(a) In this part the following words have the meanings indicated. (b) "Certifying entity" means: (1) a State or local law enforcement agency; (2) a State's Attorney or deputy or assistant State's Attorney; (3) any other authority that has responsibility for the detection, investigation, or prosecution of a qualifying crime or criminal activity; or (4) an agency that has criminal, civil, family, or administrative detection, investigative, or prosecutorial jurisdiction in the agency's respective areas of expertise, including child protective services, adult protective services, the Commission on Civil Rights, and the Maryland Department of Labor. (c) "Certifying official" means: (1) the head of a certifying entity; (2) an individual in a supervisory role who has been specifically designated by the head of a certifying entity to provide U Nonimmigrant Status certifications on behalf of that entity; or (3) any other certifying official defined under Title 8, § 214.14(a)(3)(i) of the Code of Federal Regulations. (d) "Federal U Nonimmigrant Status Petition guidelines" means federal statutes, regulations, policies, publications, guidance, and instructions relating to U Nonimmigrant Status, including 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(U), 8 U.S.C. § 1184(p), 8 U.S.C. § 1367, 72 Fed. Reg. 53014 (Sept. 17, 2007), 8 C.F.R. § 214.14, 8 C.F.R. § 245.24, and 8 U.S.C. § 1255(m)(1). (e) "Qualifying crime" includes a criminal offense for which the nature and elements of the offense are substantially similar to the criminal activity described in subsection (f) of this section and the attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation to commit the offense. (f) "Qualifying criminal activity" means criminal activity under § 1101(a)(15)(U)(iii) of the United States Code or that is described in federal U Nonimmigrant Status Petition guidelines.
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