Montgomery County Council unanimously approves amended ban on on-duty law-enforcement face coverings with ID and portal requirements

The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously April 28 to adopt Bill 5-26, a local law restricting on-duty face coverings by federal, state or local law-enforcement officers in the county, with a set of committee-recommended amendments and an expedited classification.

Under the adopted amendments, on-duty officers must display identification; the law permits masks or face coverings when required as a reasonable workplace accommodation; undercover and plainclothes officers are explicitly exempted; the county will create an online complaint portal for alleged violations; and the local law will sunset upon adoption of a uniform statewide policy on masks and identification by the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission.

Sponsor remarks and committee discussion framed the bill as an interim measure while the state enacts a uniform rule. Committee members and sponsors emphasized limits on county enforcement authority and the role of documentation and reporting by residents.

McCartney Green, a county legal staff member who provided a case-law update, noted that recent federal court actions in other states have shaped the legal landscape and were part of the committee’s consideration.

Council member Will Jawando, a session speaker who supported the committee’s recommendation, said the measure responded to resident concerns about federal immigration enforcement tactics and argued the proposal would add safeguards and an accessible complaint pathway.

The roll-call vote recorded every council member present voting yes; the clerk announced the measure passed unanimously. The bill’s effective enforcement timeline will depend on the state commission’s development of a uniform policy and the county’s creation of the online complaint portal.