# Oct 1, 2026 - GO/PS Joint Committee Worksession

The Montgomery County Council Government Operations and Public Safety Joint Committee worksession, held October 1, 2026, discussed two related proposed hiring bills: Bill 18-26, concerning additional screening for certain federal law-enforcement applicants to the county police department, and Expedited Bill 29-26, concerning eligibility for county employment. Members and county staff debated the bills’ scope, legal and constitutional concerns, effects on recruitment, and how to build public trust. Police officials described existing screening practices and noted the department was more than 200 officers short. No vote was taken; the committee plans to resume discussion on October 19, with a request for further legal guidance and any proposed amendments before then.

The committee also received a briefing on the June 4 disclosure of personal information affecting approximately 7,500 county retirees, fire-and-rescue staff, and volunteers. Officials said a spreadsheet containing names, addresses, and bank account and routing numbers was accidentally emailed; they reported no evidence of misuse and said county-system copies were removed and affected people notified. Planned follow-up includes employee training, policy and access-control improvements, data classification and loss-prevention work, and an internal audit that officials agreed to add to the plan. Members also raised questions about outreach to affected individuals and secure communications with volunteer organizations. No procurement, contract award, or spending decision was identified.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Public Safety, Information Technology
**Topics:** Cybersecurity
**Published:** October 02, 2026

### Sources
- [Oct 1, 2026 - GO/PS Joint Committee Worksession](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLOBeklmlEg) - MoCoCouncilMD