembly, doubling the limit for civil claims against local governments from $200,000 to $400,000.

Such claims are often used by victims of abusive police practices and are liable to increase Baltimore’s expenditures on settlements for police-related lawsuits, which currently cost the city about $3 million a year in settlements and legal costs.

The bills to be signed today include:

SB 482/HB 533: The Public Safety – Law Enforcement Officers Body-Worn Digital Recording Device and Electronic Control Device. The bills would make it lawful for a law enforcement officer to intercept an oral communication with a “body-worn digital recording device” or an “electronic control device.” The legislation was sponsored on behalf of the Baltimore County delegation to clarify legal issues related to the county’s planned use of cameras on police officers and on Tasers. The legislation would also establish a state Commission Regarding the Implementation and Use of Body Cameras by Law Enforcement Officers.

SB 882: Baltimore City Civilian Review Board would alter the definition of “law enforcement unit” as it relates to the Baltimore City Civilian Review Board so as to increase the number of law enforcement units that are subject to review by the Board.

HB 954: Public Safety – Civilian deaths Involving a Law Enforcement Officer requires law enforcement agencies to provide the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention with information about deaths of individuals in police custody, as well as deaths of officers in the line of duty.

SB 413: Vehicle Laws – Race-Based Traffic Stops requires law enforcement officers to record demographic information, including race, pertaining to traffic stops.

HB 771: Baltimore Police Department – Report on Community Policing. This bill requires an annual report to be submitted by the police commissioner with information on the use of force that results in the admission of a civilian to a hospital, number of civilian complaints about the use of force by a police officer, number of officers suspended, percentage of officers assigned to neighborhood patrols, and department’s efforts at community policing, including its engagements with schools, recreation centers and community centers.

HB 244: Maryland Second Chance Act of 2015. Allows individuals who have a non-violent misdemeanor criminal record to petition the court to shield court records and police records after a period of three years under certain circumstances and conditions.

HB 304: Criminal Procedure – Expungement of Records, whereby arrests and charges that did not result in a conviction may remain eligible for expungement, regardless of subsequent convictions.

SB 582: Pilot Program for Small Business Development by Ex-Offenders will establish a pilot program to encourage individuals exiting the correctional system to establish small businesses.

HB 113: Increasing Limits on Local Government Tort Claims Act will increase the liability limits for a civil claim against a local government to $400,000. (The cap was last raised in 1987.)

HB 114: Increasing Limits on State Government Tort Claims Act will increase the liability limits for a civil claim against state government to $800,000. (This cap was last raised 16 years ago.)